Home Heating Tips for Winter

Water heating is necessary for every home, and it is typically the second largest energy expense that homeowners have to pay. For most consumers, water heating accounts for approximately 18% of their utility bill, next to heating and cooling their home. The traditional hot water tank will consume the most energy, so this article discusses how to save on utility expenses.

There are various ways that you can cut down your water heating bill, such as the following:

1. Use less hot water, especially for laundry
2. Turn down the thermostat on the water heater
3. Make sure your water heater is insulated
4. Buy a new, more efficient heater model

General Water Heating Tips

Below are some further tips that can help you to heat your water more efficiently:

• Install some aerating, low-flow shower heads and faucets throughout your home.
• Repair any leaky faucets as soon as possible, since they can waste a lot of water in a short amount of time.
• Set the thermostat on the water heater to 120°F for comfortable hot water that is suitable for bathing and washing.
• Insulate the electric hot-water storage tank, but ensure that you do not cover the thermostat. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations precisely.
• If you have a natural gas or oil hot-water storage tank, insulate this as well, and again, be careful not to cover the thermostat or any part of the water heater's compartments.
• Insulate the hot and cold water pipes that are connected to your water heater. Six feet of insulation should be sufficient.
• When buying a new dishwasher or washing machine, always try to buy an energy efficient model that saves water, such as the ENERGY STAR® models, to cut down on your hot water use.
• Install some heat traps on the water pipes of the heater to prevent heat from escaping. Many new water heaters come with built-in heat traps to save you the trouble of doing it.
• Every 3 months, drain at least one quart of water from the water tank to remove any sediment that may impede heat transfer and reduce the efficiency of your heater.

Remember, that while most hot water tanks last about 10-15 years, you should start shopping for a new one if your current water heater is more than 7 years old. Always do your research before the heater fails, so that you can select one that best meets your needs.

Long-Term Savings Tips

The tips below can help you save water and energy over the long-term:

• If your heater is getting old, buy a new energy-efficient heater. Although it may cost you more initially than buying a standard water heater, you will save more energy and money during the lifetime of the appliance. Remember to look for the ENERGY STAR® labels.
• Consider using natural gas or tankless water heaters, which can heat your water directly without having to use a storage tank.
• Install a drain-water heat recovery system which can capture the energy from waste hot water from showers and dishwashers and preheat cold water entering the water heater.
• Using pump water heaters are cost effective and can cut water heating bills down by more than half over the standard electric water heaters. If you have the water heater in your basement, it can also dehumidify the area in the summer months. Since this technology may have some installation challenges, you should always consult a professional installer before you purchase it.

Solar Water Heaters

If you heat your water with electricity, or have a high electric bill, consider installing a solar water heater. The solar heaters are environmentally friendly, since they do not emit greenhouse gases, and can be installed on your roof to blend in with the architecture of your home. They are particularly convenient if you have a south-facing, unshaded roof on which to place them. As with any heater, look for the ENERGY STAR label when shopping for a solar heater.

Make Your Own Fire Logs

A Few Good Reasons For The Dual Flush Toilet

As concerned plumbers we decided to do a little research on things related to our business, where we can help the environment wherever possible.

Here is our take on the limited water supply that is becoming a ever pressing concern for so many people.

It is not only that we are sucking all of the oil from the earth, we are also draining our water resources much faster than we can replace them. In truth, we can say the same for almost all of our natural resources.

The day will ultimately come, if we continue in this direction, that the planet will simply be uninhabitable. This is why, for future generations, we begin to conserve our natural resources before it is too late. The dwindling water supply is one of those resources we still can address. And this makes the dual flush toilet something we truly need.

One of the great reasons that everyone should think about obtaining a dual flush toilet for their home is the knowledge that faster than it could be replaced, we are using up our water supply. This great plumbing world invention will allow you to pick from two different flush options, one for liquid waste, and one for solid waste.

How to Use The Dual Flush Toilet

This option is just so important because it permits you to select the proper amount of water needed based on your requirements. The amount of water required to flush solid waste will obviously be more than that needed to flush liquid waste. You can and will save money with this sort of toilet, not be calling someone for local plumber services, and you will also be contributing everyday to conserving the water remaining on the planet.

There are at least two advantages the dual flush toilet has over normal toilets. Saving a lot of water is certainly advantage number one. This sort of toilet will use only 1.6 gallons per flush, as opposed to the 3.5 gallons of water that the normal toilet will use. This translates over a one year period with the average homeowner saving a minimum of 4000 gallons per year!

Because they are using considerably less water, thus paying for less water usage, is advantage number two for you. And the other good news is that whatever costs are involved with switching to this new toilet, they are absorbed by the amount of money saved on the monthly water bills one receives. This is even more true when in place of the luxury model available, the homeowner selects the economy model instead.

Using this sort of toilet offers even more benefits to the homeowner. Far less than what occurs with a normal toilet, your bathroom pipes will not be clogged, and the need to call for plumbing service will be greatly lessened. These sorts of toilets utilize a large trap way to get rid of the solid waste, as opposed to pushing it away with water pressure.

The result of this is that your toilet is prevented from clogging up, and this of course contributes greatly to keeping the bathroom more clean, and also keeping it in use more consistently.

The Toto Toilet

There is another low flush toilet very popular in the Vancouver area. The toto toilet has been asked for many times, and we so we decided to offer installation for them. They have a number of models which can be sen by clicking on the link in the previous sentence.

If you would like to see how many different places we are visible online click here.  For more information on getting a new toilet installed visit our website anytime.

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Pioneer Plumbing and Heating Inc. 
626 Kingsway
Vancouver, BC
V5T 3K4
(604) 872-4946
http://pioneerplumbing.com