The Hot Water Choice
December 17, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Hot Water Systems, Sydney Plumber
Seldom does a customer put thought into what hot water system suits their needs the best. The usual routine is their existing heater bursts and then they need a new one in a hurry and plump for replacing their heater with the same one.
When asked what the best solution is we are biased. Our bias is based on years of experience, we see which styles and brands don’t last long, and we see which styles and brands don’t suit a certain application. So our number one recommendation is always to go gas and to go instantaneous or constant flow. All of the major brands have a version of this style, the Rinnai infinity being the most well known.
The reasons we recommend this style are simple:
- They last longer – Rinnai are putting a 25 year lifespan prediction on their Infinity models, with only minor maintenance required in between. Electric storage tanks average 11 years.
- They are energy efficient. Some instantaneous models now have a 6 star energy rating. Electric mains pressure mains power heaters are among the most costly to operate.
- They use less space. If you would like to free up space on the side of your house or your backyard an instantaneous heater is like having a large brief case stuck on your wall. A large storage tank can be as big as a large man.
So do some research? Rinnai infinity, Rheem Continuous Flow, Bosch 26 Eco all great machines. Remember – and this is important! Your gas meter regulator will usually need to be upgraded for these heaters to work properly and to prevent unnecessary hot water repairs. They only use gas when the tap is turned on, but they need a lot of gas in a hurry. Too often we see cheap installations that messed up this crucial step.
If we were pushed on our second choice of style, we would recommend the gas rapid recovery storage units. The main choices here are the Rheem Stella’s and The Everhot range. These units can still perform with a 5 star energy rating and can deliver huge first hour performance by using the flue to help heat the cylinder.
Your Sydney Plumber is brought to you by Highlander Plumbing, Sydney plumbers with the experience & know-how to handle all your plumbing needs. Whether you need help with clearing a blocked drain, hot water systems & tanks, gasfitting, rainwater tanks or many other plumbing services…Highlander are Sydney plumbers you can trust!
Tempering Valves
July 15, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Hot Water Systems
Tempering Valves Can Prevent a Burn Injury
Tempered water is compulsory on all new residential developments in NSW. You cannot simply turn the heater down or you will breed Legionella. The tank must stay hot, but the water coming out must be tempered down.
If your hot water heater is being replaced with a different style or different capacity then it must be tempered by law. No exceptions. This is a very important safety message, not a “sell job”. You must now be suspicious of a plumber that does not insist on installing a tempering valve with a new heater; it shows that he is not aware of the current law.
Tempering valves have on average a 5yr lifespan. We recommend replacement after 5 yrs. This valve is a safety valve and cannot be serviced. If the valve fails to operate it is to be replaced.
Many of the instantaneous hot water systems on the market can now be purchase with an inbuilt preset temperature which does not require an extra tempering valve to be fitted.
Here is a quick extract from our code on hot water:
AS 1056.1
With reference to clause 3.2.2 the thermostat for a storage water heater shall be set at not less than 60°C. This clause then explains that a minimum setting of 60°C is specified on the advice of the Department of Health, NSW, that bacteria Legionella pneumophillia do not survive in temperatures above 55°C.
AS 3500.4
With reference to Clause 1.10.2, Part B, all new hot water installations, shall deliver not water not exceeding 50°C in residential buildings, at the outlet of all sanitary fixtures used primarily for personal hygiene purposes.
Here are the facts:
If you have small children then you must read this. The bulk of childrens’ burns victims that present to casualty each year are burns that were caused by hot water scalding. As you can see from the facts below, a burn can be inflicted by hot water to a child very quickly. Childeren do not know to pull away from hot water as quickly as an adult either, so the burn is made worse by an extended exposure.
We are sorry to shock you with these facts, but we feel you should know them.
- at 50°C, a deep scald takes 5 minutes in an adult or child;
- at 54°C, a deep scald takes 35 second in an adult and 10 seconds for a child;
- at 60°C, a deep scald takes 6 second for an adult and 1 second for a child;
- at 65°C, 2 seconds for an adult and 0.5 seconds for a child;
- at 70°C, in a typical factory setting – 1 second for an adult.
Your Sydney Plumber is brought to you by Highlander Plumbing, Sydney plumbers with the experience & know-how to handle all your plumbing needs. Whether you need help with clearing a blocked drain, hot water tank installations, gasfitting, rainwater tanks or many other plumbing services…Highlander are Sydney plumbers you can trust!
Hot Water Plumbing Tips
May 24, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Hot Water Systems
Most homes have standard plumbing. While standard plumbing has been very useful to us over centuries, it is now time to make these plumbing systems more efficient. In today’s times of environmental crisis and depletion of natural resources, it has become even more important to consider options like efficient hot water plumbing.
In standard plumbing systems, there are separate pipes for cold and hot water. When you want hot water, you typically have to wait a few minutes before you get hot water and in the meantime you let the cold water flow to get it out of the way. We are so used to the practice that we hardly give it any thought.
But, this method of accessing hot water not only wastes water; it also runs up huge utility bills. This is because water has to be treated and pumped before it enters your home plumbing system. And, then the sewer water that is discarded from your home also has to be treated and pumped. Both these processes use up a lot of energy in the process. Energy required for this process releases greenhouse gases and adversely affects our environment.
Efficient hot water plumbing is an environment conscious design that can help you save both energy and water. How about taking on a DIY project to change your standard plumbing to hot water plumbing? You could certainly accomplish large chunks of the project on your own without any professional help. You may be required to call in hot water plumbing, tanks & system professionals if you want to completely replace your standard plumbing system with a full time hot water recirculation system.
But, switching to a hot water plumbing system has numerous advantages. Apart from the satisfaction you get from a job well done, you will also have fast and easy access to hot water and you will save thousands in utility bills over the long run.
In a complete hot water recirculation system, a water pipe has to be connected from the last fixture back to the water heater inlet. Depending on your current plumbing layout, you may even need to re-plumb some of the hot water piping to get the system to deliver hot water to every faucet.
Apart from changing your entire plumbing system to a hot water recirculation system, you can also consider other hot water delivery systems. There are many hot water delivery system options currently available in the market and their installation is a lot simpler that hauling your entire plumbing system.
Your Sydney Plumber is brought to you by Highlander Plumbing, Sydney plumbers with the experience & know-how to handle all your plumbing needs. Whether you need help with clearing a blocked drain, hot water tank installations, gasfitting, rainwater tanks or many other plumbing services…Highlander are Sydney plumbers you can trust!
Hot Water Heater Energy Saving
May 22, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Hot Water Systems
The hot water heater is one of the highest power consuming electrical appliances in your house. Typically, 12%-15% of your utility bill is contributed by your hot water heater. There are four main methods of reducing your water heating bills and saving energy. They are:
- Consume less hot water
- Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater
- Ensure that the hot water heater is well insulated
- Get an energy-efficient & energy saving hot water heater
Apart from these four main methods of energy saving, here are some tips to help you reduce your utility bills:
- Ensure that your taps and showerheads are aerating and low flow.
- Ensure that there are no leakages. Many litres of hot water could be leaking through a dripping tap somewhere in the house.
- The factory settings on most thermostats are unnecessarily high. Bring it down to a more practical setting.
- The water storage tank of the hot water heater should be well insulated. Else, you will lose a lot of energy in heating water. But, depending on the kind of tank you have, ensure that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- If the first 3 metres of hot and cold water pipes are well insulated, you will be able to save a lot of energy.
- Installing heat traps on your cold and hot water pipes will also help prevent heat loss.
- Clean your water storage tank on a regular basis to remove sediments, if any. Follow manufacturer’s instructions, but ensure that no sediment is allowed to collect in the tank.
While these are steps you can take on a daily basis to reduce the power consumption of your hot water heater, here are some long term energy saving tips:
- Most hot water heaters made over 5-7 years ago are likely to consume a lot more energy that the newer models. Even though most hot water heaters will last for over a decade, if your heater is over 7 years old, you may want to consider replacing it with an energy efficient model.
- If you are considering buying a new hot water heater, ensure that you look for the ENERGY STAR and EnergyGuide labels. These appliances will save you a lot of energy through its lifetime.
These hot water heaters are now considered the most efficient for energy saving…
- High efficiency gas non-condensing
- Gas condensing
- Electric heat pump
- Gas continuous flow
- Solar
To help your energy saving efforts you may want to consider getting yourself one of these hot water heaters.
Your Sydney Plumber is brought to you by Highlander Plumbing, Sydney plumbers with the experience & know-how to handle all your plumbing needs. Whether you need help with clearing a blocked drain, hot water tank installations, gasfitting, rainwater tanks or many other plumbing services…Highlander are Sydney plumbers you can trust!
Hot Water Systems – The Basics
April 20, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Hot Water Systems
Hot water systems are plumbing related systems that are fitted to almost all modern houses to help heat and control the water flow. They usually consist of four entities..
- a cold water tank to store the initial water and help with topping up the supply
- a boiler that heats up the water (by gas or electricity)
- a hot water tank that holds all of the hot water for when you use the hot tap for showers or in the sink, and
- radiators which take water from the boiler and heat it up to keep areas of the home warm.
There may be different combinations to this general setup, some with different pressures and some that do not have a cold water tank at all.
Some of the installation for hot water systems can be a DIY job, although it is highly recommended that you hire a professional plumbing company for most installations and repairs, especially where gas is concerned, which can be very dangerous. However to keep the system running efficiently there are some things you can do at home by yourself. One of these common things is “bleeding radiators.”
Over time air passes in to your radiators as water flows through the system. Eventually this will cause a reduction in heat and may cause you to increase the temperature. Either way you end up spending more money to heat the house fully, than you would have done when the hot water system was first installed.
To fix this you have to regularly bleed the radiators to let the air out. This process simply involves using the bleed key (you’ll be given this during installation, or it may be fixed on top of the radiator dial), to turn anti clockwise and release the pressure. If you haven’t done it for a long while, placing down a towel can catch any scummy water that leaks out.
There are many Sydney plumbers and hot water engineers that can help install and repair hot water systems, to help your home run smoothly and efficiently. Although some things can be done yourself, hiring a professional plumber who is experienced your particular brand of hot water system e.g. Rheem, Aquamax, Vulcan etc ensures the job is done correctly.
Your Sydney Plumber is brought to you by Highlander Plumbing…Sydney Plumbers with the experience & know-how to handle all your plumbing needs. Whether you need help with clearing a blocked drain, hot water tank installations, gasfitting or rainwater tanks…Highlander are Sydney plumbers you can trust!