HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-10-28, Page 47Be wise where water.. is concerned
Drippy hot water taps dram eneTrgy
The most expensive item in
your home energy budget .is.
space heating. And running
right behind it is hotwater
heating — whether by . oil,
natural gas, propane or
electricity. There are many
ways to save energy without
resorting to cold showers.
Let's look at some of therm
A good place to• begin . i
with the heater itself..
Be . sure that your they-
• mostat is not .set too high.
About 140 degrees F (60
-degrees C) is ideal. The tank
'itself should havea: recovery
rate. of at least 75 percent.
This means that if it holds 40
gallons, it , will reheat 30
gallons ` per hour. Adequate
for most families, and an
economical use of the heateF.
If your tank is heated with
oil or gas, be .sure it gets an
annual or semi-annual check
along with your furnace, -The
flame, barometric -damper,
and stack temperature should .
all be adjusted to ensure that
the energy .you're using is
heating the water,.. not_
scooting up the chimney: .
Down . near . the • bottom of
your heater is a small tap. --
Drain a pail of water from
here about once a. month to
clear out sediment and
mineral deposits.
Insulation is a must to cut
heat' loss as hot water moves
through the . system. Most
,modern tanks are insulated, -
but if you happento have one
that isn't,.. wrap some in-
sulation batts or rolls' around
it. Be sure you use a -fire-..
resistant type, and keep it.)
well .clear of the burner or an
oil- or gas- fired tank.
Hot water moves from the
tank to the various outlets in
the house through pipe's that
normally run along the•
basement ceiling the
coolest part of the house.
Again, the best way to.
prevent heat .escaping is by
,usingirisulation.
You need . a stepladder,
scissors, < insulating strips
(from your . hardware or
building supply store) .and
tape. Start' at the hot=water'
'tank and wrap strips around
all the exposed pipe, making
sure that junctions are well
covered. You'11._1be saving
energy and money for years !
One drip per second from a
leaky ..hot-water • faucet or
shdwer-head sends about 175
gallons a. month down the
drain.. That's cash down • the
drain!
The compression, tap is the
most common type found in
Canadian homes. The flow°of
water is regulated by turning
a handle which is attached to
a threaded spindle. When the
spindle. is turned down, the
washer or disc attached to the
bottom of the spindle is
pressed tightly against a
smoothly finished ring or.
ground seal, to shut off the
flow of water. If -this .doesn't
make a good contact, usually
because of a' worn-out
washer; . water. will 'leak
through. "
You'll-. need a - •wrench, •
scr'ewdr"iver, fiber or com-
position -type. . washers and
adhesive tape. -The washers
should be,a good grade; -start
with three -eighth, one-half
and five=eighthsizes. • ;
Turn off the water directly
below the tap or, if there isn't
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a shutoff valve, tura off the
main water. supply. -
Drain all taps that are
higher in -level in the house
than the one that you are
going to work on. Otherwise
the water will back up when
you take the tap apart.
Wrap adhesive tape around
the bonnet to prevent it being
marked by the wrench.
Take off ' the handle' by
removing the screw that'•
holds it to the top of •the
spindle.. There • may . ba a
knurled nut or snap -on button
over thea screw -head that you
will have to remove first.
Remove the bonnet .by tur-
ning counter -clockwise with a
wrench.
Slip the spindle out of the
bonnet . and •remove the
washer ,by taking out the
screw that holdsit'in place." . .
Replace it with a washer of
identical size. If the washer is
chewed up you will have to
check the bottom of the inside'
of the tap for"any damage.
Wipe the inside of the tap to
remove any metal chips.
Put the bonnet over ' the
spindle and check the packing
on the -outside. If' it's worn;
replace it with impregnated
cord that you can buy at your
local hardware. Wind ' the
cord clockwise from bottom
to top.
Re -set the bonnet and
spindle but don't tighten the
spindle in the seat.
Tighten the bonnet by
turning clockwise until it is
secure.
Replace the handle, turn on
the water and you have just
finished fixingyour first tap.
Page 5
•
USE LESSHOT WATER?
One wa,te.r-saving
suggestion' yod''ve probably
already heard is to take a
bath with a friend. Here are
some other ideas to cut down
on hot-water consumption:'-•-
Take" showers instead of
baths. If somebody questions
the saving,here's an ex-
periment to proveothe point:
All you need is a bathtub
and a yardstick. The next
time you're taking a bath,
measure. the depth of the
water before you climb in.
The following time take a
shower, but close tl6,e bathtub
drain so the water can't
escape. Enjoy a leisurely
shower, out before you-ptifl
the plug, measurethe depth
of the water with your trusty
.(contin.uedonpage 6
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