Clinton News-Record, 1976-10-28, Page 36•
miller*? w 4,1 con orneti
The most expensive item In
your home energy budget is
beating. And running
right 11
h r by oil,
natural* gas. propane or
electricity. There are many
ways to save energy without
resorting to cold showers.
Let's lOOlt at some of them.
good place to begin Is
with the heater itself. -
Be sure that your ther-
mostat is Oat set too high.
About 140 degrees F (60
degrees C) is ideal. The tank
itself should have a recovery
rate. of _at least 75 percent.
Thio *eon* that if it holds 40
gallons,i it win_ reheat-
s Per -hour. Adequate
for most families, and an
economical woof the heater.
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,* liWnietri0 damper,
and stack temperature should
all be adjusted to ensure that
the energy you're using is
- heating the water, not
tbe-hitnney.
_Down near the bottom ./If
your heater isa smolt tap
Drain a pail of water from
here about once a month to
clear out sediment and
mineraldeposits.
Insulation is a must to cut
heat loss as hot water moves
throurn_the system. Most
modern. tanks are insulated,
but if you happen to have one
that 40, 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 fired tank. •
Rot water moves froin the
tank to. the various outlets
the home through PiPos that
nOrMallY run alOng the
basement ceiling — the
coolest part of the house.
Again, the best way to
prevent -heat -escaping is by
using insulation.
You need a stepladder,
Scissors, insulating strips
(from.your hardWare or
building supply store) and
tape. Start at the hot
tank and wrap strips around
all the expased pipe, making
sure that junctions are well
cove, re4 You be saying
inergkand money for years!
One drip per second tram a
hot-water faucet or
ew,-llead sends about 175
gailong =OI down the
drain. 'Meet cash down the
drain!
The comprestilon tap is -the
roost common type fmmd in
Canadian homes. The now of
water s regulated by. turIng
a handle which is attacheAto
a threaded spindle. Mien.
spindle is turned down, the
washer °rinse attached to the
-blittom of the spindle is
sed- tightly. against a
smoothly fiiiished 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,
screwdriver, fiber or com-
position -type washers and
adhesive tape. The washers
should be a good grade; start ,
with . three,eighth, one-half
and five -eighth si;ers. ,
Turn off the ibater direeiti
below tile tap or, ifilire isn'i
taurs
a shutoff valve, turn off the
main Water supply.
Dramt all taps that are
higher
hi livel in the house
than the one that You are
going to work on. Otherwise
the water will back up when
'You teice the tat* apart.
Wrap aesive tapearound
the bonnet to prevent it being
marked 1)„, the wrench.
Take off the handle by
removing the screw that
holds it to the top of the
spindle. There may be a
knurled nut or suer -on -button
aver the 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
zcrev_t_t4,
a n energy
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 foram damage.
Wipe the inside of the tap to
remove any metal chips.
Pet 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
finisbedngYOUr first Mix
USE LESS ROT WATER?
One water.soving
suggestion, you'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, hetet an ex-
periment to prove the point:
All you need is a bathtub
and a yardstick. The next
time you're taking a bath,
measure the depth of the
waterbefore you climb in.
The following time take a
shower, but close the bathtub
drain so the water can't
escape. Enjoy a leisurely
shower, out before you pull
the plug, measure the depth
ot the water with your trusty
(continued on page 6
ire v°
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TO110100 DOMINION
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Suatoast Mall Godatich
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