The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-11-10, Page 51Ps46s •
Be wiseAchere water is concerned
Drippy hot water taps drain energy
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 them.
A good place to begin is
with the heater itself.
Be sure that your ther-
mostat is not set too high.
About 140 degrees F 160
degrees C) is ideal. The tank
itself should have. a 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 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, 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 happen to have one
th<<t 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 pipes 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-water
tank and wrap strips around
all the exposed pipe, making
sure that junctions are well
covered. You'll be saving
energy and money for years!
One drip per second from a
leaky hot-water faucet or
shower -head sends about 175
gallon: 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,
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 sizes.
Turn off the water directly
below the tap or, if there isn't
a shutoff valve, turn off the
main water supply.
Drai -l! .-^pc: that are
higher in level in tete 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 be a
knurled nut or snap -on button
over 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
screw that holds it in place.
Replace it with a washer of
identicalsize. 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 fixing your first tap.
USE LESS HOT WATER?
One water -
suggestion you've saving
already heard is to intake take
bath with a friend. Here are
some other ideas to cut down
on hot-water consumption.
Take showers instead
d
baths. If somebody questionsthe saving, here's an e.-
periment to prove the
poi
All you need is a batht
and a yardstick. Theub
time. you're taking a neat
botk
(continued from
Page
1
i
How to save onyour
fuel oil and still
enjoy continuous
home comfort.
i
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stall the only combination
furnace burning wood,coal and oil
thatcanpayforitseff.
122 THE SQUARE
rdm
DUO-MATIC
We also have - OLSEN GAS or OIL FIRED FURNACES
WORSELL BROS.
PLUMBING & HEATING
GODERICH
524.1952
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