10mm Hot Water Pipe – Save Water & Money

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ten-mm-pipewater-kitchen-black-design

I hate it when I turn on a tap or the shower and I have to stand waiting ages for the hot water to come through.  Apart from being impatient, I don’t like the thought of wasting water or what it must be doing to the power bill.

Over the past couple of years, plumbers have started using 10mm water pipes instead of the usual 15 or 20mm for hot water.  (The measurements are the diameter of the pipes).  Water sitting in the hot pipe cools down when it’s not being used.  Because 10mm pipe holds less water than larger pipes, less “dead water” is wasted before you get hot water at the tap and the hot comes through more quickly.  10mm pipe uses approximately one-third the amount of water as 20mm pipe – so it reduces your hot water bill dramatically.

Ideally, each tap would have it’s own 10mm pipe running directly to it.  In the past, one hot water pipe would be installed with numerous tee-offs to serve multiple taps.  But this means draining many more metres of pipe before the hot water arrives.  By re-configuring hot water pipes so each tap has it’s own 10mm pipe running directly from the hot water cylinder, the savings in water and money are extended.

We have had customers request Craig to replace their existing hot water pipe with 10mm pipe so they can enjoy the benefits of less dead water.  Any accessible hot water pipe in your ceiling or under the house can be replaced with 10mm pipe.  If you are renovating, it may be an opportunity to replace hot water pipes in the wall.  If you are building a new house, we highly recommend installing 10mm hot water pipe.

To maximise your hot water savings, your new 10mm hot water pipes should be lagged (insulated) to retain the heat.

10mm pipes are only recommended for houses with mains pressure as the water needs the force/drive to maintain pressure.  If you have mains pressure, you won’t notice a reduction in pressure if you replace your hot water pipes with 10mm.

Food for thought,
Craig & Julie.

 

Get Your Water Pressure Checked!

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water pressure test photo

Craig performing a water pressure test

Most people wouldn’t know what the water pressure is in their home.  They’d also be unaware of the often expensive impact that high water pressure can have.  High water pressure can increase your chance of a burst pipe and damage to your mixers, showerheads and other plumbing fittings.

Burst pipes can cause a lot of damage very quickly.  The manufacturer’s warranty on most mixers and some other fittings is invalidated if your water pressure is too high – so you especially want to make sure your water pressure has been checked if you’ve recently updated your bathroom or kitchen.

Craig is available to do water pressure checks. Doing a check doesn’t require him to go inside your house, which can be useful for those working or with other commitments outside the home.  He can measure the pressure at an outdoor hose tap. If he finds that your pressure is too high, he will give you an obligation-free quote to install a pressure-limiting-and-filter valve, which would protect all of the plumbing on your house.  If he’s coming round to do some plumbing for you, why not ask him to check your pressure while he’s there?

And, if you’re concerned that reducing the pressure will weaken your nice strong morning shower, don’t worry – reducing it to normal working pressure should have minimal impact on your experience of water pressure at the tap.

Ready to help,
Craig & Julie

 

Rainwater Tanks – for Emergencies & General Purposes

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Be prepared! - Rainwater tank for emergency water storage.

Be prepared! – Rainwater tank for emergency water storage.

Craig has just installed a rainwater tank at the back of our house.  It will save us the tedious task of washing and filling numerous bottles of water each year for emergencies as we now have 200 litres of stored water.  It’ll be handy for watering the garden too and our boys will enjoy having water to use right by their play garden.

How do Rainwater Tanks Work?

Once the rainwater tank and supplied fittings are installed, rainwater travels off your roof, into your spouting, down your downpipe, through a diverter and into the tank.  Near the base of the tank is a hose tap through which water can be accessed.

Using the Rainwater Tank Supply for Emergency Drinking Water

When using water from the rainwater tank to drink, the usual precautions are recommended – either boil the water or add a few drops of household bleach.  Our tank holds 200l of water, giving us well over the advised 3 days’ worth of emergency water for each member of the family. The tanks can be strapped to protect your water supply in earthquakes.

Where Can I get a Rainwater Tank?

We got our rainwater tank from the Wellington City Council service centre for $105.  It came with the necessary fittings for a regular install.  Ours was a bit complicated and required Craig to use some extra plumbing know-how and fittings but most tanks should be straight-forward to install.  The WCC tanks come in two colours – light brown and dark green.  Some plumbing and building merchants sell them but we found it reassuring that these ones are endorsed by the council and they are well-priced.

Craig is keen to help others get prepared for emergencies by installing rainwater tanks.  For a usual, straight-forward install, he can get yours up-and-running within a couple of hours.

Be prepared,
Craig & Julie