Winter is officially here! It has certainly made its presence felt in Wellington over the past week. As we dig out our warm coats, turn on heaters and stay an extra few minutes under the shower to warm up, we also brace ourselves for a hike in our power bills.
On average, heating of hot water accounts for 1/3 of your power bill! There are a number of ways to make your hot water system run more efficiently and reduce costs. Craig can check over your system and make power-saving suggestions that fit your budget.
Some of the affordable measures Craig can take are to:
- insulate hot water pipes with lagging to reduce heat loss.
- install flow restrictors in showerheads and taps to reduce the amount of water used.
- adjust the settings of the thermostat and tempering valve on your hot water cylinder so it’s not heating more than it needs to.
In recent years, plumbers have switched to a new system for running water pipes from the hot water cylinder to taps and showerheads. Using 12mm pipe to run water to each tap directly from the hot water cylinder saves 2/3 of the hot water consumed by the old way of doing things (which was to use one 20mm pipe to serve all taps and showerheads in an area). Using the new method, less water has to be drained from the pipes before hot water arrives at the tap. This might be worth considering if your pipes are accessible (such as under the house or in the ceiling space), need replacing anyway due to a burst or other problem or you are renovating.
You might want to consider installing a hot water heat pump as we have done recently in our family home. Manufacturers guarantee they save 2/3 of your water heating costs, making heat pumps a good option for those who intend on staying in their current house for many years to come. Your existing hot water cylinder may able to be used with a new heat pump.
Craig would be very happy to pay you a visit and make opening your power bill an easier task!
Keep warm this Winter,
Craig & Julie