Living With a Drip?

This time of year attention always seems to gravitate to hot water issues. When you wake up on a dark, chilly morning and the shower isn't as steamy as you like -- or you have to wait for forever for the water to even get hot -- you notice.

It's a good time of year to perform basic maintenance on your hot water tank for that very reason: the damp and cold is a perfect reminder.

The other thing to think about is the water wasted running the tap waiting for the hot water to arrive. There is something that puts hot water at your fingertips when you need it. It's called a hot water circulation pump, or recirc pump in plumber's lingo.

Installation of a recirc pump is straightforward, and it's easy to maintain. The pump attaches to your hot water heater and a small return valve is unobtrusively installed on the furthest faucet in the home. Since the existing lines are used, there's no added expense for additional lines. Then a timer keeps that hot water circulating in the pipes just when you need it most - saving time, energy and water.

You may not run the hot water all day long while the family is away from home at work and school. During that time, heated water lays in the line cooling off. Then when you do get home - or up in the morning - and need the hot water, all that unused and now tepid water has to run through the line - and down the drain - before fresh hot water reaches the faucet.

The water savings can be significant. Some estimates suggest that in a typical household as much as 16,000 gallons of water can be saved per year with a recirc pump.

If you'd like more information, call the shop. We'd be happy to answer any questions or come to your home for a site evaluation.

:: PG&E energy calculators

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Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com