Green Plumbing - Money Savings

There are 1 or 2 methods to make your home "Green" and save you some money also

. Let's commence with the john.

On your present toilet let's begin with a leak test. You can do this by taking off the john lid and add 1 or 2 drops of food colorising into the tank. Wait a couple of minutes, don't flush the toilet. If the food colour begins to appear in the bowl, you have got a leak. Usually it is one of 2 things dripping : the flapper or the flush valve. Start with the flapper. It is simpler to replace.

Do the food color test again. If you get the coloring in the tank again the flush valve is trickling. To replace the flush valve is a bit more complex. You are going to need to take away the toilet tank to replace the flush valve.

Water Heaters : Tank type. There are a small number of things you can do here to help. Commence with a timer. You can install one of those units where the power comes into the heater. You can set the timer so the unit turns off at night while you are asleep and have it turn on an hour before you wake up.

You may also set it to switch off while at work. Remember that in the middle of the night you may still have hot water that's still stored in the tank.

You may drain the heater every year to get rid of rust and other sediments from the base of the tank to help in promoting longer life of the hot water heater. You can do this by turning the electricity off first to the heater, then hooking up a garden hose to the hose bib at the base of the hot water heater. Run the hose outside and turn the hose bib on slowly. Run it for one or two minutes and then turn the water off to the hot water heater up at the very top where the cold water comes in.

Drain the hot water heater all the way down. Disconnect the hose and turn the hose bib off. Turn the water back on to the hot water heater and fill the hot water heater up. Bleed the air out of the system by turning your tub on to the hot side and let all of the air out till water flows easily. Now turn the power back on to the heater and wait about 30 mins and you'll have hot water again.

Tankless Water Heaters: Electric. The start up cost on these units can be quiet high. For the electric units you will need to change the existing circuit breaker to a 60 amp breaker. You will then need to run new wire from the breaker to the water heater. As far as the plumbing, it is cold water in, hot water out - pretty basic. What we have found on some of the newer style pressure balance shower valves is that the tankless water heaters have less pressure on the hot side, and it causes some pressure balance valves to have problems with the lower pressure. These units will not run more than two bathrooms unless you go with a bigger 150 amp unit. You will notice a savings on your electric bill but you will need to factor in the start cost to find the break even amount.

Tankless Water Heaters : Gas. Again, the start up on these units is high. But if you have access to gas, I strongly recommend these units. We have put these units in gymnasiums where folks are using the showers all of the time with no beefs. The pressure balance valves can still be a problem although not as unpleasant as the electrical units.

I am hoping a number of these things will help you economize and be "Green. ".

by: Danny Lazaro

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