Hot water is such an underrated necessity. It’s consumed on a daily basis for diverse domestic and industrial purposes and this just means, its supply is always in demand. On average, in a typical Australian household, about 21% of the daily energy consumption is from heating water. This equals lots of dollars in energy and utility bills. Sadly, this isn’t the only downside to the water heating game. Home and property owners face the risk of not just paying exorbitant amounts in bills but also have to deal with the deterioration or destruction of their hot water systems. This isn’t all. Certain bacteria like Legionella breeds in environments where warm water flows and hence, can lead to severe health complications. This is why certain precautionary measures must be observed when dealing with hot water systems and this piece is highlighting how one can tackle its energy problem.
MANUAL ADJUSTMENTS
Even though tinkering hot water systems can be dangerous, some of them can be adjusted manually. First off, you can try adjusting the thermostat if your hot water system is running at a higher temperature than it needs to be. This will immediately reduce the energy consumption because the higher the temperature, the greater the energy used. However, since there are different types of hot water systems, some will be more complex than just adjusting the thermostat. You may need to hire professional help as once again, doing this manually can be dangerous.
Now, before whipping out your screwdriver for these manual adjustments to your hot water system, you might want to consider the type of water heater you possess as this will help with the temperature. If you have a storage water heater, you should set the temperature to at least 60 degrees as Legionella bacteria breeds at 50 degrees. If a continuous flow system is what you possess, then it shouldn’t be as high as 60 degrees because water isn’t stored.
PIPE INSULATION
As hot water flows through a plastic or metal pipe from the system to the faucet, the heat that radiates from these pipes are lost to the environment because they’re not coated with insulating materials. Energy organizations have revealed that poorly insulated water heater systems can cost the owner about 3KW/day and several dollars in repair or maintenance. Hence, insulating your water heater’s pipes will not just reduce the energy consumed but will equally save you money. As a bonus, adding insulation is very affordable and can be done by almost anyone.
CHANGE YOUR SYSTEM
If your hot water system consumes a lot of energy, you might want to consider changing it to one that lasts longer, requires less maintenance and consumes less energy. One option that satisfies all the criteria is the PPS Solar-powered Hot water system which comes in several configurations.
These are a few of the ways one can reduce the energy consumed by hot water systems in a household. However, for all kinds of hot water systems installation/repair, thermostatic mixing and valves testing and legionella prevention, PPS is skilled, professional, efficient and equal to the task.
