Skul Plumbing

Hot Water Recirculation System? Replace it with a Demand System!

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Many residential single family and multi-family homes built in the past have full time hot water recirculation pumps and systems installed.  This no doubt saves a whole lot of water, but it also wastes a tremendous amount of energy.

Hot water recirculation

Recirculating systems were typically used in larger homes, say 3,000 square feet and up.  Long pipes mean long waits, and if you could afford a big house you didn’t want to have to wait forever for the hot water to arrive.

Full time recirculation systems slowly circulate the hot water through the hot water piping keeping the water in the pipes hot for instant use.  Turn on a faucet and within a second or two you have hot water.  It’s a great convenience, but there is a penalty to pay. 

Wasting energy

Your hot water plumbing becomes a giant heat exchanger causing your water heater to fire more often and longer. Not only does this waste a huge amount of energy, but it substantially increases the wear and tear on your water heater.

Even if you heavily insulate the pipes and put the recirc pump on a clock timer, you still end up spending a lot of money for that wasted energy.  It’s not helping your carbon footprint either.  Not only are you wasting energy from the water heater, but you are also running a pump continuously which wastes even more energy. 

Tankless water heaters

Typically recirc pumps are not used with tankless water heaters because generally they don’t pump enough gallons per minute to turn on the tankless hot water heater.  Using a traditional residential hot water recirculation system will void the warranty on most tankless water heaters.

Hot water demand systems

A demand hot water system on the other hand will still save you thousands of gallons of water each year, and it won’t waste any energy.  Demand pumping systems typically use about $1.00 per year in electricity to run the pump.  This is because the pump only runs for a few seconds and only when you really want hot water.

With a demand system, you simply push a button when you want hot water, and that starts the pump. The pump sends the water to the fixture at a faster rate than if the faucet was just run.  When the hot water reaches the fixture, the pump shuts off, and when you turn on the faucet you have instant hot water.  No water was run down the drain.

Installation is easy. Simply remove the old pump and replace it with the demand pump.  Buttons can be hard-wired from the points of use, or wireless switches can be used. 

You will still save water, and you will save energy and extend the life of your water heater. Best of all you will feel good every time you use your hot water knowing that you are doing your part to reduce global warming!

There are several manufacturers of hot water demand systems and they range in price from under $200 to nearly $1,000.  Most demand hot water systems will also work with tankless water heaters. Go green with a demand hot water system today.

Electric Water Heaters, How They Work and How to Repair Water Heaters: Electric Water Heaters

Gas and Electric Water Heater Information: Water Heaters

How hot water recirculation (recirc) systems and how they work: Hot Water Recirculation Systems

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/bath-showers-articles/hot-water-recirculation-system-replace-it-with-a-demand-system-1393793.html

October 28, 2009 - 4:59 PM No Comments

How To clean Your Hot Tubs

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Cleaning your hot tub is mandatory since your tub is a breeding ground for bacteria that could cause diseases. Legionella and Pseudomonas bacteria are some that lurk in a dirty hot tub. Legionella bacteria can cause a fatal disease called Legionnaires disease. Meanwhile, Pseudomonas can trigger skin rashes, pneumonia, and eye infections.

Get that laziness out of your system and clean your hot tub! Here are some guidelines and instructions on how to clean your hot tub.

Replace your water once a month

As for hot tub, you can get the same results when you let the water stay for a long time. So replace it once a month and no longer. Dirt and bacteria can stay in the water for a long time which could harm you and your family.

Scrub, scrub, and rinse!

Get your cleanser, whether a recommended cleanser for hot tubs or a bleach solution. Also include the surfaces and the deck on scrubbing to maintain a clean tub once someone dips in.

After the scrubbing is done, rinse the walls and floor with water.

Put disinfectants. Read: Chlorine

Chlorine is the most popular disinfectant used in hot tubs and in pools. They reduce the harmful effects of water for the users safety.

Clean the filters

The filters should be cleaned once every two weeks, especially when the hot tub is used regularly. You can also use commercial cleaning solutions after rinsing it with water.

Hot tubs are most enjoyable to dip in when they are in their cleanest state. You can soak without worry and let the troubles and all your problems slip away as you relax with the massage provided by your hot tub.
Check out the other articles about hot tub filters site and hot tub filter cartridge

Author Bio

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/bath-showers-articles/how-to-clean-your-hot-tubs-1389759.html

October 28, 2009 - 4:28 AM No Comments

Tile grouting, the simplest How-to-guide for great results

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Tile grouting, the simplest How-to-guide for great results

Part 1 of  3 series.

Here is the simplest wall tile grout guide for great results to impress your husband!, boss and yourself.

Materials and tools required:  depending on the size of the bathroom, type of tile and joint size (1/16, ¼ or ½ inch) you need either un-sanded wall grout or sanded grout which is used on floor tile as well. Read the boxes at the store and make sure you get the right stuff. Again unsanded wall grout for joint size 1/16 to 1/8”, anything over 1/8” requires sanded grout (floor grout)

Wall Tile Grouting

1.-        Using the tile grout saw, begin  scraping and working the lines at the top of the wall section to be done first, removing as much material as possible to get clean lines.

2.-        Work the corners and tub joint as well by scraping clean all materials like, caulk or silicone.

3.-        Vacuum area clean and begin washing the tile wall with the powder cleaner, pay attention to area around the soap dish, faucets, hardware and corners.

4.-        Rinse well and leave wall sections to be done damp.

5.-        Using the plastic bucket mix grout according to manufacture’s directions.

6.-        Spread the mixed grout using the rubber float across the tiles in a diagonal motion, covering the joints completely, but leaving the tile, somewhat clean.

7.-        Cover only a section that can be floated with grout and cleaned in 30 minutes at a time. Never attempt to grout all the walls at once.

8.-        Once a section is floated with grout, begin working the lines with the grouting sponge, wet the sponge with clean cool water, wring it out to almost dry, wiping the lines smooth and letting the grout filling the joints completely, at this point the lines should be clean and straight and no grout should remain on the tile itself except the grout haze which will be removed later on when dry.

9.-        Once all wall sections are completed and wiped clean of all excess grout and the line are looking good and feel dry to the touch begin the last wiping and polishing       with a DRY cloth until all the haze has been removed and the wall is clean and glossy.

10.-      The caulking around the bathtub part of this job is best explained in a separate note, see:       “How-to-Caulk-a-Tub-Like-a-Pro!”

Orlando Salazar is the founder and President of Bathtub Doctor, Inc. a division of Corporate Bath Systems, Inc.
He can be reached at:

Bathtub Doctor, Inc.
180 Wantagh Ave.
Bethpage, NY 11714
USA
516-931-8311 Fax 516-776-9623
http://bathtubdoctor.com
http://twitter.com/tubdoc http://tubdoc.wordpress.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/bath-showers-articles/tile-grouting-the-simplest-howtoguide-for-great-results-1383125.html

October 27, 2009 - 11:44 AM No Comments

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