How to Reduce Water Wastage in Your Hot Water System
Posted on: 27 February 2017
The droughts experienced in different parts of the world have motivated current and prospective homeowners to search for high performance hot water systems that limit how much water may be lost or wasted during the delivery of hot water to points of use. This article discusses some of the key ways through which such wastage can be prevented.
Installation of Core Plumbing Systems
You can ask your plumber to design a hot water system for your residence in such a way that each hot water outlet is as close to the hot water heater as possible. Such a design will eliminate the water that is wasted when a faucet is first opened to let out cold or warm water as hot water arrives. The major challenge with this approach is that it may restrict your options of floor plans because hot water efficiency becomes the overriding factor in house designs. Furthermore, it isn't possible to retrofit this method in an existing home.
Installing Several Hot Water Heaters
The floor plan limitation posed by the option above can be addressed by installing several hot water heaters so that each point of use is very close to the heater. This approach can enable you to cluster hot water fixtures so that all can receive hot water at the same time without a decrease in the temperature of that water. However, the cost (in terms of space and money) of installing several hot water heaters may discourage many people who would have considered this option for their homes.
Install Heat Tracers
Heat trace systems are a more cost-effective way to improve the efficiency of your hot water delivery system without incurring the high cost of buying several heaters or limiting the available floor plans of your home. Here, heating elements are strapped onto each hot water pipe. The elements draw electricity when the trace system detects a drop in the temperature of the water being transmitted to a point of use. Consequently, the pipes will be heated so that the water therein heats up to the desired temperature. This option is possible for new construction and retrofit situations. The drawback here is that your energy cost may increase due to the added demand of the elements.
As you can see, each water-saving option has its own benefits and drawbacks. It is therefore better for you to discuss your needs with a hot water system expert so that he or she can help you to select the most appropriate option for your needs.
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