Month: September 2020

Gas Instantaneous Water Heaters

TEST YOUR WATER HEATER’S TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE

The thermostat and pressure release valve on a water heater was designed to help keep your family safe. Watch as one of Master Plumbers shows you how to test your water heater’s pressure valve and keep your home’s hot water system functioning properly. In addition to testing the pressure release valve on your water heater, keep your thermostat set at a safe temperature, and flush your water heater annually. This will allow you to keep your system in good working condition and spot any minor problems before they become major issues.

I’m gonna discuss problems that sometimes occur with the temperature and pressure relief valves on the water heaters. Relief valves discharge for usually two reasons

1, there’s excessive pressure building up inside the system that is exceeding 150 pounds of pressure.

2, the temperature inside the tank is exceeding 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Both of these situations can be very dangerous and the temperature and pressure relief valve will open to prevent an explosion

If you notice water on the floor around the water heater and there’s no evidence of a tank or plumbing leak, it is probably a sign that the water heater’s temperature and pressure relief valve has recently opened and relieved itself. First you should test the water pressure in the house by using a pressure gauge that you will screw right onto a hose bib or a faucet.

You could pick up one of these gauges at any home center. Most plumbing codes state that the maximum water pressure coming in the house should be 80 PSI or less. If the water pressure exceeds this amount, a pressure reducing valve will need to be installed on the water main. Note that the ideal water pressure is between 50 and 60 PSI

You want to make sure that the thermostat is not set too high. If the thermostat is set to high or if it’s faulty, the T&P valve will discharge to relieve the pressure inside the tank. Remember for a standard water heater the temperature should be set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You could try flushing the T&P valve to make sure it didn’t become filled by sediment.

Ways to Save on Your Water Heating Bill

Heating a home is expensive, but so is heating water. If you’ve already made a big effort to reduce your home’s heating costs and your utility bills are still higher than you’d like them to be, your hot water heater could be the culprit. According to Energy.gov, heating water accounts for around 18 percent of your utility bill. That makes it the second-biggest energy expense in the home (behind heating and cooling), so tweaking your hot water heater set up and usage habits could lead to some pretty substantial savings.

Lower the Thermostat

Take a trip out to the garage or down to the basement to see what temperature your hot water heater is currently set at. If the thermostat is set above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, bump it back. You’ll save 3 to 5 percent for every ​10-degree reduction, and you’ll reduce your family’s risk of burns.​

Fix Leaky Faucets

Do you have a leaky faucet that you’ve been putting off fixing? Then consider this: a faucet with a slow leak (that’s 60 drips per minute) wastes 3,153 gallons of water per year. If that leak happens to be coming from the hot water tap, you’re not only paying for that wasted water but also the energy it took to heat it. Do you want to see how much your leaky faucet is costing you? The American Water Works Association has a drip calculator you can use to find out.

Go Low-Flow

Putting off a bathroom update is one thing, but don’t put off replacing old plumbing fixtures. If your showerheads and faucets were manufactured before 1992, replace them with low-flow models. Modern showerheads use half as much water as older showerheads.

Find Ways to Use Less Hot Water

Try to be more mindful of your hot water use. Take shorter showers, wash laundry in cold water, and only run the dishwasher when it’s full. Examine your daily routine, and look for opportunities to scale back on your hot water usage.

Domestic water heating

Domestic water heating is the process of warming water for personal use, and it can consume a large amount of energy. In homes, water heating can consume 15-25 percent of energy used in a home depending on the house type, number of inhabitants, and the lifestyle of those who live there. It’s important to note that water heating is often more than all of the electrical needs of the household, see graph below.

use – on average – 75 liters of hot water each day for dish washing, clothes washing, cleaning, and personal hygiene. This water volume is fairly high, and heating it can result in high energy bills

The energy source for water heaters tends to be the same as what people use for space heating, although this is not always true. Possible energy sources include electricity, natural gas, propane, and oil

Each source has its own benefits and drawbacks. For example, electric heaters require no venting but cannot operate during a power failure and use a lot more primary energy than natural gas. Natural gas fueled heaters require adequate airflow and ventilation but heat up more quickly and use less primary energy. Propane has similar benefits to natural gas, but the fuel is more expensive and requires scheduled delivery.

Costs can be reduced by choosing a more energy efficient water heater, reducing the amount of hot water used, or installing a drain water heat recovery device to reduce the heating load. These devices are simply pipes that take the heat from the used warm water flowing down the drains and transfers it to preheat water entering the hot water tank

Some Useful Tips For Hiding Water Heater In your Home

Water heaters without any doubt are a must as far as our homes are concerned. They provide hot and pure water for various uses during the cruel winter months. However, there are a few things which must be kept in mind when installing a hide water heater. They could become a big eye sore and could spoil the overall aesthetics of your home. There is no point spending hundreds or even a few thousand dollars on your best tankless water heater if they become an eyesore for the home.

However, it is possible to find out ways and means by which you can conceal water heater and prevent it from being seen by the naked eye. But this has to be done carefully and without the disturbing the efficiency and functionality of these water heaters. Here are a few important points which if kept in mind could help in more ways than one.

Getting The Basics Right

It is important for you to get the basics right when it comes to hiding your water heater. You must have a permanent place for the same so that you can plan ahead and come out with the right plan for hiding it or concealing it. Before buying a water heater, you must ask some basic questions.

This could include the size of the water heater, the capacity it is supposed to hold, the power connections which are required for it and much more. This will help you to come out with the right plan for keeping the water heater hidden from the naked eye without disturbing the efficiency or defeating the purpose for which it is being used. You can consider using a hybrid water heater.

Using A Cloth Or A Pegboard Screen

If you look around you could come out with a number of options for hiding the water heater. In many cases you also could have a water softener which also could become unseemly and ugly. Hence your plan for concealing the water heater should be foolproof, practical and workable from the long term perspective.

CORRECT COMMERCIAL WATER HEATER SIZING: IT’S NO GUESSING GAME

When you’re in the market for a new or replacement water heater for your restaurant, hotel or apartment property, correct sizing is crucial to the success of your business. With so many commercial water heater options out there, here’s what you need to know to get it right.

Depending on how much hot water you need to run your business, there may be multiple commercial water heater tank sizes to meet your needs. With so many options available, how do you know what type and size water heater to choose? We can help point you in the right direction.

What You Need: A steady supply of hot water, when and where you need it–so your restaurant, hotel, apartment or craft brewery business keeps running smoothly.

The Bottom Line: Size too small and you won’t have enough hot water to run your business, especially during peak operating times. But size too large and you’ll end up spending excess money in both upfront capital and long-term operating costs. Whether you run a restaurant, hotel, apartment complex, senior living facility, salon or fitness center—any business that depends on hot water needs the right water heater sizing and setup.

Our Best Advice: Only work with experienced and knowledgeable commercial water heater professionals: you’ll not only keep your customers, you’ll also save money across the board.

What Tips Should You Keep In Mind When Hiring A Carpet Flooring Cleaner

Does carpet suit your room and lifestyle?

Carpet acts as a trap for allergens and is capable of holding significant quantities of soil, dust and other substances. The carpet holds on to the particles until you are ready to remove them.

Carpet is ideal for cushioning our footsteps. Carpet provides safety protection for the whole family, but especially for toddlers and older individuals. It is also warm under foot.

Carpet will reduce noise generation in two ways – at floor level by cushioning objects hitting the floor, for example footsteps or dropped items, and by absorbing other sounds around your home creating a more peaceful indoor environment.

Easy to maintain. A good vacuum cleaner, a periodic wet clean and prompt attention to spills is all you need to keep your carpet looking good. Professional carpet cleaning is recommended every 12-18 months to keep your carpet looking new and to satisfy supplier warranties.

Which carpet fiber will work best for you?

It is important to choose a carpet fiber that will work best for the space in your home. There are four synthetic types of fiber. Each fiber type offers somewhat different attributes of style options, colour options, soil resistance, stain resistance and texture retention

Nylon – The most popular carpet fiber as it performs extremely well. It is one of the more expensive fibers available. Nylon 6.6 Fiber is a more premium type of nylon fiber than “Type 6” nylon that’s also used in a lot of rugs. It has greater strength and resiliency which adds to the product’s overall durability. Though not inherently stain resistant, most nylon carpets feature a stain-resist carpet treatment for protection against household spills and stains.

Polyester (PET) –  is naturally stain and fade resistant. Is best at retaining colour and won’t fade over time. It’s also capable of providing a very soft feel though it’s not as resilient as nylon and is more prone to compaction. Best uses for Polyester styles are low to medium traffic rooms such as bedrooms.

Polypropylene (also called Olefin) – is a relatively inexpensive fiber. Its strengths include superior stain resistance, with the exception of oil-based stains, and low cost. It is a solution-dyed product, which means colour is added during extrusion in its molten state rather than topically applied. (Imagine a carrot vs. a radish). Because of this dye method it has superior resistance to bleaches and sunlight fading. However it has poor resiliency, which can lead to crushing. Polypropylene’s provide an excellent value and good performance.

Wool – remains the premier fiber in carpet construction and it can be expensive. It has excellent resilience and durability. Wool cleans especially well. Unfortunately, wool tends to “wear down” or the pile tends to wear away. In some cases bald spots may occur as a result heavy traffic loads. Wool is a natural fiber with a natural protective membrane which acts to repel moisture and is a natural stain resister. Because it can absorb a large quantity of moisture without feeling wet, wool carpet doesn’t conduct static electricity in the way synthetic carpets do. Less static means less dirt.

A word about soft carpets.

Demand continues to grow for carpets with a very soft feel, often referred to as “soft carpets”. All major carpet brands provide a good selection of soft carpet styles.

Note that as some soft carpets are so soft, that the total surface density is much higher which in turn increases the suction between vacuum cleaner head and the carpet surface, thereby making it more difficult to maneuver the machine. Some soft carpets require a gentler cleaning action so as to avoid unnecessary wear and will require a special vacuum cleaner.

Which Types Of Flooring Are Best For Cold Weather Climates?

In colder climates, many types of flooring will always give you cold feet. For cold climate homes or winter homes, you’ll want to choose flooring materials that will keep you and your guests cozy.

Carpet

This flooring type is the most obvious choice for cold homes. It’s also the cheapest. As you know, carpet is like a warm, cozy blanket between your delicate tootsies and your unforgiving cold floors. It’s a no-brainer for cold homes.

However, there are some drawbacks you may not have considered. For one thing, carpets are the most difficult flooring type to clean when it comes to tracked-in snow and muddy messes. For two, fluffy carpets + cold, dry weather = electric charges. In other words, carpeted flooring is notorious for causing wintertime static shock. This may be fun for your kids, but not so much for your grown-up party guests.

Tile

Now, this flooring choice is the opposite of carpet. That is, it’s the least obvious choice, and more expensive. Because tile is an excellent conductor of heat (and therefore, cold), it can easily get as cold as the snow on your porch. But, for this same reason, you can optimize it for cold climate. Tile is the best choice as a covering for artificially heated floors.

Vinyl Plank Flooring

Now here’s a healthy compromise between the two options above. Vinyl plank flooring gives you the best benefits of almost every flooring type. It looks like a hardwood floor, insulates almost as well as carpet, and is as water-resistant and easy to clean as tile. And it’s one of the cheapest flooring options available.

Carpet – Before Installation

What to know and do before your carpet is installed.

You’ve learned all there is to know about carpet, shopped smart, made your best choice, and now it’s just a matter of waiting for the installers, right? You know better, of course. The next step is to be knowledgeable and prepared for the big day when the new carpeting will transform your home.

OUR BEST ADVICE IS TO GO WITH THE PROS.

Carpet installation is a skill that is developed through years of experience, so using professional installers is just plain smart. Also, understanding the basics of carpet installation will increase your knowledge of the process and enhance your confidence in the professionals working in your home. Some of these basics follow.

THE SEAMING DIAGRAM IS THE INSTALLERS’ “BLUEPRINT”.

This shows the overall layout of the carpet, the correct placement of seams and transitions, and assists them in the preparation and cutting of the carpet.

NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH SEAMS BETTER THAN THE PROFESSIONALS.

While seams are inevitable, it’s the professionals who excel at minimizing and hiding seams. They call on years of experience and tried and true methods. Case in point: they’ll insure seams are placed away from areas subjected to pivoting traffic, and not run seams perpendicular to doorway openings.

The pros know what to do about transitions. When two different flooring products meet – say, carpeting and a hardwood floor – it’s called a transition. Your professional installers will try to match the surface heights of various flooring products to minimize transitions.

Flooring specialists

Versatililty

We have the perfect floor for you. Whether you desire hardwood, vinyl, laminate, ceramic, or carpet we have the floor for you.

Affordable

We will always be competitive in pricing with our competitors. We believe in taking care of our customers. Product for product we usually win in pricing.

Selection

We do a lot of business with all the major manufacturers and many of the smaller ones as well. Whatever you’re looking for we probably have it.

Guarantee

All of our installs are guaranteed for 12 months. We always takes extreme care so you can rest assured when we install your new floors.

When it comes to flooring, we know our stuff. We are one of the highest rated flooring installers and for good reason.

Vacuum Cleaning Tips for Your Floors

There are several helpful and easy cleaning solutions to keep your house free of dust, germs and microscopic mites. While disinfecting the counter-tops and picking up the clutter helps, today we are going to focus on how to keep your floors clean with a vacuum cleaner.

The vacuum is one of the most valuable tools a homeowner can own to help keep their floors clean. There are many different types of vacuum cleaners available on the market, all with their own set of pros and cons. So if you need a vacuum cleaner, then it would behoove you to do the proper research and start cleaning.

Don’t Make It Harder

The first vacuum cleaning tips is probably the most obvious — don’t make it harder than it should be. You’d be surprised at how many people inadvertently create additional messes that make vacuuming more difficult than it should be.

Once is Not Enough

To truly pull up the dust and hair on your floor, it is usually better to vacuum multiple times in the same area. On top of this, it would also be wise to go over the areas from multiple directions, as this will help pull up dirt and debris more effectively.

Create a Schedule

Another important cleaning tip when vacuuming your home is to create a schedule. Whether you pick a certain day of the week or month, following a regular schedule and sticking to that routine will help ensure that your floors are clean at all time.