Showers Instead of Baths

There’s no denying that baths require way more hot water than a shower. Warm baths should be considered a luxury. Don’t opt for baths for your children or you on a daily basis. If possible, limit baths to 2-3 times per month. Full baths require 70 gallons of water on average versus about 15 gallons for a short shower or 30 gallons for a 10-minute shower. If you choose baths 3 times a month vs daily, you will save anywhere from $15 to $35 per month, when you take into consideration the cost of the water and the electricity required to heat it.

Of course, reducing the time your family spends in the shower will help reduce the cost and will help ensure hot water is available for washing clothes or dishes or to the next bather, unless of course you have a tankless hot water heater. Try this trick: Keep the bathroom door closed (especially in cold winter months) as this will help maintain the warm air. A fluffy robe can help you maintain warmth as well.

Identify any plumbing problems

Yes, there are situations when those huge water heating bills are caused by plumbing issues. There could be a valve or pipe blockage or a number of other issues. Even a single drip add up when it comes to a water bill. This is why you need to hire professional plumbers and handle these types of problem as fast as possible. Thankfully, catching a plumbing issue early can produce significant cost savings.

Reduce Hot Water Heater Temperature

Your hot water temperature can be adjusted down. Many people do this in the summer when the water tends to be warmer anyway. It may be difficult to know how low to set the hot water heater. Try reducing it a notch or two and see if you can tell any difference. Also, be sure to consider children who are in the household or visiting. Having a water temperature set too high can result in skin burns.  Be sure to read your hot water heater instructions to be sure you set it the right way. We have had customers who tried to lower their temperature and raised it instead.

Avoid Leaving the Hot Water Running

Instead of leaving the hot water run when you step away to soak a pan or fill a teapot can escalate your hot water use quickly. The best practice is to turn off hot water if you are not there to monitor it.

Adjust Dishwasher Settings

Consider adjusting your dishwater settings to increase efficiency. You can either change the setting to lower the temperature of of your dishwasher or have it run a shorter time. Of course some items may require high heat, particularly for sterilization purposes. Consider your settings before simply defaulting to high heat and lengthy cycles.

Add a Timer to your Water Heater on Alexa 

Timers have become popular in recent years. In fact, Alexa’s Amazon Echo or Google can likely control your water heater settings these days. When set, the timer turns off the electric water heater at your time selected time (when it’s not used). For instance, you can set the unit to not run during the night or times when you are away from home for long periods of time. One last opportunity to save is when you go out of town or on vacation. There is not a real need to keep your water hot when you are away from home for a long period of time.

Fix It All Plumbing is committed to providing you with premium plumbing services at fair rates. We are glad to help you with any plumbing questions or issues. Call or text us at 615-568-5051.

The post 6 Easy Tips to Save Money on Water Heating Bills first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

Our plumbers have worked on many a water heater over the years. We have seen heaters last 8 years, 10 years or even 15 years sometimes. In early 2017 we ran across a water heater that was born in 1987. It was at a yacht at a marina in Nashville TN. It finally did take its last breath and we replaced it.

Life Expectancy of a Water Heater

So many factors are involved that determine how long a water heater will last. The average life expectancy is 10.7 years according to insurance companies. There are definitely things you can do to extend the life of your tank water heater such as draining the tank every couple of years to get rid of sediment. Also proper installation plays a major factor. Using an inexperienced handyman is not the way to go.

Top 4 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Tank Water Heater

Yes there are ways to extend the life of your heater. Below we have listed the top 4 ways homeowners can increase the chance of a long living heater.

1. Purchase a good quality heater with a lengthy warranty. Some high end water heaters are made with porcelain on the inside to resist corrosion.
2. Have a professional to install it – There  is a right way and a wrong way to install a water heater. This is not a job for an inexperienced handyman. Saving a few dollars on the front end can significantly reduce the life of your appliance.
3. Use less water – This one is obvious, but conservation does matter. There are many ways to reduce water consumption such as taking a shower rather than a bath and installing low water flush kits for your toilets.
4. Maintenance – Inspect your water heater for leaks twice a year on your own. Look for rust spots on the top or side. Install a sensor in the drip pan to alert you to a water issue. Have a plumber inspect your heater every 2 years. At that time, has the plumber drain the tank and remove all existing sediment.

Note: If your water heater does leak or stop working, call Kevin at (615) 568-5051. Our plumbers can check to see if your water heater is covered under warranty. You may be entitled to a brand new water heater from the manufacturer. We will work with the manufacturing company to trade the old water heater for the new one and have your new gas or electric heater up and running in no time.

Why Water Heaters Fail

The main reason water heaters fail is from leaking slowly. It can be a slow leak or the heater can eventually burst. Leaks are often the silent killers of water heaters. Often a homeowner cannot tell if the water heater is wearing down because most of the damage of rust and corrosion is happening inside the water heater itself. It may look fine from the outside.

Why You Should Care about Water Heater Maintenance

Water heaters may be purchased at Lowe’s or Home Depot for a few hundred dollars, so why worry about anticipating the death of your home water heater? The main risk you have in not maintaining or replacing your water heater is the potential for water damage. Insurance companies estimate that water heaters that fail cost the insurance company nearly $4,500 each occurrence even after the deductible. Think about where your water heater is stored. It could be in your garage, basement, or even your bonus room. Water itself is very damaging to drywall, flooring, and belongings. Also remember if the water heater explodes, gallons of water spray everywhere.

Have questions? We are glad to help. Call or text Kevin. Feel free to text an image or short video of your plumbing issue.

(615) 568-5051

The post Extending Water Heater Life Expectancy first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

Question, does my water heater have sediment in the tank? If the tank is four years old or older than the answer is yes. In Tennessee we have hard water from the limestone we have underground. With water staying in the tank at all times, this sediment will settle to the bottom and causes a few different problems. I will start from worst to least.

Loss in Efficiency

Sediment in the bottom of the tank will result in your water heater being less efficient, causing your electric or gas bill to rise. This is one of the worst problems caused by sediment because your water heater is taking a little more of your money each month.

Heater Element Damage/ Heater Tank Cracks

The next problem would be if the sediment gets too high in the bottom of the tank. This could cause the bottom element in an electric water heater to break or, in a gas water heater, the bottom of the tank to crack. This due to the heater taking so much longer to get the water hot. A water heater is designed to have water at every heating source.

Heater Won’t Drain

If the sediment gets above the boiler drain on the tank it can make it very hard to drain. This makes it just about impossible to drain the water during an emergency. If the tank starts to leak, all most home owners can do is turn off the water, but you still have fifty gallons of water that has to go somewhere.

To get the sediment out of a heater, just give Fix It All-Plumbing a call to get your water heater clean. We will blow the sediment out, not just drain the tank, and change the T and P. This needs to be done about every two years. A different way to beat this problem is to go tank-less water heater. A tank-less does not get sediment build up but will not work in every home.

You can give Fix It All-Plumbing a call any time and we will be happy to help you with any water heater question or problem you might have.

The post Have Sediment in Your Water Heater? first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

Why would you need a circulating pump? If you ever stand at the shower waiting on hot water to get to the shower a circulating pump could be right for you. On a new build a plumber will run a third water line from the water heater to the last plumbing fixture in the house. We put a circulating pump at the water heater and this will move hot water all the time so when you turn on a faucet the hot water is right their. This is considered to be “green” you will use a little more electricity but you can put a timer at the pump so it will only run at time it is needed.

The plumbers at Fix It All- Plumbing are here to help. Ask us a question about your plumbing or hot water issue or call 615-568-5051

Retro-Fitting a Circulating Pump

On a house that has been build the plumbers at Fix It All-Plumbers can retro fit a circulating pump using the two water lines in your house. We will use the cold water line to circulate the hot water. This will cause you to get hot water out of the cold for a quick second when the cold is turned on. As soon as the cold is turned on it will cause a valve to close so the hot will not flow through the cold line. A timer can be added to this pump also so it run only at times that it is needed.

Pump Installation for Tankless Water Heaters

On a tankless water heater the pump has to be installed in a little different manner. On a tankless water heater, if the water is moving through the heater, it will fire up. So, a small tanked water heater should be installed behind the tankless for the pump. The tankless will feed the tank and this will prevent you from ever running out of hot water.

So if you are tired of standing at the shower or wondering if the hot water is getting to your dishwasher give us a call at Fix It All-Plumbing to get a circulating pump put in your house.

615-568-5051

Blog by Kevin Sipes,
Master Plumber
Nashville, TN

The post Why Purchase a Hot Water Circulating Pump? first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.