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| Thread ID: 83669 | 2007-10-09 06:25:00 | Frugal: Questions About Hot Water Cylinders | MeOldMate (12871) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 599609 | 2007-10-09 07:45:00 | 1. I've seen advice to the effect that the hot water cylinder ought to be drained occasionally to remove the gunk that will accumulate around the element. Has anyone done this? I'm not sure how to go about it. 2. I've also seen, on American sites, talk of a timer you can put on the cylinder so that it's off while you're out at work and turns on in time to heat the water ready for you when you get home. Has anyone had this done? 3. My hot water cylinder is not too old (less than 10 years). The sides are not warm to the touch, which is supposed to be a sign of inefficiency. However, it does have uninsulated copper pipes coming out the top that are hot to the touch. I'd like to insulate these. Actually it's one pipe that branches soon after leaving the cylinder. Each branch has a wire clamped to it (earth?) and I'm a bit wary of moving/undoing these, but they are right in the way of an insulation job. Any ideas? 4. (Lastly) I had a bad habit (since curbed) of running the hot tap to rinse things out or warm a cup, or whatever, thereby repeatedly introducing cold water into the cylinder and warming/cooling the pipes leading from it. Now I use a thermos for those little shots of hot, but that's only a litre and it loses a million degrees (approx) every time I open it. Has anyone seen a big thermos with a tap on it? Say, 2 to 5 litres? 1)It would only make a difference if you have a dirty water supply. Some properties have a filter on the house intake anyway. 2) Would make little difference here as the hot water is usually on a controlled circuit. It is like it is not really worth turning the cylinder off unless going away for over five days. 3)You will have to work around those wires as they should definitely should not be removed. 4)I had a mate who used to run the hot tap to get hot water for the kettle. What a stupid waste and not that healthy because of the copper from the cylinder. |
mikebartnz (21) | ||
| 599610 | 2007-10-09 08:54:00 | Now I use a thermos for those little shots of hot, but that's only a litre and it loses a million degrees (approx) every time I open it. Has anyone seen a big thermos with a tap on it? Say, 2 to 5 litres? Like this? (I'm sure I've seen these at Farmers, Briscoes or K-Mart for fluids other than coffee), cheaper too! ssl.ebits.co.nz Originally Posted by MeOldMate 1. I've seen advice to the effect that the hot water cylinder ought to be drained occasionally to remove the gunk that will accumulate around the element. Has anyone done this? I'm not sure how to go about it.Usually theres a pipe from the bottom of the tank running to an outer wall (or under the house at least) with a tap or blanking plug on it, turn off the power first and the incoming water supply (usually going vertically into the top of the tank), open the drain (CAUTION, HOT!! (and the incoming supply if nothing comes out)) until it runs clean then close it off, turn on the incoming supply then the power (in that order ;)); a plumber may have better advice, ask around). |
feersumendjinn (64) | ||
| 599611 | 2007-10-09 16:02:00 | 1) Insulate the output pipes to help hold the heat in them with neoprene or closed-cell foam tape with a thickness of the mean diameter of the pipe . 2) wrap the tank itself with insulation blanket to keep the heat in it too 3) run the make-up water (inlet) thru a solar heater on the roof . . . any size will actually help a lot to minimize the cold shock to the tank . Some new devices capture the discharge heat from the flue of the GAS-style heaters to preheat the makeup water with a coil of copper tubing in that discharge . Be careful to capture any condensate that may form and deliver it to to Smitty pan (#5) below . 4) install an electric flash heater at the most commonly used sink or faucet to keep the long runs for getting hot water at the faucet to a minimum . 5) install a Smitty (a large metal pan designed for that purpose) under the tank to capture any water should it leak when the tank dies of old age to keep the floors dry . Do NOT allow the TP&E valve to discharge here! There needs to be a drain to OUTSIDE the home or compartment where the tank is located . Put the outlet in an area where it will be obvious to you when you are outside so you will get a hint that something is wrong and look into the problem . If you run the TP&E discharge to the same area, but in a different line, you can monitor that too for problems . NOTE: if you use propane, butane or other heavier-than-air gas for heating, you may only have a total of 180º of bends, joints or angle connections in getting this pipe to sky out . The outlet MUST be substantially lower than the original height of the Smitty . Minimum outlet pipe diameter for the whole run must be at least 1½ inches/ 3 . 81mm . 6) replace the consumable anode in the tank at yearly intervals 7) keep the thermostat at 160ºF/71 . 11ºC . . hot enough for dishes and won't remove skin if it hits a child or your hands . 8) use dielectric connections on ALL pipe joints/unions for minimizing electrolysis in the tank . 9) separately ground the tank to a copper-clad rod in the ground . 10) drain the tank at yearly intervals . . using the discharged water to wash the car or dog or children for their annual bath . These are US laws and suggestions . They should be helpful to anyone, even Upsidedown Landers too . Hoot mon! |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 599612 | 2007-10-09 20:12:00 | 1 . I've seen advice to the effect that the hot water cylinder ought to be drained occasionally to remove the gunk that will accumulate around the element . talk of a timer you can put on the cylinder so that it's off while you're out at work and turns on in time to heat the water ready for you when you get home . The sides are not warm to the touch, which is supposed to be a sign of inefficiency . No, don't drain it . Costs more to refill and heat it than for it to keep itself hot . . Ditto for the timer idea . The sides are not hot because it already has insulation in it . The reason the older ones lasted longer was they were made with a lot thicker copper than they are now . |
pctek (84) | ||
| 599613 | 2007-10-09 20:58:00 | The reason the older ones lasted longer was they were made with a lot thicker copper than they are now. Must be. The house I was brought up in was built about 1870 at a rough guess. The original cylinder was still in good condition about 1978 and as far as I know could still be the same one today. Tom |
Thomas01 (317) | ||
| 599614 | 2007-10-09 21:16:00 | It's all down to a change of circumstance and reduction of earnings. I did say in the first thread of this series that those not interested in the subject could avoid these posts as they would be marked as "Frugal:" I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea. Kind of amusing how you seem to join a PC forum solely for the purpose of discussing ways of saving money. Perhaps we should start a thread on ways to save money with computers? |
Pete O'Neil (6584) | ||
| 599615 | 2007-10-09 21:25:00 | 4 . (Lastly) I had a bad habit (since curbed) of running the hot tap to rinse things out or warm a cup, or whatever, thereby repeatedly introducing cold water into the cylinder and warming/cooling the pipes leading from it . Now I use a thermos for those little shots of hot, but that's only a litre and it loses a million degrees (approx) every time I open it . Has anyone seen a big thermos with a tap on it? Say, 2 to 5 litres? yes you can get thermos with taps on it . the other thing you can do is fit a small under bench hot water cylinder . that way your not pouring water out of the tap waiting for the hot water to come through . |
tweak'e (69) | ||
| 599616 | 2007-10-09 23:34:00 | Older cylinders last a long time, we have one that is 46 years old and going fine. Newer mains pressure ones have a natural lifetime of around 10 years but copper ones are quite long lasting. As above, putting a timer on will do absolutely nothing apart from costing you a timer. The thermostat will cease heating the water when the temperature is reached. All a timer would do is change when the power was used, rather than how much was used. The insulation available at plumbing world etc can be split, fitted over the earth clamps (earth bonding) and duct taped back. But savings may be hard to notice, even though there will be some very small saving. |
godfather (25) | ||
| 599617 | 2007-10-09 23:45:00 | KiPerhaps we should start a thread on ways to save money with computers? Easy. Don't upgrade. |
pctek (84) | ||
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