The Importance of Insulating Your Water Heater System
Is your water heater system insulated? If not, you could be wasting time, money and energy. An insulated water heater system reduces heat loss so you don’t have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or shower head. This helps conserve water. Also, insulating hot water pipes raises water temperature 2ºF–4ºF, compared to uninsulated pipes, allowing for a lower hot water temperature setting.
Additionally, insulating your water heater system reduces the average household’s carbon dioxide emissions by 52 pounds per year. Every 10 percent reduction in water temperature results in a 3-5 percent reduction in energy costs.
Types of Insulation
The most commonly used types of insulation are pipe insulation wrap, called pipe sleeves. They’re typically made with polyethylene, neoprene foam or fiberglass. Pipe sleeves are assigned with an R value, which is a measure of how well insulation keeps in heat. The higher the R value, the better.
Precautions
It’s important that all accessible hot water pipes located within 3 feet of the water heater are insulated. However, be careful that a fire hazard isn’t created by having something insulated that was not meant to be insulated, or by installing flammable insulation near a high heat source.
Also, make sure the pressure relief valve is not insulated. It’s typically mounted on the top or the side of the hot water heater. This valve is a couple of inches high, has a small lever on top of the valve, and has an overflow pipe coming out of the side and down to the floor.
If you have any questions about the insulation of your water heater system, or you have general questions about water heaters, give us a call. At Barker and Sons plumbing in Orange County, we’re happy to give you our two cents if it will save you a few cents every time you run your faucets.
There’s Still Time to Take Advantage of 2011 Energy Tax Credits
Looking for ways to make your home more energy efficient AND save on 2011 taxes? You’d better act fast! If you make certain home improvements before the end of this month, you can still claim a federal tax credit before they expire.
Water Heaters: The federal government offers a tax credit incentive of 10% or up to $300 of the cost of a new tankless water heater or gas or propane water heaters with an Energy Factor (EF) of at least 0.82, or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.This tax credit also applies to heat pump water heaters with an EF of at least 2.0.
Insulation: The government offers a tax credit of 10% of the cost, up to $500, for certain types of insulation and sealing materials. The credit does not include installation and labor costs. It includes attic insulation, like batts and rolls, as well as air-sealing items such as weather stripping, caulk, house wrap, and foam sealants.
Doors: This tax credit applies to 10% of the cost of insulation exterior doors. The tax credit also applies to storm doors. They must meet Energy Star requirements.
Windows and skylights: Replacing the windows with Energy Star labeled items can earn you a tax credit of 10% of the cost up to $500, but the window credit is capped at $200. This credit doesn’t include the cost of installation and labor.
New air conditioning and heating systems: An energy-efficient central air conditioner, electric heat pump can earn you a credit of $300. A high efficiency natural gas, oil or propane furnace can earn you $150. If you just need a main circulating fan, it’s a fax credit of $50. Remember, not all Energy Star certified products qualify.
Keep in mind, there’s an overall cap of $500 for energy efficiency tax credits for the combined fiscal years 2006 through 2011. So if you have claimed this credit in the past, it counts toward the $500 cap. However, it doesn’t affect the $1500 limit available for 2009 and 2010. So, for example, if you claimed $200 in 2008, you can only claim $300 in 2011; if you claimed $900 in 2009, you cannot claim any more credit. Luckily, a new bill was introduced in the U.S. senate in November that could help continue these tax credits into 2016. The fate of the bill has not yet been determined, but we’ll keep you updated.
Wondering how you can make your home greener and possibly take advantage of these tax breaks? Give us a call. We can help you identify ways to make your home greener. We provide energy efficient Orange County plumbing installations such as tankless water heaters, solar water heating systems, water-saving shower heads and faucets, and low flow toilets. As licensed Green Plumbers, we are passionate about conserving energy and promoting a greener community.
Plumbing-Safe Cleaning Tips
Everyone loves clean bathrooms and kitchens. Just look at the number of cleaning products available nowadays! At Barker and Sons Plumbing, we’re not only experts on keeping plumbing clean on the inside, we’re also experts on keeping kitchen and bathroom fixtures clean without damaging plumbing.
Toilet cleaning tips
Avoid “In tank” toilet cleaners, as they usually contain chlorine liquid that can wear away toilet flappers and other parts in the tank. (Some newer flappers are made to be chlorine resistant, but it’s still risky to use in-tank cleaners with these.) It’s better to use a toilet brush and scrub the bowl once a week. However, if you have stains that can’t be cleaned, try dropping a couple of denture cleaning tablets in the bowl and let them fizz for a while. You can also pour two cups of vinegar into the bowl and let it sit for an hour. For hard to remove stains, fill the bowl with vinegar and let it to sit overnight.
Cleaning lime scale from faucets
Lime is the chalky white mineral deposits from hard water that, over time, can damage sinks, toilets, and tubs and make soap scum harder to remove. To get rid of lime stains from a faucet, soak a rag or paper towel in vinegar and wrap around your faucet, keeping it in place with a rubber band or hair clip, for about a half hour. Brass fixtures, however, require special care.
Cleaning brass faucet fixtures
First, if you’re not sure your fixtures are brass, put a magnet against it. If it sticks, that fixture is not brass. Wipe brass fixtures daily with a soft cloth. If stains occur, don’t use ammonia, rubbing alcohol or silver polish. Instead, dampen a soft cloth with water and a little dish detergent or gentle hand soap and wipe. For stubborn spots, use a small amount of vinegar diluted in water. Then rinse with cool water (to keep the vinegar from damaging the fixture’s lacquer) then wipe dry with a soft cloth. When considering a brass polish, first test it on an inconspicuous area to be sure the polish won’t damage the fixture’s lacquer.
Cleaning shower heads
If you’re shower head is clogged with mineral deposits or mold, use a thin wire or paperclip to clear any major clogs and scrub it with an old toothbrush.Then, remove the shower head and place it in a container filled with warm white vinegar. Soak for 15-20 minutes. If you can’t remove the shower head, submerge it in a small plastic baggie filled with 2-3 inches of white vinegar, making sure that the faceplate is completely covered. Use a rubber band or tape to keep it in place and soak it 15-20 minutes. After soaking, rinse the shower head with warm water. Repeat these steps, if necessary.
Keeping drains clean
First and foremost, avoid store-bought drain products like Draino! Using it, even on occasion, is not only ineffective, but can harm your pipes! The chemicals in Draino can eat away at the pipes interior surface and can eventually burn a hole through the interior of the pipes or can make them brittle enough to crack. Instead, it’s best to avoid getting drains clogged by keeping hair and food scraps from getting into drains in the first place.
However, if you have a stubborn slow drain or clog, give us a call. One of the professional tools we use for cleaning clogged drains is a commercial-grade,non-caustic, friendly bacterial solution that naturally digests oil, grease, and food wastes into water and carbon dioxide. It’s called BioOne – a “hungry bacteria” that is perfect for clogged pipes and safe for septic systems in Orange County. You can learn more about this effective, safe product in our previous blog post on BioOne, or give us a call at Barker and Sons Plumbing in Orange County. We’re always happy to help!
Myths and Facts About Tankless Water Heaters
When you figure that hot water usage in American households consumes between 15 and 30% of a home’s energy demand, it’s important to know the facts when considering a new water heater. Among your options are tankless water heaters. There are many misconceptions about tankless heaters, so we thought we’d debunk a few:
Tankless water heaters don’t work as well as a regular tank water heater.
In reality, while most 40-gallon tank water heaters have a 35-45 minute recovery rate and can produce about one gallon of hot water per minute, some tankless water heaters can produce 3.3 – 7.5 gallons per minute. So in a half hour cycle, a tankless water heater can produce 115.5 – 262.5 gallons, considerably more hot water!
I may not have the space for a tankless system
Tankless hot water systems can be installed indoors or outdoors. They can be mounted on walls, and they are surprisingly compact. Using electronic (not open-flame) pilots, they can be placed in closets and other small areas that would not not accommodate a conventional hot water tank. Some systems have a compact electric recirculating system and tank, which can be placed on the floor or suspended from a wall.
A tankless hot water heater can’t provide enough hot water for an entire household.
An endless supply of hot water may be hard to imagine, but the technology in tankless units is specifically designed to provide a full and constant flow of appropriately heated water for an entire household.
Tankless water heaters heat the water to dangerous levels.
False. Tankless systems are actually safer to operate since they heat the water to only slightly above the level of intended use.Tank-based water heaters typically must overheat the stored water so that it will remain hot, even as the in-flowing cold water mixes with it. Tankless systems are also designed to keep out-flowing water at a constant temperature.
Tankless water heating systems cost more to operate.
Tankless water heaters have an initially higher outlay of cash compared to a traditional tank water heater. However, when you factor in the lower operating costs and longer (20 year) service life, tankless systems can save their owners a substantial amount of money. They require less maintenance, and nearly every component can be individually replaced without replacing the complete unit.
All tankless water heaters are covered by a 2011 tax credit
Actually, there are 3 types of water heaters covered by the tax credit, provided they meet Energy Star efficiency requirements: Gas, Oil, and Propane Water Heaters (including tankless); Electric Heat Pump Water Heaters; and Solar Water Heaters. Water heaters NOT eligible for the tax credit: Electricstorage tank and electric tankless water heaters.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what type of water heater to install in your home. We install several kinds of water heaters, so if you have any questions or like to know more about tankless, solar, or traditional tank water heaters, we’d be happy to help. Just give Barker and Sons plumbers in Orange County a call.
How to Avoid Thanksgiving Day Plumbing Problems
When you think of the Friday after Thanksgiving, most people think of fun Black Friday bargains. However, each year, the Friday after Thanksgiving turns black and bleak for many due to not-so-fun plumbing emergencies. Nationwide, plumbers get as many as 50 percent more calls over the long weekend following Thanksgiving, compared with any other four-day period throughout the year.
Most of the additional calls are for clogged drains attached to garbage disposals or toilets. The good news is, many of these problems are preventable. Here are a few tips to help avoid turkey day plumbing problems:
- Don’t pour fats or cooking oils down drains. Be sure to use paper towels to wipe excess grease and oils from pots and pans before washing them, then throw away the paper towels.
- Run several ice cubes through your garbage disposal. Do this before the big feast to sharpen the blades.
- Don’t stuff your disposal. Use a steady flow of smaller amounts while running the water to help drain it away.
- Avoid putting poultry skin, rice, pasta, celery, potato peels, fruit, or eggshells in your garbage disposal. Most disposers cannot sufficiently grind these things.
- Use cold water when grinding food waste. Hot water will cause grease to move further into the pipe, where it can solidify after cooling.
- Be sure you run cold water for 15 seconds after the disposal work is finished to carry the waste out of the pipes.
- Wait 10 minutes between showers so drains have time to work.
- If small items drop in toilets, don’t flush them down. Retrieve them! Even small items can catch in pipes, then lead to bigger clogs with future flushes.
In many cases, plumbing problems were brewing long before the holidays. So if you have a slow drain, a toilet that won’t flush completely, or other signs of plumbing issues right now, call us so we can help prevent worse plumbing problems that could put a damper on your holiday.
Remember, if you have an Orange County plumbing emergency, you can contact Barker & Sons, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! And may your turkey be full and stuffed – not your pipes!
What it Means to be a Licensed Green Plumber in Orange County
Everyone seems to be “going green” nowadays. At Barker & Sons here in Orange County, however, being a Green Plumber is more than a slogan. As licensed members of GreenPlumbers USA, a network of accredited plumbers extensively trained in water and energy efficiency technology, we can significantly lower your energy and water bills. We also adhere to a strict environmental code of ethics.
What Can Green Plumbers Do?
First, we perform a comprehensive home water audit. Our 50 point evaluation will show you how you can reduce water and energy consumption.
With 28 years of experience, we’re skilled at installing the newest, water efficient appliances, fixtures, and equipment. We can also recommend small personal steps you and your family can take to reduce daily water and energy use.
What’s the Latest Green Technology?
- High Efficiency Toilets - Using a maximum average of only 1.28 gallons per flush, their advanced hydraulic design saves the average family of four 16,000 gallons of water per year.
- High Efficiency Shower Heads - These cutting-edge devices provide an invigorating level of pressure, but use less water. So you’ll get a satisfying shower, while you save on energy and water bills.
- Tankless water heaters - These energy efficient water systems heat water only when you need it. Space saving and long lasting, tankless water heaters can reduce energy consumption by 20-40%.
- Faucet Aerators - These faucet attachments optimize flow while reducing water use from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute. Allowing you to maintain water pressure while reducing your water bill by an average 32%.
- Solar Hot Water Systems - these environmentally friendly hot water systems use solar panels on the roof to heat your hot water. Typically, they pay for themselves in 4 to 8 years. Also offsetting their cost is a 30% federal tax credit, along with state incentives. 94% of customers surveyed said they considered these systems a good investment.
Reducing water usage is a win-win situation. You can enjoy the savings by lowering your energy and water bills, and you also help the environment. So you save green by being green! To find out more about our green technology and what you can do to reduce water and energy consumption, Barker and Sons Plumbing Orange County a call.
Prevent Plumbing Problems with Barker and Sons’ Home Protection Club
It may seem counter-intuitive for a plumbing company to tell you how to prevent plumbing issues. Of course, we’re no ordinary Orange County plumbing company. We provide our customers with a unique prevention feature – our Barker & Sons Home Protection Club. It’s like an insurance plan for your home’s plumbing. For just $11.95 a month, you get our preventative maintenance package, with a complete home plumbing inspection every year; including a free 15-point water heater tune-up and whole house leak check. It’s actually a $300 value! Later, if you need our services, you’ll get a 10% discount on repairs, replacement fixtures and equipment. Members enjoy special features like guaranteed same-day service and more. For details, check out our Home Protection Club page or give us a call!
In the meantime, here are a few everyday tips that can help keep your plumbing running smoothly.
- Don’t treat your toilets like a trash can. Keep a waste paper basket in the bathroom for things like facial tissues, gum, all sanitary products, bandages, paper towels and diapers. Don’t put them in your toilet.
- Reconsider “disposable” or “flushable” wipes. Even if the package claims the wipes are flushable, they can still get balled up with hair and grease in sewage systems. If you do use them, remember – they’re thicker than toilet paper, so they’re more apt to clog your toilet.
- Prevent grease build up. Grease is usually the main clogging culprit of kitchen sinks, so avoid pouring grease or fat down your drain. To dispose of grease from cooking or frying, pour the grease into a mug, let it cool and harden somewhat, then dump it in the trash can. Also, periodically pour hot, sudsy water down your drain to clean your pipes of buildup.
Sneaky Slab Leaks…and the Solution
Most of the time, there is no question when you have a plumbing disaster on your hands. For example, if a pipe bursts in your Orange County home and your garage is filled with water, it’s pretty obvious that something terrible has happened. However, some plumbing problems are not as obvious, though they can be just as damaging. The concrete slab leak is one of those problems.
How do you know when a pipe is leaking in your slab?
One hint is that your water bill is suddenly high. Another is that your water pressure is low. In addition, floors or carpets may be damp or have mildew. Floors may be cracked or warm in one area. Even cracks in walls could signal a slab leak. If you hear the sound of running water when no water should be running, your response should be, “Uh oh!”
How do these slab leaks happen?
Slab leaks can be caused by several things.
- Acidic or hot soil can attack copper, causing pitting. This ultimately leads to leaks.
- Water treatment from the water department can also contribute to slab leaks. Currently, California is adding a mixture of chlorine and ammonia, called chloramine, which reacts to copper and may cause leaks.
- Sometimes, slab leaks occur as the result of your house shifting on its foundation.
The solution? Call us, of course. Barker and Sons have the proper equipment to identify where the leak or leaks are occurring. In many cases, repairs are made with minimal disruption to property. For example, sometimes just a single floor tile needs to be removed.
What if you’ve got a doozy?
If leaks are extensive or hard to reach under a bathtub, shower, or expensive flooring, we recommend capping off the existing underground pipes and rerouting the water pipes through the walls or attic using durable and flexible PEX piping. At Barker and Sons, we have over 28 years of experience repairing slab leaks. If you are having an issue, please call us. We are always happy to help!
Don’t Let a Pumpkin Clog Ruin Your Halloween!
You’ll probably have a lot of spooky little trick-or-treaters at your door in Orange County this Halloween. The scariest thing of all may not be the little witches or monsters knocking at your door, though. No – the most frightening thing you experience this Halloween could be lurking in your drains! What did you do with the guts of your pumpkin after carving it? If you threw it down the sink or toilet, you could be in for a real nightmare!
Americans scrape millions of pounds of stringy pulp when carving pumpkins during the Halloween season. It’s fun to get creative with your carvings, but be sure you dispose of the pulp safely. It’s best to lay out newspaper and carve your pumpkin on top of it with a safety knife. Of course, you’ll want to supervise children as they carve their pumpkins. Then, you’ll be able to fold up the newspaper with the pulp inside and easily discard the remains in a trashcan or dumpster.
The results of throwing pumpkin pulp down your drain can be monstrous. The sticky, stringy pulp full of hard seeds will not easily slide down your pipes. It will likely harden into a tough mass and block anything that comes its way. Just imagine what that could mean for your toilet! It’s not a pretty thought! So, save yourself the nightmare this Halloween and just throw your pumpkin guts in the trash!
Of course, if you ever find yourself in a sticky situation with any clog, give us a call. We are happy to help you with drain cleaning and repair!
PHCC Trade Show: October 29 at Anaheim Convention Center
Over 2,000 licensed plumbing-heating-cooling contractors will be attending the PHCC Trade Show next Saturday, October 29 at the Anaheim Convention Center! Attendees will enjoy demos of the latest industry products, experience informative free seminars and get hands on training. There will be a wide variety of exhibitors from regional and national companies whose products and services cover the full spectrum of PHC projects and supplies. Some of the industry’s biggest names will be at this tradeshow, so don’t miss it! Here’s the info:
- Saturday, October 29, 2011
- 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Anaheim Convention Center
- Hall A
- 800 W. Katella Ave.
- Anaheim, CA 92802
- PHCC Trade Show Website
Online registration ends at 12 noon on Monday, October 24. After that, you can register on-site at the convention center. The only cost for the event is parking.
The PHCC of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties is a professional organization of open and union shop contractor members who successfully manage businesses in residential service, new construction, commercial and industrial markets. Members include business owners, employees, managers and partners in plumbing/HVAC companies. PHCC is committed to member service, environmental protection, public health, safety and comfort. Whether you’re just starting your plumbing and HVAC career or are a seasoned veteran, PHCC is dedicated to providing you with the industry training, guidance, and services you need to reach your professional goals. Check out the PHCC website if you are interested in becoming a member.
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