Do you want to save water with your new hot water system set up?
Check out this video to see how much water we saved when we set it up correctly.
The Issue
This job was a really interesting one. Our customer called up saying that the hot water system wasn’t working all the time and also it just took a long time for the water to get to the kitchen sink.
So we came out and spent a good hour or so going up on the roof ’cause there used to be a solar up on the roof. We’ll show you that later where it was. The pipes had just been run out and so there was a long way that it was traveling all over to get to the hot water system. So we thought, “Hey, let’s just think outside the box here. Let’s move the hot water system location right near the kitchen and we’ll see how that goes.”
Now we bought some of these massive measuring jugs so we can wrap some data around it to see how much water it actually took before the water gets to 45 degrees. We’ll measure that before we start and then we will test the results afterwards.
The Current Set Up
We’ll just show you the setup now. We’ve got quite a large Bosch Hydropower 16 plus. That’s been installed right near the meter box. So the reason they’ve left it here is ’cause there’s only low pressure in the street. So we couldn’t upgrade the meter here. Something going on with this meter too. They’ve got a setup here, which measures up the gas in the line. So it’s got a test box that they measure. First time we’ve seen any of that stuff, but that’s neither here or there. You can see the hot pipe comes out the bottom here. It goes up and then into the roof and there’s a bathroom at the back and a kitchen. But we’ll go up onto the roof now and show you the distance that we’re looking at.
The Roof
The hot water system at the moment is probably just below here. And then you can see, this is where, over this area here, there used to be the solar hot water unit. You can see there the tiles where it’s been removed. And there’s the solar here. So we think what they’ve done is they’ve gone from the old hot water system connected in to here, and then it goes off all the way back to the bathroom, which is where that vent is over here. There’s also a bathroom at the very rear of the house. We’ll show you the kitchen in a minute. The kitchen is more or less right here. We show you where the alfresco area and where the kitchen sink is.
What We Need to Do
We’ve got to run a new gas line. We’re going to put a 32 in, slightly larger than we need. It’s always good to future proof it if they want to get something out there later on. So that gas main will go from here all the way across over here and down to the new hot water system location. And then we’re going to make this hot water system location. We’re going to run a new line that goes all the way over to the bathroom up the back here and we’ll tee in to that. So it’ll be a nice super direct line that goes all the way across.
At the moment it sort of goes up over here, there, there, and then down and then right away across the roof and down. So it’s going to save nearly eight or nine meters of piping that it doesn’t have to empty. So anyway, that’s where we’ll start.
The New Location
This is where we’re going to put the new hot water system. The kitchen sink’s just inside there. It’s got a power point, which is awesome, so it saves a bit of cost. We’re going to tee onto this tap here for the cold and then the gas main will come right from the other side of the house and down here. And we’re going to put the hot main against this down pipe here. Then he can cover it with a little bit of flashing or something later on because the kitchen sink pipe goes along here inside the wall and then up and just there. So that means that the hot will have to just go up here in that tee and then it’ll go off to the kitchen sink. And then it can go up over and then we’re going to run another line all the way to that bathroom at the back that we might test that later too. See how much water it blows.
The Kitchen First Test
We’ve got the temperature gauge set up. So it’s 23 degrees at the moment and then we’ve got the timer here. So Gary, the owner, reckons that it’s going to be five liters or maybe more. We’ve got two of these jugs. So hopefully not more the five liters because that would be crazy. We’ll just get it up to like 45 degrees because it is a long run. You should be able to get 50. But let’s start it on.
You can see in the video the result. A good four and a half liters and 50 seconds to get up to at least 45 degrees. Now we’re going to put the new hot water system in the new location. Instead of running all the way across, it’s going to go from there straight to here. We’ll put a new tap in. We’ll show you underneath the sink. The owner’s cleaned the cupboards out for us and everything. This is the type of customers we like. Now you can see the flexible hoses are on the way out. You don’t want that to pop. So we’ve got a new tap here to install. Anyway, it’d be interesting to see once we set it all up and we’ll test how long stuff takes afterwards.
The Bathroom First Test
We’re at the back bathroom now, so we’re just going to do the same test again. There’s no flow restrictor on this one too, or no air rider, so it may pump out a bit quicker.
The result: it took 41 seconds up to 50 degrees and a good over five liters of water just to get a decent shower. So anyway, let’s take this new hot water unit in and then we’ll go from there.
A Job Well Done
We’re done. Massive job. So we’ve got the new hot water system on the wall there. We got the gas main going down here and up into the roof. Got the hot main and that’s teed up into the roof there. And then goes straight to the kitchen over here. He’s probably going to put a flashing around this. That’s why we put it up against the down pipe there so they can get the same colour colourbond. Just put it over so it looks all nice.
The Kitchen & Bathroom Second Test
We’ve got the new tap installed. The controller’s set to 50 degrees. So let’s do the test.
The result: we got 45 degrees at 20 seconds. We’re looking at two liters. Before this, it was 5 liters.
Now for the bathroom, we’ve run the new lines. It’s probably not going to be a massive amount of difference anymore, because it’s probably a little bit further away than it was last time. But we’ll see.
The result: about five liters again to get to 45 degrees, but quicker. This time’s only 30 seconds. So it’s a bit better flow. Not a great result. But at least they won’t be having to mix any water anymore, so good stuff.
The Importance of Location
So that was a big day around the gas and water main. It wasn’t a great result on the back bathroom, having that direct line. But remember that the hot water system was about the same distance away both ways, but the flow is a good 50 percent better flow so they’ll be happy with that. But what a great result on that kitchen sink. To go from nearly five liters down to two. That’s a massive saving.
That’s why it’s so important to try and get your hot water system as close to the kitchen sink as possible, because that’s where you want it straight away just to heat up a sponge or to rinse a plate or to fill up your sink. You don’t want to have to blow five liters each time.
Save Water
So just by relocating that hot water system, you see we saved nearly three liters of water each time you want to turn the kitchen sink on. If you are using the kitchen sink, let’s say conservatively six times a day, you’re turning that tap on and off, that’s like 18 liters a day that you’re probably saving. And if you go for a full week, for say seven days, that’d be like 126 liters. And over a whole year that’d be like 6,550-6552 liters or something for a whole year. That’s a huge saving. And this hot water system’s going to be around for the next 10 years. So, very wise to do it. We don’t think water’s going to come down in price at all. So yeah, it’s good to do.
Interested?
Now if you are up for a new hot water system and the plumber just comes down and says, “We’re just going to put the same old bog standard hot water system where it is.” Just ask him, “Is there any way that we can get it closer to the kitchen sink?” Now if he says “No,” he might already have one in the car that he wants to sell you, or maybe he might be too busy to do the extra work that we’ve done today, or maybe he just doesn’t care, which happens sometimes as well.
But if you live in Perth and you want us to come and have a look, then just give us a call. There’s heaps of good plumbers around Perth too, especially a lot of good guys that are into saving water and what’s best interest for the long run. That’s what’s most important: the customer’s best interest. We got to do what’s best for them and not the quick, easy jobs where we can still collect the same amount of money but not giving them the best option.
