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Standard Domestic Hot Water Systems
The standard domestic hot water service generally comprises of a tank, a thermostat and a burner which burns either oil or gas. Some services incorporate an electric heater element. The thermostat measures the temperature of the water in the tank and if it falls below the preset level, the burner is activated. The burner then runs until the water in the tank is once again at the preset level. Using hot water from the system means cold water is drawn into the tank. This means the temperature drops and the burner is ignited again. If you stand next to the hot water service while another person in your home is having a hot shower you will hear the burner turn on. Energy is lost from these services in a number of ways. Not all the heat from the burning gas or oil is transferred to the water, some is lost with the exhaust gas. The tank itself also radiates heat, as does the plumbing attached to the service. These last two heat losses can be minimized with effective insulation. Cheaper units tend to have poorer insulation, so while they may initially be cheaper to buy, they tend to have higher running costs. Since the majority of hot water services will operate for a minimum of ten years the initial saving of a cheaper system will generally be far outstripped by operating costs over the lifetime of the system. Regardless of what type of hot water service you may be looking to install, the insulation rating is a very important factor. You will benefit from querying your supplier / installer about the insulation ratings of the different systems on offer. System SizeThe size of the storage tank is another big factor in the running cost of your domestic hot water heater. The larger the tank, the more water there is to maintain at the preset temperature. Therefore the fuel consumption required to maintain that temperature is greater. Nobody likes running out of hot water in the middle of a shower. While installing a larger system than you might need is tempting, the cost both financially and in terms of greenhouse gases produced from keeping the water in the tank hot are higher.Installing water saving shower heads and tap fittings can reduce your hot water needs, reducing both your costs and your carbon footprint. Other factors can assist in reducing your hot water needs. These include using the dishwasher less often, washing clothes in cold water with an appropriate detergent, shortening the amount of time you spend in the shower, fixing leaking taps and so on. While each of these measures does not seem like it makes much of a difference, they combine to be a significant amount of energy and water saved in each home. If we can all manage to cut back our water and energy use by just a little, the effect will be great. |
