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COLD WATER FITTING
How your hot water heater works -
Cold water enters through the fitting, and goes down through the dip tube inside the tank and enters the tank at the bottom. Note that if there is a shut-off valve installed on the heater, it is installed only on the incoming side. There are 2 thermostats in the heater (one for each element): they are wired in a flip-flop arrangement. This means that when the tank is filled with cold water, the upper thermostat supplies power to the upper element first; when the set water temperature is achieved, the thermostat flips the power to the lower thermostat which energizes the lower element until the lower thermostat is satisfied. As hot water is drawn off from the top of the heater, cold water comes in at the bottom of the heater and pushes the previously heated water up. As the hot water is replaced with the incoming cold water, the lower thermostat calls for heat and energizes the lower element. For this reason it is typical that the lower element fails first as it does most of the work.
HOT WATER OUT
DRAW OFF VALVE
Maintenance: It's a good idea to flush sediment out of your water heater as least once a year. This can be done by connecting a hose to the drain and running water off until it's clear. The sacrificial anode rod should be checked once a year as well: its job is to keep the steel tank from corroding. There are 2 types of anode rods available: magnesium (comes standard in most water heaters) and aluminum which may help reduce rotten egg smell if present. If its badly corroded, replace it. Regular replacement may add years to your water heaters life. Did you know that in Nova Scotia the most economical way to heat your water is with an electric water heater? According to the Conserve Nova Scotia web-site it costs $674 per year to supply a family of 4 with hot water from an electric water heater vs. $699 for a free standing oil-fired water heater or a whopping $940 using a tankless coil heater in your oil-fired furnace! So what's the difference between the various models electric water heater models available today?
Insulation: The two main types are foam and fibreglass. Foam is the preferred type. Economy models typically contain 1 ½ (R12) while premium models have 2 (R16) or more. The higher the R-value, the lower the standby heat loss.
Warranty: Economy models typically have 6 year replacement warranties while premium models are often guaranteed for 9 years or more. Keep in mind that the replacement warranty applies only to the tank itself leaking: elements and thermostats are usually guaranteed for 1 year only.
Materials: There are some real differences! The typical tank is made of steel, usually glass-lined to resist corrosion. Some premium models are made of urethane and one model, the Vaughan Hydrastone, is lined with a ½ layer of stone!
Vaughan Hydrastone water heaters available through Redmonds Home Hardware.
Shallow-well jet pumps -
Jet pumps are usually located in the home and draw the water up from the well through suction. Because suction is involved, atmospheric pressure is what's really doing the work. Think of the system as a long straw. As you suck on the straw, you create a vacuum in the straw above the water. Once the vacuum is there, the weight of the air, or atmospheric pressure, pushes the water up the straw. Consequently, the height that you can lift the water with a shallow-well jet pump relates to the weight of the air. While air pressure varies with elevation, shallow well jet-pump operation is limited to about 25 ft.
The pump is powered by an electric motor that drives an impeller, or centrifugal pump. The impeller moves water from the well through a narrow nozzle, or jet, mounted in the housing in front of the impeller. This constriction at the jet causes the speed of the moving water to increase. As the water leaves the jet, a partial vacuum is created that sucks additional water from the well. Directly behind the jet is a Venturi tube that increases in diameter. Its function is to slow down the water and increase the pressure. The pumped water (new water that's drawn from the well by the suction at the jet) then combines with the water coming through the nozzle to discharge into the plumbing system at high pressure.
Because shallow-well jet pumps use water to draw water, they generally need to be primed (filled with water) before they'll work. To keep water in the pump and plumbing system from flowing back down into the well, a 1-way check valve (called a foot valve) is installed at the end of the line in the well.
Deep well jet pumps -
For wells more than 25 feet deep the jet is removed from the motor and impeller housing and placed in the water. In a typical deep-well jet-pump configuration, one pipe mounted to the impeller housing drives water down into the jet body that's located about 10 to 20 ft. below the minimum well water level. A second pipe connects the output side of the jet body back to the pump.
At the jet, the increase in water velocity creates the partial vacuum that draws standing well water into the second pipe and then back into the pump and plumbing system. Deep-well jet pumps use both the suction at the jet to bring water into the system and pressure applied by the impeller to lift the water.
To prevent over-pumping the well, a deep-well jet-pump installation may include a 35-ft.-long tailpipe. It's connected to the intake end of the jet housing and extends down into the well. If the water level dips below the level of the jet housing, the pump operates in the same manner that a shallow-well pump does. While flow rate drops off, water will be available until the level drops below about 25 ft. from the jet housing-the limit for a shallow pump. The 35-ft.-long tailpipe effectively ensures that the well will never be pumped out. Of course, the height of the jet over the water level affects performance. The farther away it is, the less efficient the pumping becomes: typically 2-line jet pumps are limited to a depth of around 90 feet.
Like shallow-well systems, a jet pump in a deep-well system needs to be primed to operate. A foot valve at the bottom of the well piping prevents water from draining from the pipes and pump.
The most common problem with jet pumps, whether configured for shallow or deep well operation, is dirt or a tiny rock lodging in the nozzle of the jet: this will reduce the maximum pressure the pump will build up to about 25 psi.
Submersible pumps -
As the depth from which the water must be pumped increases, a more effective solution is to move the pump down into the well so, instead of lifting the water, it's pushing it up. A typical submersible pump is characterized by a long cylindrical shape that fits inside the well casing. The bottom half is made up of a sealed pump motor that is connected to the aboveground power source and controlled by wires. There are 2 different types of motors used: 2-wire and 3-wire (the ground wire is not counted). The difference is that the 3-wire motor has a separate control box with a start relay and capacitor mounted in the home whereas these components are electronic and built into the 2-wire motor.
The actual pump half of the unit is comprised of a stacked series of impellers-each separated by a diffuser-that drives the water up the pipe to the plumbing system. The more impellers (stages) in the pump, the greater the depth it will pump from (and the more expensive the pump).
In modern installations, the well casing outside the home is connected to the plumbing system by a pipe that runs beneath the ground to the basement. This horizontal pipe joins the well pipe at a connector called a pitless adapter. The function of the adapter is to permit access to the pump and well piping through the top of the well casing, while routing water from the pump into the plumbing system.
Submersibles are known for their reliability and often perform their role 20 to 25 years without servicing. Submersible pumps may also be used in shallow wells. However, silt, sand, algae and other contaminants can shorten the pump's life.
Pressure tanks -
Pumps are not intended to run continuously, and they don't start each time you open a tap or flush the toilet. In order to provide consistent water pressure at the fixtures, the pump first moves water to a storage tank. Inside a modern tank is an air bladder that becomes compressed as the water is pumped in. The pressure in the tank is what moves the water through the household plumbing system.
When the pressure reaches a preset level, which can be anywhere from 40 to 60 psi, a switch stops the pump. As water is used in the home, pressure begins to decrease until, after a drop of about 20 psi, the switch turns on the pump and the cycle is repeated.
The most common problem with pressure tanks is water-logging: the bladder develops a hole. As the air leaks out into the water, the pump will come on more and more frequently until it comes on virtually every time water is used. This causes premature pump motor failure. Although the tank can be pumped up with air temporarily, it should be replaced. Bladder tanks typically last 10 years.
OPEN
Monday to Friday 8:00 8:00
Saturday 8:30 5:30
Sunday 10:00 3:00
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