Tureks Plumbing Services Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Water heater installation Appleton Wi’

Tips for Saving on Your Water Heating Bill

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
tips for saving on your water heater - Appleton WI

Easy Tips for Saving on Your Water Heating Bill

Owning a house is expensive, and heating water is much more expensive than people realize. If you’re looking to reduce your energy bills, take a look at your hot water heater. You may be surprised to learn that heating water accounts for about 18% of your utility bills. That makes it the second-largest energy expense in the home (after HVAC). So, adjusting your hot water heater setup and usage patterns could result in significant savings. In this article, our Fox Valley plumbers share a few easy tips for saving on your water heating bill. 

Reduce the Temperature on the Thermostat

One of our favorite tips for saving on your water heating bill is adjusting the thermostat that can be found on your water heater. We recommend adjusting the thermostat if it’s set higher than 120 Fahrenheit. With every 10 degrees lower, you’ll save about 3-5%. 

Repair Leaky Faucets

Do you have a dripping faucet that you’ve put off fixing? Consider the following: A slow leak faucet wastes about 3,153 gallons of water each year. Our friends at McQuillan Bros, a plumber Maplewood, if the leak is coming from the hot water tap, you’re not only paying for the wasted water but also for the energy used to heat it. The same could be true for water heater repairs. If your water heater is acting up, search for the best plumber near me, so the problem doesn’t get worse. 

Low-Flow Mode

It’s one thing to put off a bathroom remodel, but don’t put off replacing ancient plumbing fixtures. Replace your showerheads and faucets with low-flow ones if they were made over 20 years ago. Modern showerheads consume half the amount of water that older showerheads did. 

Try to Use Less Hot Water!

Make an effort to be more careful of how much hot water you use. Shorten your showers, wash your laundry in cold water, and only run the dishwasher when it’s full. Examine your daily routine and look for ways to reduce your use of hot water. Even cutting your thirty-minute shower could reduce your water waste and energy bills! 

Use a Timer for Hot Water

It is a waste of money to heat water that will not be used. We suggest installing a timer on your hot water heater so you can save the most energy. If you reside in a region where energy prices are higher during peak hours, you may even use it to turn off your water heater during certain times. 

Purchase a More Energy-Efficient Water Heater

Traditional storage tank hot water heaters have an average lifespan of 15 years. If yours is towards the end of its useful life, consider upgrading to a more efficient water heater. Tankless hot water heaters and solar hot water heaters are significantly less expensive to operate. Aside from the financial advantages, you’ll appreciate the fact that tankless hot water heaters have an unending supply of hot water. Need water heater replacement in Appleton, WI? Contact Tureks Plumbing Services! We offer the best plumbing services in the Fox Valley areas. 

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How to Install a New Water Heater

Wednesday, October 10th, 2018

How to install a new water heater

How to Install a New Water Heater

Today, instant hot water is no longer considered a luxury; it is now more of a necessity. When you have a water heater, you don’t have to run the bath for several minutes to get the right temperature. You won’t suddenly be drenched by cold water in the middle of enjoying a warm bath as well.

The key to enjoying a warm or hot water every time you need it is to install your water heater properly. Although this is a job best left to experts, there is nothing wrong with trying to install it yourself. And once you have any problems going through with any of the installation steps, you have to call a professional plumber immediately.

Installing Your Electric Water Heater

Below are the steps on how to install a new water heater properly and safely:

Turn off the water and electricity supply

Shut off the circuit breaker for the line where you will connect the heater.  Next, turn off the home’s main water shutoff valve or the shutoff valve at the cold water supply line running to your current heater.  

Drain the old tank

Turn off the cold water supply to the heater. This is often located at the top of the unit. Next, connect a hose to the water heater’s drain valve and open the valve. Place the end of the hose near a floor drain or into a pail.

Make sure you drain the tank completely before you turn off the valve and remove the hose.

Disconnect the electric and plumbing connections

Next, disconnect the water heater’s electrical wires. Label the wires or take a picture so that you can easily use them later when connecting your new heater’s wires. Once done, disconnect the hot and cold water supply pipes.

If your current heater used copper piping, you may need to cut the pipes. Use a pipe tubing cutter to do this and leave as much of the pipe as possible.

Remove the old heater and place the new one

Once you have taken down the old tank, place the new heater into position. Make sure you line it up with the existing electrical and plumbing connections.   

Next, install the different fittings. These include the temperature and pressure relief or TPR valve and discharge drain pipe. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

Connect the water pipes

If the cold water supply does not have a shutoff valve, now is the time to install one. When done, use the correct fittings to connect the cold water inlet and hot water outlet on the water heater to their respective pipes. Be sure to use the correct type of fittings.

Connect the heater to the electrical source

Use the previous wire connections as a guide and connect the new wires in the same way that you removed them. Make sure you follow the labels when connecting the cables to the electrical source.  

Set the temperature

Turn on the cold water supply valve to the water heater and turn on the main water supply valve to fill the tank with water. Next, restore power to the water heater circuit. Set the temperature between 110 and 125 degrees F and wait until the water in the tank comes up to temperature. Leave the water turned on for a few minutes to ensure that the heater maintains the desired temperature.

Getting Help from Pros

As you can see from the steps above, installing a new water heater is not an easy task. You will need a number of plumbing tools which you may not have as well.

If you don’t want your new water heater to become a fire, explosion, and health hazard, hire a pro to install it properly.

By hiring a plumber to handle the installation, you:

  • Ensure the electrical lines are connected properly and safely
  • Allow the ignition sources to be checked, cleaned, and repaired, if necessary
  • Avoid damaging the TPR
  • Avoid the possibility of bacterial contamination

By letting a trusted Appleton plumber handle the water heater installation, you will be sure you can use your newly installed electric water heater as soon as possible. You will be able to use it safely for a long time as well.

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