by Dean Mance | Nov 4, 2014 | Fun Ideas For Your Home, Reduce Your Power Bill, Save Money
Every week day at 7.00pm the British National Grid Control Centre braces for a once off, massive surge in electricity demand.
As the credits roll on the evening’s episode of Eastenders, up to 1.75 million Britons head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.
The surge in demand is met by bringing online fast acting hydro electric power stations in Scotland and Wales and also power imported from France. The peak lasts for less than 15 minutes but the additional demand can be as high as three thousand million watts.
Other countries experience similar “TV Pickups” during commercial breaks in major sporting broadcasts, requiring the power supply authorities to carefully manage their output to meet the peak demands.
In Australia the affect is apparently less noticeable and is due to a combination of electric kettles and the opening of fridge doors.
Have you ever tried to save a little time and possibly a little power by filling your kettle with water from the hot tap? The best way to save power and have a great cup of tea is to start with cold water and only fill the kettle with as much water as you need for the drinks you are about to make.
Tea connoisseurs say that the lower oxygen content of preheated water, along with mineral deposits that build up in your hot water cylinder can affect the taste of your tea.
It’s a good idea to give your kettle a rinse out occasionally too, as minerals, calcium and other water additives are left behind as the water boils away and can become more concentrated over time if not removed.
Different types of tea respond better to different temperature water and generally the lighter teas should be made with water that has cooled slightly after boiling, while darker teas need hotter water to bring out their full flavour.
Adjusting the amount of water you boil in your kettle won’t make a huge difference to your power bill if you just do it once, but the trick to reducing your power bill is doing a few of the right things every day. All the little savings add up to real money when done consistently over a period of time.
For more power saving and money saving ideas, including many no cost and low cost ideas, head to www.savepowersavemoney.com.au and download our free ebook.
by Dean Mance | Mar 10, 2014 | Common Repairs
Your hot water has gone cold – but should you call a plumber or an electrician? You don’t want to pay for one to turn up if you really need the other, so how can you make an informed decision? Here are a couple of tips to help you decide.
(If you’re still Not sure, give us a call on 6331 4711 and we’ll help you sort it out).
Is there water at the tap?
If there is plenty of cold or lukewarm water coming out of the hot taps you probably need an electrician.
If there is no water, or a reduced amount of water coming out of the tap, you probably need a plumber.
Has the fuse blown?
Has the circuit breaker tripped or fuse blown? If so, you probably need an electrician, unless there are signs of water leaking around the cylinder in which case you probably need a plumber.
Any sign of of leaks?
Check for signs of water around the base of the cylinder and for signs of rust on the external casing of the cylinder. A leaking cylinder usually has to be replaced. There is no way to repair a rusted mains pressure cylinder.
Sometimes the cylinder can leak around the element, making the area rusty.
Water leaking around the element can also affect the electrical connections, causing a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. Sometimes replacing the element can solve the problem but corrosion from a loose element can destroy an otherwise good cylinder.
A regular check for water leaks is a good idea.
Check the pressure relief valve
There will be a pipe running from the pressure relief valve on the side of the cylinder to an outside drain. Check the amount of water running out of this pipe. A correctly operating valve will only let out a small amount of water. Probably less than a cup each day.
If there is water constantly running out the pipe you have a problem with the pressure relief valve. There is a lever on top of the valve that you can lift to let water out through the valve. Sometimes lifting the lever will reset the valve and solve the problem.
If the valve is faulty it needs to be replaced by a plumber – unless the problem is caused by a stuck thermostat, in which case you need an electrician.
A faulty thermostat can keep the water heating until it’s almost boiling. The pressure inside the cylinder builds up until the pressure relief valve does it’s job and lets some water out.
Replacing your cylinder
If your cylinder does need replacing, most of the work is plumbing work and some plumbers are authorised to disconnect and reconnect the wiring when replacing a cylinder. However, it’s wise to have an electrician attend if the cylinder does need to be replaced, especially if you are going from a low pressure to mains pressure unit.
Most plumbers are pretty good, but they are not electricians and new cylinders are sometimes reconnected to old wiring which is too small to safely handle the load of the element in the new cylinder. Fire, electric shock, insurance problems, warranty problems and running out of hot water are all possible in such circumstances.
All new hot water cylinders are physically larger than the older models as they are now required to have more insulation around them. This can cause problems if your cylinder is presently located in a laundry cupboard for example. Your new cylinder may have to be moved outside and that is definitely a job for both a plumber and an electrician.
Having hot water problems? Got a question?
Give us a call and we’ll help you out with free advice over the phone.
Need An Electrician In A Hurry? Your hot water problem can be fixed today…
by Dean Mance | Sep 30, 2013 | Dodgy Installations, Keep Your Family Safe, Reduce Your Power Bill
You’ve probably heard of Legionnaires’ Disease. It’s a serious and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria, which lives in warm water storage systems, such as domestic and commercial hot water and air-conditioning.
A normally operating hot water cylinder is safe because the thermostat automatically heats the water to over 60 degrees, a temperature that kills off most of the bacteria.
However, problems can arise when some home owners bypass the automatic controls in an effort to save on power costs. We have heard of timers being fitted to cylinders to restrict the operating hours and even clients turning off their cylinder for part of the day in order to cut the power usage.
Solar hot water systems are probably most at risk because the electrical back up element may be turned off completely for long periods, giving the unwanted bacteria plenty of time to multiply.
Sure, the water may still remain hot enough to use, but it may also fall below the hot temperature that kills the bacteria and into the warm zone where the bacteria thrives.
Infection can occur when you inhale fine droplets of water that contains the bacteria, so your shower is the ideal place to contract the disease.
Infections are reasonably uncommon, but the results can be deadly, so this is one area where we recommend a safety first approach, rather than trying to save the most money.
If you have any queries, please feel free to give us a call. Mance Electrical (03) 6331 4711 Launceston Tas
by Dean Mance | Jul 23, 2013 | Reduce Your Power Bill, Save Money
Your hot water cylinder has a safety valve to vent excess pressure, to avoid the cylinder overheating and exploding like a bomb. It’s a good safety system but sometimes the valve can fail and let too much water out. When that happens it’s like leaving a hot tap running continuously, with money pouring down the drain. Often the first indication of a problem is a hot water bill that is much higher than normal.
A regular check on the overflow pipe can prevent an unpleasant surprise on your next power bill. The overflow pipe runs from the cylinder to outside, usually over a drain. It’s normal for some water to drip from the overflow pipe, probably a cup or two per day at the most. If you notice more water than this, or the overflow pipe running continuously you may have a problem with the valve.
The other problem that can cause your hot water to run out the overflow from the pressure relief valve is a thermostat that sticks on and heats the water continuously instead of cycling on and off . You will notice the water getting extremely hot if this happens.
So, if there is too much water running out the overflow and it’s normal hot water temperature, or cooler, you need a plumber to replace your pressure relief valve. If the overflow water is running continuously and boiling, steaming hot you need an electrician to replace the thermostat.
An occasional glance at the overflow pipe can save you from pouring money down the drain.
For advice on hot water problems in Launceston and surrounding areas, phone Mance Electrical on 6331 4711.
