When Should You Replace Your Water Heater?
Having a plumber that you can trust is important for when your Boston home’s plumbing system experiences complications, such as a malfunctioning water heater. Water heaters are long-lasting appliances if they’re maintained well, but even the most pampered water heater won’t last forever. If you notice the signs of a worn-out water heater, reach out to an experienced plumber from McMahon Plumbing and Heating as soon as possible. 4 Reasons to Schedule a New Water Heater Installation Numerous Costly Repairs – You may need to hire a plumber to repair a water heater component occasionally, but if it seems like you’re scheduling repairs multiple times a year, then a new water heater is a good investment. Although a new water heater has a higher up-front cost, frequent repairs add up over time, and they’ll likely continue until you replace the water heater. High Energy Bills – Rising energy costs may indicate that you have an inefficient plumbing system. If your usage hasn’t changed, but your energy bills continue to increase, have your plumber determine if your water heater is the source of the problem. If a water heater repair is too costly to justify, purchase a new water heater instead, and your energy bills will return to a reasonable cost. Inadequate Heating – If your water heater isn’t heating the […]
Some Like It Hot – But Safety Trumps Heat
Can tap water really cause serious burns? Yes. Most Boston hot water heaters are set to a temperature of 60°C (140° F). Water this hot can severely scald a child’s skin in just one second. A scald is a second-degree or third-degree burn caused by hot liquid or steam. Hot coffee, tea, soup and other hot foods are the most common causes of scalds to young children. Hot tap water is a less common cause, but these scalds are often more severe – and they are easy to prevent. To prevent tap water scalds, the hot water at all your taps should be no hotter than 49°C (120°F). At this temperature, it takes about 10 minutes to burn a child’s skin. Tap water scalds can happen anywhere that the water is too hot – not just in the bath. Children have been scalded by hot tap water when playing at the sink, or by putting their hands or feet into a bucket filled with hot tap water for household cleaning. Why are children more at risk? Children are more at risk for tap water scalds because: A child’s skin is thinner and more sensitive than an adult’s skin. A child’s skin burns more quickly – so even a very short exposure to water that is too hot can cause a […]
3 Gallon Shower. 30 Gallon Load of Laundry. ?? Gallon Water Heater
Whether you are buying a water heater for the first time, or replacing an old hot water heater, there are some factors that you definitely should keep in mind when shopping, such as: How much room do you have in the space where you will be installing the water heater? You want to make sure that you don’t buy a water heater that is too large to fit in the space you have available. So, it would be good to measure the space available and bring these measurements with you when you are shopping for the new water heater. Does your water heater need to be electric, gas, or propane? You can choose between an electric water heater or a gas water heater and they are not interchangeable. So, be sure the unit you buy is designed to work with your energy source. Choose a water heater that is Energy Efficient. A very high percentage of a Boston household’s energy costs go toward heating the family’s hot water. The average family uses an amazing amount of hot water. Twenty five percent or more of a family’s energy expenses come from just the cost of running the hot water heater. Therefore, when you are selecting which hot water heater to buy, it makes a lot of sense to buy the most […]
Is Your Beacon Hill Water Heater a Time Bomb?
It’s hard to believe it, but over 19,000 water heaters are replaced every day. About 7 million heaters end up being tossed out each year in Canada alone. A large city such as Beacon Hill may see several thousand water heaters a year disposed of. Not only are water heaters a common plumbing malfunction, but unfortunately, they can be dangerous when they do malfunction. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently said that almost every single day someone gets injured or killed from a explosion. Naturally, then, extending the life of your water heater and preventing any unexpected break downs is a priority. So, first, we need to understand the common causes for problems. The first common problem would have to be sediment build up. Sediment comes from dirt, mineral deposits and rust. This build up of sediments and internal rusting can cause premature death of your device. It can burn out the heating elements and cause overheating. This also results in an increase of unnecessary energy use. Another common cause of rust inside the water heater is hard water. If that is the case, it would be a good idea to call an experienced Beacon Hill plumber for advice and recommendations when selecting your water heater. An experienced plumber in Beacon Hill would be familiar with the quality of the […]
Why Boston Tankless Water Heaters Make Sense
Tankless water heaters are also known as instant water heaters. These units make sense for homeowners for several reasons. In vacation homes they can be very desirable. Here are some of the main reasons why tankless water heaters make sense as opposed to the traditional water heater. 1. Tankless water heaters conserve energy. Traditional water heaters have a tank that is constantly filled with water. The traditional water heater provides hot water in your home by constantly heating the water in the tank to maintain it at a set temperature. Boston tankless water heaters work differently. Tankless units heat water by activating a set of coils that become hot when the unit is turned on. As the water passes over the coils, it is heated. The temperature set on the control determines how hot the water will be when it comes out of the tap and, thus, how hot the coils become and how quickly the water moves across the coils. Tankless water heaters conserve energy by only heating the amount of water needed at a given moment and by heating the water only when it is needed. 2. Tankless water heaters are perfect for vacation and second homes. When you are not staying in a second home or a vacation home, it is always wise to turn […]
Advantages of Using Tankless Water Heaters in Your Boston Home
So you’re taking a shower and just when you are about to rinse the soap from your face, the water gets bone-chillingly cold! How many times has this happened to you? Running out of hot water when it is needed is a common problem with traditional water heaters, you might think that this can easily be remedied by switching to a new heater with a larger capacity tank, but the truth is that even big tanks will run out of water eventually, bigger tanks also cost a lot of money. The real solution to this dilemma is to replace your old water heater and try one of those new Boston tankless water heaters. Advantages of Tankless Water Heaters over Traditional Ones Energy Saving – Traditional water heaters need to constantly heat up a water tank so that there is always hot water ready, the water gets heated up even if you don’t need it, and if you run it, a lot of energy needs to be used to heat up all the water in the tank. With tankless water heaters, you save on energy because it only heats the water when it is needed; it shuts off automatically when it is not needed. They last longer than traditional water heaters – Because tankless water heaters heat up the water as […]
Common Boston Water Heater Problems And Their Fixes
When water is heated, the calcium carbonate present in it gets precipitated and settles down. When this happens inside your hot water heater, it leads to a buildup of sediments inside the water tank. If there is any sand or other particulate matter present in the water, it can also pile up inside the tank. Sediment buildup is generally a very slow process, but if you live in an area where the water is very hard, your water heater can get filled up really fast. If your heater is all filled up with sediment, you might not get sufficient hot water flow or it might not be at the desired temperature. The best way to avoid this is to have the heater flushed out at regular intervals. Another common problem with Boston water heaters, both propane and electric is that of the appliance running out of hot water quickly or only supplying warm water. This issue might be on account of a broken or leaking dip tube or a burnt out heating element. The dip tube is a small plastic tube that allows cold water to flow into the bottom of the tank. If this dip tube is broken, the hot and cold water will mix and you will only get warm water. This issue can be easily and quickly resolved […]
Household Water Saving Tips From Your Boston Plumber
For most people, the idea of running out of water seems like a completely foreign concept. Unfortunately, in the United States alone, water demand has almost tripled since the early 1950’s. While a great deal of an individual country’s H2O usage is based on dietary preferences and cultural norms towards H2O usage, there are still a number of things that individuals can do on a daily basis to safeguard future H2O supplies. In The Kitchen The kitchen is one of the most common locations for wasted H2O in the average American household. A great deal of this is associated with constantly running faucets. Not only can dishes be washed in a basin full of H2O as opposed to a running faucet, but fruits and vegetables should be cleaned in the same manner. Additionally, the water used to clean fruits and vegetables can be collected and used to water hanging plants and flowers. Old fish tank water is also an additional high nutrient source of H2O for plants and flowers. Finally, garbage disposals are a major source of wasted H2O. Collecting food waste for composting not only saves the water used to run the garbage disposal, but it provides free fertilizer and nutrient rich soil. In The Bathroom The EPA estimates that the average American home can lose up to 10,000 […]
Choosing A Water Heater: The Basics
No one ever thinks about a water heater and all it does for their home until the one they have stops working; then they will have to decide how to go about choosing a water heater, and for many this is a scary proposition. When you need a water heater you need to understand the different types, their pluses and minuses, and how all of that information applies to your needs. There are four basic types of water heaters, the storage tank model, the tankless model, the hybrid, and the solar water tank model. Each one of these different water tanks provide hot water to your home, but looking at how they work and cost will be the best way for choosing a water tank. First look at the water tank most people are most familiar with, the storage tank model. This water tank has a large storage tank that fills with cold water. Inside the tank are heating elements that keeps the water at a constant temperature, day and night. While this type of water heater is what most people have seen the most, there are some major drawbacks to buying another of this type of tank. First there is a fixed amount of water that can be heated at a time; therefore you may, depending on your usage, […]
Choosing The Best Water Heaters
Water heaters are extremely important in any home – which is why homeowners should know exactly when to install a new one before the old unit decided to take its last breath. In fact, it might be best to time replacement during home remodeling to ensure that the new unit would be able to fit well with the overall design. However, considering the difference between past and present water heaters, it isn’t surprising if most home owners are unsure about what to purchase. That being said, following are some tips on how to choose the best heaters for home improvement. What type of heater? There are several types of heaters being sold in the market today. These include tank less types, heat pump heaters or solar heaters. Decide on what type of power the heater would be running on although for better results, it might be best to choose a model capable of running on various power sources. On-demand heaters are also a good choice since they manage to conserve energy for the homeowner. Since there are so many types, it might be best to inquire sellers about the available ones, their features, drawbacks and cost. How energy efficient is the unit? With the current cost of electricity nowadays, it isn’t surprising that more and more people want […]
