Under Pressure Plumbing

The new Environmental Act passed recently states that any new residential developments going forward must have at least 50% of their water heating capacity provided by some sort of energy saving solution i.e.: solar, heat pumps” (National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977 (Act 103 of 1977). This is to help reduce our high electricity costs as well as reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and the impact this has on our environment. As a father of two baby girls, my thoughts are focused on my kids and what kind of a world I am leaving them to inherit.

We can all make a difference if we just make an effort to change some minor things in and around our home. As a qualified plumber with 14 years experience in the industry I have compiled some interesting facts that will help you get started.

• Water Heating is the biggest electricity expense for the average household and the more hot water you use, the more it costs you.
• A geyser uses 3-5 kilowatts (kw) of electricity dependent on your household usage. The use of washing machines, people in the house bathing, showering, dishwashers, maids quarters, etcetera, can amount to 32kw per day.
• Geysers are like large kettles that are permanently on the boil to keep the water hot. With this in mind, some homes have 2 or even 3 geysers in their household, therefore increasing the amount of kw used per day.
• Conversely Heat Pumps use 1 kw of electricity which again dependent on usage can reduce your electricity consumption to 4 kw per day. Has the penny dropped yet? 32 kw per day versus 4 kw currently charged at R1.00 per kw. Which do you think is the better alternative?
• Having a heat pump installed is easy and looks very much like an air-conditioning unit. The existing geyser in your home is disconnected and its only function is as a storage tank.
• A heat pump will only switch on if it senses that the water temperature has dropped to below its preset temperature (approx 49 degrees).
• It can also be easily switched off at the wall mounted controller if you are away on holiday saving you even more electricity.
• Currently, residential customers qualify for an Eskom Rebate when installing a heat pump. This offer of a rebate may be falling away shortly. Therefore I would recommend getting one as soon as possible.
• Ensure you use a qualified plumber registered with the ‘Plumbing Industry Registration Board’ (PRB)

In addition to heat pumps, you as the consumer have further energy saving options such as:  Solar – harness the power of our beautiful sun. In South Africa we are so fortunate to have the climate that we do. Although Solar does carry a high initial cost, its benefits in reducing your electricity consumption are excellent.

• LED Lighting: Traditional light bulbs can be replaced by LED’S. These use substantially less electricity and have much longer lives. In addition there is now new LED down lights available.
• Switch to energy saving shower heads.
• Install a dual flushing toilet. Toilets use up to 15 litres of water in one flush.
• Replace old Taps: Newly designed taps have aerators which reduce the volume of water. Leaking taps, dripping shower heads, broken washers, etc should be attended to as soon as possible. Leaking taps, dripping shower heads, broken washers etcetera should be attended to as soon as possible.
• Washing machines can be placed on low/minimum energy saving cycles rather than on full cycles. 90% of the energy used by washing machines goes to heating the water.
• Only switch on your dishwasher when it is filled to capacity.
• Is it really necessary to use a tumble dryer at all in our country?
• Insulate your home. By lagging your pipes and geyser you can further improve the power savings in your household.
• Turn off any lights, electronics and chargers not in use. These items still draw energy when turned off. This is called “vampire power” and all your small household electronics can draw as much power as your refrigerator.