efficiency

Choosing a Water Heater 1

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Water heaters are essential pieces of equipment in our Canadian households especially after a long, cold day working outside in sub-freezing temperatures. If your water heater breaks, or it’s about to finish its useful life cycle, there are two options you can choose from when replacing it: a conventional water heater (which is probably what you are already housing) and a tankless water heater.   Conventional storage water heaters Conventional storage water heaters are the most common water heater you are going to find in residential homes. They come in sizes of 20 to 80 gallons for residential use and commercial sizes can range into the 100’s of gallons. Their fuel sources include: electricity, propane, natural gas, and fuel oil. In these tanks, water is constantly being heated. Energy is consumed even when you aren’t using hot water. This standby heat loss can be reduced by some, more heavily insulated, water heaters. Tankless […]

All about Hard Water

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What is ‘Hard Water’? Hard water is water that contains a high level of minerals. This is caused by water being filtered through underground deposits such as limestone and chalk. As the water travels through these deposits, it picks up minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These dissolved minerals are what make water ‘hard’.     Hard Water Effects Hard water has been known to cause issues in the home and some people wonder if it can cause health issues. Health Hard water is not currently known to cause any health issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) along with other research facilities have done tests to those regards. They have determined that not only is it safe to drink, but drinking hard water can contribute to your daily needs of calcium and magnesium. Water in general though, can contain other harmful things such as bacteria. Home Hard water may not affect […]

Water Softeners 1

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Water softeners are used to reduce the grains per gallon(gpg)  level in hard water. Having hard water does not mean you need one however it can be a good investment. Hard water not only can cause build-up in various appliances and pipes (such as your water heater) but the effects can be seen elsewhere in the home as well. To learn more about hard water and to determine what range your home falls under in the water hardness scale read this article on hard water. While you may want softer water for washing dishes, showering, and other uses it is not recommended for drinking, cooking, or watering plants. The minerals (calcium and magnesium) that make water ‘hard’ are beneficial to your health. Water is softened by the replacement of these elements. ‘Softened’ water contains higher salt content because of this and therefore is not great for cooking, drinking or plants. This […]