We've found a new, comfortable way to conserve water in our area. When you turn on the hot water faucet, the water is warm immediately. A company called Today's Hot Water offers us a hot water recirculation system, already widely used in California and Colorado. The system uses a pump with a thermostatic valve. It sends the cooler water in the hot supply line back into the cold supply line, replacing it with hot water. The cold water returns for your use instead of running down the drain.
"How long do you wait for hot water? Until someone asks, people don't realize how many gallons are lost," says owner Larry Rouch. In the one-to-three minutes it takes for the shower to get warm, fresh water goes straight down the drain. An example on their site shows that in a minute and a half, almost 4 gallons are wasted. It is significant, considering how it adds up for every time we turn on the tap. The company estimates that a family of four people loses 12,000 gallons of water per year waiting for the flow to warm. As water conservation is such a big issue for us, and the prices for it go up, consider the cost of your water.
The company offers installation of the recirculation system for about $600. That seems like a big ticket price initially. However, Rouch says residential water supply in Charlotte is $1.57 per 100 cubic feet, and the sewage intake cost is $3.82 for the same water going out. At a total of $5.39/100CF for water just uselessly flowing through the pipes, it seems expensive to do without a system that could save $100-300 per year on utilities alone. When we really think about our precious water resources, it makes even more sense. Want to know more about it? Call Today's Hot Water at 704-405-2499 or 866-488-5332.
No comments:
Post a Comment