water: Articles tagged with “water”

Tankless water heaters use 20% less energy than conventional water heaters and only heat the water when you need it. Controls allow the water temperature to be changed instantly, as desired by the user. While tankless water heaters cost more up front than conventional tank water heaters, they will cost less to run than conventional water heaters in the long term. As well as using energy more efficiently, they can often last two times the life of a conventional tank.

Keep your pool clean and enjoy the rewards of diving into the cool water this summer.

If you long to take a dip in a pool at your convenience, and you have room to install one, building a swimming pool can provide hours of relaxation and fun. But before you begin, assess your wants and needs. Indoor pools will either require construction of an addition to your home or an outbuilding. If you have a building in mind for your pool, make sure it has adequate water and utility services. Outdoor swimming pools come in three basic types: above ground, in ground (made of vinyl) and in ground (made of concrete).

In recent years, some home drinking water has been found to contain many hazards that standard municipal water treatment procedures don't remove. To eradicate some of the chemicals and toxins that can find their way into drinking water, some homeowners install water treatment devices.

This information can clarify and help answer some questions about swimming pools.

Q: Our water heater is only giving us cold water. My husband has worked with the pipes under the house and even tried using a hair dryer. What else should we do?

A water heater converts energy to heat and transfers that warmth to water. It's connected to a cold water supply pipe and has an outgoing hot water pipe, or system of pipes, that supplies heated water to one or more taps and appliances.

Q: Does a water softener remove rust from the water? If not, how should this be done?

Q: When I turn on any cold water faucet in my home, I frequently get hot water instead. After about 30 seconds, the water runs cold again.

Rather than the standard hot water heater in most homes, my home uses a boiler and a heat exchanger.

Q: Recently the weather dropped below freezing for a few days. When we came home from work, we noticed we had no water coming from our kitchen sink. I checked all other faucets, and they are fine. Is there a way to thaw the pipes without having to tear into the wall?

Water

In general, tap water in North America is perfectly safe for human consumption. However, sometimes you may notice a funny color, odor or taste. These often come from otherwise harmless contaminants like chlorine, sulfur, iron and manganese. You can get rid of these problems easily by using a conventional activated carbon filter, available at many retail stores and even supermarkets.

In general, your hot water needs can be measured by the number of bathrooms in your house. The smallest size unit for a one-bathroom house should be 30 or 40 gallons, in either gas or electric. For a 1 1/2-bath house, 40 gallons is minimum. For a 2- to 3 1/2-bath house, choose a 50-gallon gas heater or a 66- to 80-gallon electric one.

If you have hard water, you know how difficult it can be to keep glasses and fixtures free from calcium and salt deposits.