Energy Saving Tips for Your Vancouver Home.

Saving energy can be easy! 
Here are a few quick Vancouver plumbing & heating tips to help you go green and save a bit of money:

Dishwasher: Fill it up before you turn it on. Avoid washing partial loads in the dishwasher. Also always make sure to air dry.  


Plumbing Fixtures: Install low flow fixtures in your home. Low flow shower heads and toilets greatly reduce amounts of wasted water. 


Clothes Washer: Use cold water to wash your cloths. You will save energy because your water heater won't have to heat the wasted water. Wash full loads of laundry and even better use an environmentally friendly front loading washer if possible.

Water Heater: Consider making the switch to a tank-less water heater. Unlike a conventional hot water tank it heats only the water you use. 

Furnace: Get annual maintenance done in the summer to keep your furnace working at peak efficiency all winter. Remember to change your filters during the heating season every couple of months. A blocked filter makes the furnace work harder. If you need a new furnace consider changing to a high efficiency furnace. Many older Vancouver Furnaces are only 60% efficient. A new 2 stage high efficiency furnace with variable speed motor is up to 95% efficient. This will turn into saving on your hydro bill and you may qualify for incentives. 

Tips when buying a new furnace (Vancouver)

Here are a few quick tips if you find yourself needing to replace the furnace in your Vancouver home. 

The heating technician installing your new furnace should do a heat loss calculation in order to properly size your furnace. An over-sized furnace will cycle on and off more and be less efficient. You will also probably end up paying more money than you need to for the larger furnace.

The higher the AFUE rating the more efficient the furnace is. Most new Vancouver furnaces are 92 - 95% efficient. Greater efficiency means bigger long term savings on your hydro bills. A two stage furnace with variable speed motor will also provide greater comfort as well as the best efficiency.

The new furnace should come with a reliable warranty. It should be a brand name with a good reputation that you can research, not some builders special discounted at the local supplier.

Make sure your furnace installer is qualified. They should have a valid gas ticket and the company should be registered with the BC Safety Authority as a licensed gas contractor. Don't hesitate to ask their credentials.

Obtain a few estimates, don't just go with the first one. There are many good Vancouver heating companies, so shop around and find the best price out there!

Vancouver plumbing & heating

High Efficiency Furnace Vancouver

Ask around Vancouver and you'll find high efficiency furnaces are very popular these days. This is chiefly because of green initiatives, government rebates, and the long-term savings you can experience.
High efficiency furnaces in Vancouver have become the only logical choice, especially with the continuing rise in gas prices. 

New high efficiency furnaces are 90 to 97 per cent efficient. Put simply, a furnace at the high end of this range converts around 97 percent of the combusted natural gas to usable energy. By comparison, many of the older homes in Vancouver have dated furnaces that are only about 60 percent efficient. This means that 40 percent of the gas you purchase from Fortis to heat our home is wasted. If your old furnace is also over sized the loses could be even greater.

A high efficiency furnace with a variable speed motor is even more efficient. It will run quieter and should make your home more cozy with its ability to maintain a more even constant temperature.
Although a high efficiency furnace is a sizable investment, the long term savings and increased comfort leave most people very satisfied in their decision to upgrade when the time comes. 

 

 

 

 

Vancouver Water Heater Trouble Shooting

Common Water Heater Problems

I install a lot of water heaters in Vancouver and for the most part, they are pretty reliable. Unfortunately, even the best tanks break down or need trouble shooting. Many Vancouver water heater service-calls I get are similar and fairly easily diagnosed. Even if you are going to call a plumber it is good to have an idea of what the problem might be.

Honeywell Thermocouple

The most common call I receive is "no hot water" due to a gas water heater's pilot light not staying lit. Although this could be indicative of a bigger issue such as a bad gas valve, usually the thermocouple is simply warn out and requires replacement. Thermocouples are cheap and readily available at home hardware stores like Home Depot for about $10. Many times, if there is a safety switch on the tank, like a temperature cut-off switch, it may need to be reset.   
Once the gas tank is lit, it is a good practice to inspect the flame. It should be bright blue with a yellow tip.

Thermostat & High Limit Switch

When an electric tank has no hot water, a good place to start is the high limit switch. The high limit is the red button found behind the cover for the upper element, it can be reset by simply pressing it. This may indicate something has gone wrong somewhere else on the tank. If the high limit has not been tripped but there is inadequate or no hot water the problem could be with one of the tank's thermostats or elements. 

Determining which of these needs replacement is a matter of testing for power at the thermostats and continuity of the elements. It is generally good practice to have a thermostat replaced along with an element.     

 Another scenario that may result in inadequate hot water is if the cold dip tube breaks inside the water heater. This results in cold water mixing with warm water near the top of the tank. The dip tube is a removable part which can be unthreaded and replaced.  

Although it is important to have an understanding of water heaters, most work should only be performed by certified technicians. Preforming repairs that are beyond one's comfort level can be potentially dangerous plus void the manufacturers warranty.  

Watermark Plumbing - Vancouver

Burnaby plumber Sewer Inspection

Working as a Burnaby plumber, I am often asked by Vancouver Plumbing clients, "should I have a sewer camera inspection?" The answer : if you are buying a home older than 20 years, or have experienced repeat sewer back ups is Yes You Should!

In Vancouver it seems like very few home buyers ask for a sewer inspection before the purchase of their house. It simply does not occur to them although it is one of the most important inspections you could get for a home. Older houses may have deteriorating or clay pipes, that with ground movement may separate at the joints. This can allow debris and roots to infiltrate the sewer line causing a blockage. If there are trees on or near the property they can cause serious damage over the years.

In order to get a house's main sewer line scoped call your local Vancouver /  Burnaby plumber and ask if they can do a video inspection. The plumbing contractor will insert a camera attached to a snake into a clean-out or toilet flange. You can view the live feed back on a monitor as the snake passes through the system. If a problem is found the issue can clearly be diagnosed and pin pointed with a locator.

When considering the cost of replacing a sewer line in Vancouver, the small fee for a camera inspection is money well spent and is an investment in peace of mind.

Watermark Plumbing - Vancouver

Vancouver Bathroom Renovation

As a Vancouver plumbing professional I do a lot of bathroom renovations in the Lower Mainland.
One thing that always surprises me is where home owners and contractors will try to save money during a renovation.

Too many times I have seen Vancouver contractors
swap out a tub and tiles but neglect to replace old corroded pipes!  Many times, emphasis is put on aesthetics but little concern is shown for what is behind the walls. Unfortunately, when it comes to plumbing, out of sight should not be out of mind.

The most opportune time to upgrade plumbing is during a renovation when plumbing fixtures, tiles and drywall are being removed. Replacing the old shower valve, deteriorated pipe fittings and drainage will ensure that you've got reliable plumbing that is maintenance free.

While renovating, if you find that your current system is rather worn, you should demand of your Vancouver contractor that it be replaced.  Don't leave old plumbing in place that you will have to service later as problems arise. Cutting corners on the plumbing in your bathroom will cost you a lot down the road.

Watermark Plumbing - Vancouver

Environmentally Friendly Vancouver Plumbing

Nowadays people in Vancouver are becoming increasingly concerned about the way their lifestyles impact the environment. Fortunately there are many earth-conscious decisions we can make at home to help protect the Lower Mainland. One area we can focus on, in order to create an healthy environment, is residential plumbing.

Here are some tips you can implement around your Vancouver home that will help protect and conserve water.

1. Get a rain barrel to capturing rain from your roof top to water your lawn and garden. Use rain as a resource! Vancouver City will subsidize the rain barrel cost by 50%
   
2. Install low flow plumbing fixtures. Low flow toilets and shower heads have been available for years and can reduce water waste by 50%!
   
3. Install a water filter or drink tap water to eliminate wasted plastic bottles. It will reduce your carbon footprint and save you money.
4. If you have a leaky faucet call your Vancouver plumber and get it fixed right away. Drips can add up to liters of unnecessary water-waste.
   
5. Think about investing in an on-demand water heater. Tank-less water heaters only heat water as you need it there by saving  energy.
6. Look under your kitchen sink and remove all toxic chemical drain cleaners. There are plenty of green products which are both powerful at clearing clogs as well as preventing them from forming.

With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22nd, we should all make an effort to do our part.

Watermark Plumbing - Vancouver