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How Home Plumbing Systems Work,
Fire is our greatest threat to life and property after an earthquake.
Gas shutoff devices stop the flow of fuel in a pipeline and virtually eliminate the threat of fire due to leakage from a break……” Cynthia Murray, Marin County Disaster Council
An ordinance making Marin safer in an earthquake, requiring the installation of automatic shut off devices on new and remodeling projects….was approved by county supervisors….Marin IJ
Call us NOW to install an earthquake valve on YOUR HOUSE!
We service all your plumbing needs.
How To Read Your Home's Water Meter.
By learning to read your water meter, you'll easily be able to keep track of water usage in your home, as well as detect any leaks in the system
Your home's water usage is probably measured by one of three meter types. The six-dial meter (above left) is most common. Five of its six dials (labeled 10, 100, 1000, 10,000, and 100,000 for the number of cubic feet of water they record per revolution) are divided into tenths; the needles of the 10,000 and 100 meters move clockwise, and the other three move counterclockwise. The remaining dial, usually undivided, measures a single cubic foot per revolution. To read the six-dial meter, begin with the 100,000 dial, noting the smaller of the two numbers nearest the needle. Then read the dial labeled 10,000, and so on. This meter reads 628,260 cubic feet
The five-dial meter (above center) is read in exactly the same way as the six-dial meter, except that single cubic feet are measured by a large needle that sweeps over the entire face of the meter. The meter in this example reads 458,540 cubic feet.
The digital-readout meter (above right) looks like an automobile odometer. This type of meter may also have a small dial that measures a single cubic foot per revolution.
You can monitor the water used by a specific appliance by simply subtracting the "before" reading from the "after" reading of your meter. To track down a possible leak, turn off all the water outlets in the house and note the position of the 1-cubic-foot dial on your meter. After 30 minutes, check the dial. If the needle has moved, you have a leak
Water Saving Tips
Water conservation tips for your home
Water is a precious commodity. With water
shortages and restrictions now a way of life in Marin & Sonoma
counties, water conservation is a responsibility everyone should
take seriously. Did you know the average person uses 500 litres of
water a day?
Luckily, there’s plenty you can do to help save water around the house. A
few simple adjustments can help you drastically cut your water
usage. A range of water efficient plumbing products are available to
improve your home’s water efficiency. Up to 40% of a households
water is used in the toilet and bathroom, so this is a great place
to start
Saving water in the toilet
. Toilets are perhaps the biggest water wasting appliance in your
household. Around 20% of all water used in a house is flushed down
the toilet. Upgrading an old toilet to a new water efficient system
can make a huge difference to your household water consumption.
1. An old toilet system can
use up to 12 litres of water per flush. New water efficient toilets
used around 4 litres.
2. Replacing a single flush
toilet with a dual flush system saves around 51 litres a day, or 10%
of our daily water usage.
3. A single flush toilet
costs three times as much as a dual flush toilet to maintain over a
10 year period.
Saving water in the shower
Reducing your shower time is one of the best ways to save water. But
installing water efficient shower is also a great way to cut your
water consumption. Water efficient shower heads provide a range of
benefits:
1. Standard shower heads use
15-25 litres of water a minute. Water efficient shower heads use 6-7
litres per minute.
2. Over the course of a year,
an energy efficient shower head will save 14,500 litres of water per
household.
3. Gas hot water costs for a
standard shower head are almost double that of a water efficient
shower head.
Saving tap water
A running or leaking tap can be a surprising water waster. A running
tap uses around 16 litres of water a minute. A leaking tap can waste
up to 30-200 litres a day. Try the following tips to avoid wasting
tap water:
1. Never leave the tap
running while you brush your teeth.
2. Never leave the tap
running while you shave.
3. Never wash your dishes
using a running tap.
4. Install water efficient
taps and fix any leaking taps immediately.
Other water conservation tips around the household
1.
When buying new appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines,
look for those with the highest WELS rating (a water efficiency
measurement). The most efficient appliances use 50-67% less water
than older models.
2. Check for evidence of
water and toilet leaks regularly. A good way to do so is by checking
the water meter while all appliances, taps and toilets are not in
use. If your meter is turning, this can indicate a water leakage.
Don’t forget, water and energy efficient appliances don’t just help
save the environment, they save you money. The less water and
electricity you use, the lower you bills are.
Contact Gotelli Plumbing today to start your personal water
conservation plan today.