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Grand Lake Plumbing Grand County CO
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Tuesday, 07 August 2018 16:36

Energy Saving Heating Tips

Home Heating Energy Savings

Heating makes up the largest percentage of a typical household's energy use, about 42% of the typical utility bill. You can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining your heating system. But even the most energy-efficient heating system won't have a significant impact on your heating bill if the whole-house isn't energy efficient. Good insulation, duct sealing, and programming your thermostat can save about 30% on your energy bill.

Here are some home heating tips to reduce energy use and make your home more comfortable:
  • Replace your furnace filter once a month or as recommended by the manufacturer
  • Program your thermostat to the lowest comfortable level, and lower when you're away from home or sleeping
  • Keep your air ducts clean and make sure they are nit blocked by furniture, rugs or drapes
  • Seal holes and gaps in air vents
  • During the winter keep shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill.
  • Use ceiling fans to improve the circulation of warm air in your living space
  • Replace worn weather sealing around windows and doors
  • Ensure your attic has sufficient insulation
Have questions about saving energy this heating season? Give Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating a call. From furnace tune-ups to duct sealing to radiant floor heating, we can help you stay comfortable and save energy.
Published in Heating Tips
Tuesday, 09 January 2018 00:30

Choosing the Best Water Heater For Your Home

Choosing the Best Water Heater For Your Home

Choosing the best water heaterWhen choosing a new water heater for your home there are more choices than ever. Here's a comparison of the most common types of water heater and the advantages and disadvantages of each style.

Electric Tank Water Heater

Heats and stores water using electricity
  • Purchase Cost (less installation): $300 - $1,200
  • Advantages: Lowest upfront cost, Good for small or large households
  • Disadvantages: More expensive to operate

Gas Tank Water Heater

Heats and stores water using natural gas or propane
  • Purchase cost (less installation): $380 to $1,500
  • Advantages: Lowest upfront cost, Good for small or large households
  • Disadvantages: More expensive to operate

Tankless Gas Water Heater

Heats water on demand when its needed.
  • Purchase cost (less installation): $1000+
  • Advantages: Good for smaller households, lower operating cost, small footprint
  • Disadvantages: More expensive to operate

Electric Heat Pump Water Heater

Uses electricity to move heat from one place to another
  • Purchase cost (less installation): $1,000+
  • Advantages: 2-3 times more efficient than conventional tank water heater.
  • Disadvantages: Not a good option for colder climates

Condensing Gas Water Heaters

Heats and stores the water using gas, then uses the combustion gas to further heat the water.
  • Purchase cost (less installation): $1,000+
  • Advantages: Lowest operating cost. Can save a household $100+ a year
  • Disadvantages: Higher up-front cost

Hybrid Tankless Water Heater

Combines the advantages of a small storage tank with a tankless water heater.
  • Purchase cost (less installation): $1,000+
  • Advantages: Lower operating cost. Less standby heat loss than a conventional tank water heater, and no "cold water sandwich" that can occur with tankless water heaters.
  • Disadvantages: Higher up-front cost
Need help choosing the best water heater for your home? Call Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating. We can help.
Published in Plumbing Tips
Over the last decade or so gas furnace technology has advanced considerably, with AFUE efficiency ratings now exceeding 95 percent. Many furnaces manufactured in the 1990s had efficiency ratings in the 60 percent range. One of the main reasons for this dramatic increase in efficiency is modulating gas furnace technology.

Traditional single or two-stage furnaces operate at fixed rates and will often exceed the preset temperature before shutting off, resulting in wide temperature swings. A modulating furnace is able to adjust it's gas input, inducer speed, and blower airflow to operate at 1 percent increments from 35 to 100 percent, providing more accurate control over temperature. While it may run more often, it can do so at a lower rate than a two-stage furnace.

The advantages of modulating furnaces include increased comfort, reduced operating costs and quieter operation. With a two-stage furnace you may notice a change in temperature right before your furnace turns on and right after the furnaces shuts off. With a modulating gas furnace, the temperature change will be imperceptible.

Have questions about choosing the right gas furnace for your home? Call Grand Lake Plumbing. We offer a full line of high efficiency furnaces for every home.



Published in Heating Tips
Green PlumbingGreen plumbing is a way to conserve energy and save money in relation to home water usage. Because water-related energy consumes around 19 percent of the state’s electricity, 30 percent of its natural gas, and billions of gallons of diesel fuel every year, every gallon of water you don't use cuts down on the fossil fuels used in conjunction with water consumption. So green plumbing is really about using energy-saving appliances, low-flow fixtures, and a little common sense when it comes to using water.

Here are a some of the best ways to conserve energy and water in your home.


Install Low-Flow Toilets

Toilets use a quarter of the water in the average American household. Originally, low-flow toilets we less than perfect, but new low flow toilets have improved significantly and can save 70% or more than 3 gallons of water over their conventional 5-gallon counterparts. That means a family of 4 that upgrades to a low-flow toilet from a 5-gallon toilet would save over 13,000 gallons of water per year!


Install An Energy Efficient Water Heater

After heating and air conditioning, a water heater is a home's most energy using device. Choosing an Energy Star rated conventional water heater or a newer tankless style water heater, you can save significant energy dollars.


Use Cold Water

Switching to cold water washing can save 80 percent on energy used for laundry and save an estimated $60 a year. Hang dry your clothes instead of using the dryer and save 700 pounds of C02 a year.


Use Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Installing a low-flow shower head rated at 2 gallons per minute you can save 6 gallons over a standard head or 36 gallons over old or modified shower heads. New shower head technology has given us the feel of high volume shower heads without the cost. You'll not only save water, but the cost of heating water as well.


Find and Repair Water Leaks

It may seem hard to believe, but 14% of all household water used is due to plumbing leaks. Toilets are the number one cause of water leaks, with faucets and showers being close behind. Hidden water leaks under your sink or behind walls can also cause significant damage to your home.
Published in Plumbing Tips

Did you know that your old-fashioned water heater has to keep water hot 24 hours a day, constantly heating and re-heating stored water and wasting energy. And we've all experienced that cold shower because someone used up all the hot water in the tank!

The revolutionary new tankless systems don't store hot water... they immediately heat the water when you need it so you have an endless supply of hot water. You'll also be saving energy and that translates into dollars for you.

There are also many different tax credits available for the 2011 year for both tankless and standard energy efficient water heaters. We will help you get all the forms filled out, so you can enjoy your new heater as well as some extra money coming back to you!

Federal Tax credits are available through the Energy Star Program. Also there are local incentives through Excel Energy in Grand County and Atmos Energy in Routt County.
 
As our area's leading experts in tankless water heating systems, Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating will be happy to show you the benefits of going tankless and help you determine which system is perfect for your needs.

Thursday, 09 December 2010 19:18

Energy Audits



Welcome to the new Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating Blog!


Here you will find regular articles on new heating and plumbing technology, as well as energy saving tips that will help you maximize your energy dollars.

To get started with our series we'll be talking about energy audits.

What is an Energy Audit?

An energy audit is a series of tests designed to help to identify where your home is leaking energy and how well your heating & cooling system are working. It helps to identify which areas of your home are not performing as well as they could be to prevent energy loss.


How Do I Get An Energy Audit For My Home?

There are companies that you can hire to perform an energy audit. There may also be low cost energy audit assistance programs in your community. The Colorado Governor's Energy Office (GEO) offers Free Energy Efficiency Upgrades, including a comprehensive energy audits, as part of its income based services programs.


Can I Do An Energy Audit Myself?

Many homeowners choose to do their own energy audit. You will save on a contractor's fee, but your work may not qualify for incentives.

For information on do-it-yourself home energy audits, visit: www.energysavers.gov




Published in Energy Saving Tips
  • "Thank you for the service. I want to let you know the technician Sawyer was professional, thorough and fixed our problem in less than 1 hour. I will recommend GL Plumbing to others."
    – L.M. 10/25/16
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