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Welcome
To:
VOTED BEST PLUMBER & CONTRACTOR IN ORANGE COUNTY! WE
FIX - INSTALL IT RIGHT!
We're
family owned and operated, Brian
Powers Construction & Plumbing, is your total plumbing company.
From cleaning out a stopped up drain to installing a new water heater,
fixing a slab leaks, installing kitchen or bathroom sinks, new piping,
finding and fixing leaks and valves, repairing the walls and floors,
to dealing with insurance companies - we do it! Our contractors
are highly trained, courteous professionals. Call
us today for EMERGENCIES
PLUMBING
MAINTENANCE PLANS:
When
plumbing problems occur in your home Plumber
Orange County
We have over 20 years of experience in repairing slab leaks so we repair them well and we repair them fast! How do you know if you have a slab leak? Suspect a floor leak? Most Orange County homes have slab foundations. That means the occasional dreaded water leak under the concrete foundation. It can cause plenty of damage, but fixing the problem is not as difficult as it seems. And we don't have to damage your tile or wood floor, we can even reline the inside of your present pipes! How affordable is it? We deal with your insurance company for you, but if they don't come through we make it affordable for you. Please call us for great jackhammering prices.
Here are some of the symptoms of a slab leak in the floor.
Beyond the visible damage, be aware that many homeowner insurance
policies may not cover water damage and with policies that do,
some may have water damage claim restrictions or your provider
can even cancel your policy unless a whole-house plumbing system
repair is performed, but let's not worry about that at this point. Let's take a look at both situations. First example could be you have a leak under the kitchen tile floor, we isolate the exact line at the manifold in the wall and reroute a new copper line inside your drywall, across the ceiling and down the other wall. That leaves you with drywall and paint repair, but it probably saved your tile or wood floor worth a few thousand $$$. The second example is that you've found out your house probably needs a complete repipe due to lack of pressure or too many leaks too often, we can do that too, this time without opening any drywall! Yes it's true, there is a far less stressful method for you, we can restore your pipes inside the walls eliminating the cost of destroying your walls, floors and ceilings, not to mention it also eliminates the mess, instead we reline your present drain line at a cost that may well surprise you and be much less than you think! Remember..a slab Leak is not an isolated incident but the first symptom of a failing water system. Don't spend thousands of dollars repairing every leak that comes along, the problem won't be solved like that, either reroute the bad line, or if your problem is bigger we can repipe the entire house without you knowing we've ever been there, and this carries a lifetime guarantee ! Call us for your plumbing needs today at (949) 488-3207.
Suspect a leak outside your home?
Roots can break into any sewer line. By relining the inside
of the pipes we can save your trees, yard and customized landscape.
The replacement of underground sewer lines was always an extensive,
costly and messy process, damaging sidewalks, landscapes and driveways. Call
us for your plumbing needs today at (949) 488-3207. Plumber
Orange County Your
home is your biggest material asset and investment you'll ever
make
We have just touched on the issues involved in choosing a water heater for your home. You can find excellent and very in-depth articles on the topic, including full specifications at www.energysavers.gov NEW! ACCESSORY MODULE. This is the 'engine' that powers and monitors all these packages. It features an audible alarm and a colored LED display to signal the status of the gas control valve, leak detection sensor and inlet shut off valve. LEAK DETECTION SENSOR INCLUDING RUBBER DAM. In the event of a leak and you do not have a Smitty Pan under your water heater the rubber dam will hold enough water to set off the electronic sensor which then signals the Module to interupt the gas flow and burner. INTEGRATED MIXING DEVICE. This allows you to keep the water hotter, but stills blends it to your desired temperature, increasing useable hot water by as much as 50%. It incorporates a cold water outlet, an alternate hot water outlet, and a recirculation port inlet. COLD WATER INLET SHUT-OFF VALVE. What if you're not at home when a leak occurs. This turns off the incoming cold water valve when a leak is detected, greatly reducing the extent of water damage. LCD DIGITAL CONTROL. Now you can program your water heater based on your usage requirements just as you would your heating and air conditioning thermostat, saving you up to 36% in energy costs. **When a repair has been made after one of these devices indicated a problem, they will all resume normal operation. In the event the water heater needs to be replaced all these components can be re-installed on your new water heater, and they have the same 6 year warranty as your water heater.Call
us for your plumbing needs today at (949) 488-3207.
Plumber Orange County TANKLESS WATER HEATERS Gaining in Popularity
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Most
southern California homes have no basements or crawl spaces. Instead,
we use slab foundations when building our homes. That means the
occasional dreaded slab leak, or rather a water leak under the
concrete slab foundation. If your water or electric bill is higher
than usual, suspect a hot water leak. It can cause plenty of damage
if left without repair. Fixing this plumbing problem is not as
difficult as it seems. At Brian Powers Construction & Plumbing, we specialize
in slab leak repairs as well as other residential plumbing needs.
We repair slab leaks WITHOUT TEARING UP THE FOUNDATION.
We reroute the pipes through the drywall instead. 
Tankless
water heaters have been in use in Europe and Asia for over 20
years. They are just starting to gain wider acceptance and
use in the United States. Tankless water heaters are more energy
efficient than traditional tanks because they heat water as it
is used, rather than heating and re-heating water in a storage
tank. They are also common in Europe and Japan in large
part because they take significantly less physical space.
The
most efficient traditional gas tanks today currently operate at
62% efficiency. Efficiency is a measure of heat transfer
from the energy source to your hot water. Tankless units
typically operate at over 80% energy efficiency. Tankless
units further save energy because water is not constantly heated,
cooled and re-heated within a storage tank. And while efficiency
for traditional tanks can decline over time as sediment builds
up in the unit, tankless hot water heaters maintain their efficiency
over time. 
"Thank
you for the good job and hard work your men did."ť
Mr. and Mrs. Lightig, Los Angeles
"I am writing to you about how pleased I was
with the plumbing job you did on my home. Your plumber found a
creative way to fix the problem with my slab leak, which meant
he didn't have to break through a wall. He was very professional
and trustworthy."ť
Joanne Leighton, Manhattan Beach
"A connector to the hot water pipe broke under
my sink. My insurance company sent your plumber Joe out, and I
immediately recognized him as the person who came out on our last
service call! I want you to know what a professional, helpful,
hard worker Joe is. He is pleasant, obviously very knowledgeable
about his work, and he works quickly. I will always refer people
to your company."ť
Micaela Norris, Rancho Santa Margarita
"I want to take time to extend my appreciation
for work conducted on my property by your plumber Giovanni. He
detected the problem, repaired it and I haven't had any problem
since."ť
Ramona Matsushima, Lake Forest
"Thanks for all your help with our water heater
situation. You guys are the best!! Thanks for all your hard work!"ť
Brett and Corine Fremaine, Orange County
"We were experiencing difficulty with our
water heater. Thanks to the fine work that Tony did for us, our
water heater is now working. We appreciate the time he took in
coming to our home twice, removing the old water heater, taking
it to the dump, and replacing it with a new water heater. His
help was appreciated. In the future we would like him to do any
service in our home."ť
Pauline and Randy Rosenthal, Laguna Niguel
The word plumber dates from the Roman Empire. In Roman times, some roofs were made of lead, or plumbum in Latin (hence the periodic table of the elements symbol of 'Pb' for lead). Lead roofs were waterproof, and the workers on such roofs were what are now called "plumbers". Roman baths later used lead for piping and for the main baths. Thus, a person with expertise in working with lead was known as a Plumbarius, eventually shortened to plumber.
Plumbers in the United
States Each state and locality may have its own licensing and taxing schemes
for plumbers. There is no federal law establishing licenses for plumbers.
ABOUT PLUMBING:
Plumbing (from the Latin plumbum for lead) is the skilled trade of working
with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for drinking water systems and
the drainage of waste. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping
systems, plumbing fixtures and equipment such as water heaters. The plumbing
industry is a basic and substantial part of every developed economy due
to the need for clean water, and proper collection and transport of wastes.
Plumbing also refers
to a system of pipes and fixtures installed in a building for the distribution
of potable water and the removal of waterborne wastes. Plumbing is usually
distinguished from water and sewage systems, in that a plumbing system
serves one building, while water and sewage systems serve a group of buildings
or a city.
PLUMBING HISTORY
Standardized earthenware plumbing pipes with broad flanges making use
of asphalt for preventing leakage's appeared in the urban settlements
of the Indus Valley Civilization by 2700 B.C. Plumbing originated during
the ancient civilizations such as the Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian, and
Chinese civilizations as they developed public baths and needed to provide
potable water, and drainage of wastes. Improvement in plumbing systems
was very slow, with virtually no progress made from the time of the Roman
system of aqueducts and lead pipes until the 19th century. Eventually
the development of separate, underground water and sewage systems eliminated
open sewage ditches and cesspools.
PLUMBING MATERIALS
Water systems of ancient times relied on gravity for the supply of water,
using pipes or channels usually made of clay, lead or stone. Present-day
water-supply systems use a network of high-pressure pumps, and pipes are
now made of copper, brass, plastic,or other nontoxic material. Present-day
drain and vent lines are made of plastic, steel, cast-iron, and lead.
Lead is not used in modern water-supply piping due to its toxicity. The
'straight' sections of plumbing systems are of pipe or tube. A pipe is
typically formed via casting or welding, where a tube is made through
extrusion. Pipe normally has thicker walls and may be threaded or welded,
where tubing is thinner-walled and requires special joining techniques
such as 'brazing', 'compression fitting', 'crimping', or for plastics,
'solvent welding'.
FITTING AND VALVES
Piping being placed for a sink In addition to the straight pipe or tubing,
many fittings are required in plumbing systems, such as valves, elbows,
tees, and unions. The piping and plumbing fittings and valves articles
discuss them further.
FIXTURES
Plumbing fixtures are designed for the end-users. Some examples of fixtures
include water closets (also known as toilets), urinals, bidets, showers,
bathtubs, utility and kitchen sinks, drinking fountains, ice makers, humidifiers,
air washers, crappers, fountains, and eye wash stations.
EQUIPMENT
A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings Plumbing equipment,
not present in all systems, include, for example, water meters, pumps,
expansion tanks, backflow preventers, filters, water softeners, water
heaters, heat exchangers, gauges, and control systems. Now there is equipment
that is technologically advanced and helps plumbers fix problems without
the usual hassles. For example, plumbers use video cameras for inspections
of hidden leaks or problems, they use hydro jets, and high pressure hydraulic
pumps connected to steel cables for trench-less sewer line replacement.
PLUMBING SYSTEMS
Copper piping system in a building with intumescent firestop being installed
by an insulator, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The major categories
of plumbing systems or subsystems are:
* Potable cold and hot water supply
* Traps, drains, and vents
* Septic systems
* Rainwater, surface, and subsurface water drainage
* Fuel gas piping
For their environmental benefit and sizable energy savings hot water heat
recycling units are growing in use throughout the residential building
sectors. Further ecological concern has seen increasing interest in grey-water
recovery and treatment systems.
FIRESTOPING
Self-levelling silicone firestop installation in mechanical service penetration
in 2 hour rated concrete floor. Firestopping is required where mechanical
penetrates traverse fire-resistance rated wall and floor assemblies, or
membranes thereof. This work is usually done worldwide by the insulation
trade and/or specialty firestop subcontractors.
REGULATION
Much of the plumbing work in populated areas is regulated by government
or quasi-government agencies due to the direct impact on the public's
health, safety, and welfare. Plumbing installation and repair work on
residences and other buildings generally must be done according to plumbing
and building codes to protect the inhabitants of the buildings and to
ensure safe, quality construction to future buyers. If permits are required
for work, plumbing contractors typically secure them from the authorities
on behalf of home or building owners.
Water heaters
In household and commercial usage, most water heaters in North America are of the tank type. Also called storage water heaters, these consist of a cylindrical vessel/container in which water is kept continuously hot and ready for use. Typical sizes for household use range from 75 to 400 litres (20 to 100 US gallons). These may use electricity, natural gas, propane, heating oil, solar, or other energy sources. Natural gas heaters are most popular in the United States and most European countries, since the gas is often conveniently piped throughout cities and towns and currently is the cheapest to use. Compared to tankless heaters, storage water heaters have the advantage of using energy (gas or electricity) at a relatively slow rate, storing the heat for later use. Larger vessel/containers tend to provide hot water with less temperature fluctuation at moderate flow rates.
Volume storage hot water heaters in the United States and New Zealand are typically vertical, cylindrical tanks, usually standing on the floor or on a platform raised a short distance above the floor. Volume storage hot water heaters in Spain are typically horizontal. In India, they are mainly vertical. In apartments they can be mounted in the ceiling space over laundry-utility rooms.
In western countries, where ambient temperature is colder, tiny point-of-use electric storage water heaters with capacities ranging from 8 to 32 litres (2 to 6 gallons) are made for installation in kitchen and bath cabinets or on the wall above a sink. They typically use low power heating elements, about 1 kW to 1.5 kW, and can provide hot water long enough for hand washing, or, if plumbed into an existing hot water line, until hot water arrives from a remote high capacity water heater. They are sometimes used when retrofitting a pump and recirculating plumbing in a building is too costly or impractical. Since they maintain water temperature thermostatically, they will supply hot water at extremely low flow rates, unlike tankless heaters.
In tropical countries, like Singapore, India: An ideal storage water heater may vary from 10 L to 35 L Usage of 6 Smaller hot water heaters are sufficient as ambient weather and water temperature are moderate.
The inner vessel of the Water heater is the single most important feature of a water heater. The best heaters have a copper inner vessel/container. The second most important feature may be the type of heating element. The cartridge elements score over tubular elements.
Insulation and other improvements
In general, the more insulation the better, since it reduces standby heat loss "BTUs. Hot water heaters are available with insulation ratings ranging from R-6 to R-24. It may be possible to add an extra insulating blanket or jacket on the outside of a poorly insulated hot water heater to reduce heat loss. The most common type of water heater blanket is fiberglass insulation with a vinyl film on the outside. The insulation is wrapped around the tank and the ends are taped together. It is important that the blanket be the right size for the tank and not block air flow or cover safety and drainage valves, the controls, or block airflow through the exhaust vent, if any. In very humid locations, adding insulation to an already well-insulated tank may cause condensation problems, potentially causing rust, mold, or operational problems.
Modern water heaters have PUF (Polyurethane Foam) insulation. In countries where serviceability is very important, PUF capsules are kept between the inner tank and the outer body. Depending upon the insulation efficiency, star rating is given in India.
Other improvements include check valve devices at their inlet and outlet, cycle timers, electronic ignition in the case of fuel-using models, sealed air intake systems in the case of fuel-using models, and pipe insulation. The sealed air-intake system types are sometimes called "band-joist" intake units. "High efficiency" condensing units can convert up to 98% of the energy in the fuel to heating the water. The exhaust gases of combustion are cooled and are mechanically ventilated either through the roof or through an exterior wall. At high combustion efficiencies a drain must be supplied to handle the water condensed out of the combustion products which are primarily carbon dioxide and water vapor.
In traditional plumbing in the United Kingdom the space-heating boiler is set up to heat a separate hot water cylinder or hot water heater for potable hot water. Such water heaters are often fitted with an auxiliary electrical immersion heater for use if the boiler is out of action for a time. Heat from the space-heating boiler is transferred to the hot water heater vessel/container by means of a heat exchanger, and the boiler operates at a higher temperature than the potable hot water supply. Most potable water heaters in North America are completely separate from the space heating units.
Residential combustion water heaters manufactured since 2003 in the United States have been redesigned to resist ignition of flammable vapors and incorporate a thermal cutoff switch, per ANSI Z21.10.1. The first feature attempts to prevent vapors from flammable liquids and gasses in the vicinity of the heater from being ignited and thus causing a house fire or explosion. The second feature prevents tank overheating due to unusual combustion conditions. These safety requirements were made based on homeowners storing, and sometimes spilling, gasoline or other flammable liquids near their water heaters and causing fires. Since most of the new designs incorporate some type of flame arrestor screen, they require monitoring to make sure they don't become clogged with lint or dust, reducing the availability of air for combustion. If the flame arrestor becomes clogged, the thermal cutoff may act to shut down the heater.
A wetback stove or wetback heater is the name (used in New Zealand at least) for a simple household secondary water-heater using incidental heat. It typically consists of a hot water pipe running behind a fireplace or stove (rather than hot water storage), and has no facility to limit the heating. In the UK, this is called a back boiler. Modern wetbacks may run the pipe in a more sophisticated design to assist heat-exchange.
Electric water heating
In the UK, electric water heating is often done by an immersion heater fitted near the bottom of the hot water tank. The immersion heater is a metal tube containing an insulated electric resistance heater which is usually rated at 3 kilowatts.
Hot water heaters that have residual hot water storage in a vessel/container heat, electrical water heaters can be a good match for an intelligent electrical power distribution system, heating when the electrical grid load is low and turning off when the load is high. This could be implemented by allowing the power supplier to send load-shedding requests, or by the use of real-time energy pricing.
Tankless heaters
Tankless water heaters, also called instantaneous, continuous flow, inline, flash, on-demand or instant-on water heaters, are also available and gaining in popularity. These water heaters instantly heat water as it flows through the device, and do not retain any water internally except for what is in the heat exchanger coil.
Tankless heaters are often installed throughout a household at more than one point-of-use (POU), far from the central water heater, or larger models may still be used to provide all the hot water requirements for an entire house. The main advantages of tankless water heaters are a continuous flow of hot water and energy savings (as compared to a limited flow of continuously heating hot water from conventional tank water heaters).
Combination Boilers
Combination or combi boilers, combine the CH with the domestic hot water (DHW) in one box. They are not merely infinitively continuous water heaters having the ability to heat a hydronic heating system in a large house. When DHW is run off, the combi stops pumping water to the hydronic circuit and diverts all the boilers power to instantly heating DHW. Some combis have small internal water storage vessels combining the energy of the stored water and the gas or oil burner to give faster DHW at the taps or increase the DHW flowrate.
Combi boilers are rated by the DHW flowrate. The kW ratings for domestic units are 24kW to 54kW, giving approximate flowrates of 9 litres per minute to 23 litres per minute. There are larger commercial units available. The high flowrate models will simultaneously supply two showers.
A further advantage is that more than one combi unit may be used to supply separate heating zones, giving greater time and temperature control, and multiple bathrooms. An example is one combi supplying the downstairs heating system and another the upstairs. One unit may supply one bathroom and one another. Having two units gives backup in case one combi is down.
Great saving are to be had in installation costs as water tanks and associated pipes and controls are not required. This also saves space in a home that may be given over to living space.
Combi boilers are highly popular in Europe, where in some countries market share is 70%.
Various types and their advantages
Point-of-use tankless water heaters are located right where the water is being used, so the water is almost instantly hot, which saves water. They also save even more energy than centrally installed tankless water heaters because no hot water is left in the pipes after the water is shut off. However, point-of-use tankless water heaters are usually used in combination with a central water heater since they are usually limited to under 6 litres/minute (1.5 US gallons/minute), as the expense of buying a heater for every kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, or sink can outweigh the money saved in water and energy bills. In addition, point of use water heaters until recently were almost always electrical, and electricity is often substantially more expensive than natural gas or propane.
Tankless heaters can ideally be somewhat more efficient than storage water heaters. In both kinds of installation (centralized and POU) the absence of a tank saves energy as conventional water heaters have to reheat the water in the tank as it cools off, called standby loss. There is a misconception that the energy lost by a tanked heater stored inside a home merely helps to heat the home. This is true of an electric unit, but for a gas unit most of this wasted energy leaves through the exhaust vent. However, if the building needs to be cooled to maintain normal temperatures this results in a loss in efficiency With a central water heater of any type, water is wasted waiting for water to heat up because of the cold water in the pipes between the faucet and the water heater. This water waste can be avoided if a recirculating pump is installed, but at the cost of electricity to run the pump and wasted energy to heat the water circulation through the pipes.
Tankless water heaters can be divided into two categories: "full on/full off" and "modulated". Full on/full off units do not have a variable power output level; the unit is either on or off. Modulated tankless water heaters base the heat output on the flow of water running through the unit. This is usually done through the use of a 'flow sensor', modulating gas valve, inlet water temperature sensor and an outlet water temperature sensor-choke valve and means that the occupants should receive the same output temperature of water at differing velocities, usually within a close range of ±2 °C.
The high efficiency condensing combination boiler provides both space heating and water heating, an increasingly popular choice in UK houses. In fact, combination boilers now account for over half of all the new domestic boilers installed in Britain.
In certain parts of South America as well as Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, a point of use style water heater commonly referred to as the "Electric Shower Head" is used in many residential and some commercial installations. As the name implies, an electric heating element is incorporated into such shower heads to heat the water. However, many of these units are often poorly installed, often with exposed wiring in wet locations.
Under current North American conditions, the most cost effective configuration from an operating viewpoint is usually to use a central tankless water heater for most of the house, and install a point of use tankless water heater at any distant faucets or bathrooms. However, this may vary according to how much electricity, gas and water costs in the area, the layout of the house, and how much hot water is used. Only electric tankless water heaters were available at first and they are still used for almost all point of use heaters, but natural gas and propane heaters are now common. When consumers are considering a whole house gas tankless unit, they are advised to look at how the unit functions when raising the water temperature by about 42 °C (75–77 °F). Thus, if they live in a cold weather climate, they are advised to look at the unit's capacity with 3-10 °C (38–50 °F) inlet water temperatures, and find a size that produces approximately 15 litres/minute (4 gpm) even in winter if they have a typical-sized house and desire what is called a 2-appliance heater. This same unit may produce 25-30 litres/minute (6.3–6.9 gpm) in summer with higher inlet temperatures, but there is greater interest in year round production and usability.
Advantages
There are certain advantages to tankless water heaters :
- Long term energy savings: Although a tankless water heater might cost more initially it may result in both energy and cost savings in the long term. As water is heated only when it is needed, there is no storage of hot water. With a tank, water is kept warm all day even if it never gets used and heat loss through the tank walls will result in a continual energy drain. Even in homes or buildings with a high demand for hot water, a tankless water heater may provide some level of savings. In a typical home these savings are quite substantial. If instant hot water at the taps at limited hours is a priority, a recirculation system similar to those in the tank-type systems can be accommodated by using an aquastat and timer in order to decrease the added heat loss from the recirculation system. It has to be said though that if the storage tank is highly-insulated - a few tanks are available with excellent levels such as 100 mm or more polyurethane foam - the savings become minimal.
- Unlimited hot water: As water is heated while passing through the system an unlimited supply of hot water is available with a tankless water heater. Although flow rate will determine the amount of hot water that can be generated at one time it can be generated indefinitely.
- Less physical space: Most tankless water heaters can be mounted on a wall or even internally in a building's structure. This means less physical space has to be dedicated to heating water. Even systems that can't be mounted on walls take up less space than a tank-type water heater.
- No risk of water damage: No stored water means there is no risk of water damage from a tank failure or rupture. Improper piping in either the hot or cold water lines to the tankless water heater can result in water damage though.
- Temperature compensation A temperature compensating valve tends to eliminate the issue where the temperature and pressure from tankless heaters decrease during continuous use. Most new generation tankless water heaters, like the Takagi TK3, TK3 PRO, TM32, and the TM50 stabilize water pressure and temperature by a bypass valve and a mixing valve which is incorporated in the unit. Modern Tankless are not inversely proportional, because they will regulate the amount of water that is created and discharged, therefore stabilizing water temperature by utilizing a flow control valve. Flow speed is not the issue, but delta T is the important issue to address. The wider the temperature rise, the less flow you receive from the unit. The smaller the temperature rise, the more flow you receive. The flow control valve in conjunction with thermistors, maintains a stable temperature throughout the use of the unit.
Disadvantages
Tankless heaters also have several disadvantages:
- Installation cost: Installing a tankless system comes at an increased cost, particularly in retrofit applications. They tend to be particularly expensive in areas such as the US where they are not dominant, compared to the established tank design. If a storage water heater is being replaced with a tankless one, the size of the electrical wiring or gas pipeline may have to be increased to handle the load and the existing vent pipe may have to be replaced, possibly adding expense to the retrofit installation. Many tankless units have fully modulating gas valves that can range from as low as 10,000 to over 1,000,000 BTUs. For electrical installations (non-gas), AWG 10 or 8 wire, corresponding to 10 or 6 mm˛, is required for most POU (point of use) heaters at North American voltages. Larger whole house electric units may require up to AWG 2 wire. In gas appliances, both pressure and volume requirements must be met for optimum operation.
- Heat source flexibility Tankless heaters are limited to a choice between expensive and CO2 problematic energy sources: gas and electricity. This makes it impossible to include other heat sources, including renewable energy. Tank-type systems have a much wider choice of heat sources available, such as district heating, central heating, solar heating, geothermal heating, micro CHP and ground-coupled heat exchangers.
- Startup delay: There is a longer wait to obtain hot water. A tankless water heater only heats water upon demand, so all idle water in the piping starts at room temperature. Thus there is a more apparent "flow delay" for hot water to reach a distant faucet. Many models sold in the UK have introduced a small heat store within the combi. to address this problem. This "keep hot" facility considerably improves the standard of hot water service, which some people otherwise find unacceptably poor with a combi., but it uses considerably more fuel especially in summer.
- Intermittent use: There is a short delay between the time when the water begins flowing and when the heater's flow detector activates the heating elements or gas burner. In the case of continuous use applications (showers, baths, washing machine) this is not an issue. However, for intermittent use applications (for example when a hot water faucet is turned on and off repeatedly) this can result in periods of hot water, then some small amount of cold water as the heater activates, followed quickly by hot water again. The period between hot/cold/hot is the amount of water which has flowed though the heater before becoming active. This cold section of water takes some amount of time to reach the faucet and is dependent on the length of piping.
- Recirculation systems: Since a tankless water heater is inactive when hot water is not being used, they are incompatible with passive (convection -based) hot water recirculation systems. They may be incompatible with active hot water recirculation systems and will certainly use more energy to constantly heat water within the piping, defeating one of a tankless water heater's primary advantages.
- Achieving cooler temperatures: Tankless water heaters often have minimum flow requirements before the heater is activated, and this can result in a gap between the cold water temperature, and the coolest warm water temperature that can be achieved with a hot and cold water mix.
- Maintaining constant shower temperature: Similarly, unlike with a tank heater, the hot water temperature from a tankless heater is inversely proportional to the rate of the water flow—the faster the flow, the less time the water spends in the heating element being heated. Mixing hot and cold water to the "right" temperature from a single-lever faucet (say, when taking a shower) takes some practice. Also, when adjusting the mixture in mid-shower, the change in temperature will initially react as a tanked heater does, but this also will change the flow rate of hot water. Therefore some finite time later the temperature will change again very slightly and require readjustment. This is typically not noticeable in non-shower applications.
- Operation with low supply pressure: Tankless systems are reliant on the water pressure that is delivered to the property. In other words, if a tankless system is used to deliver water to a shower or water faucet, the pressure is the same as the pressure delivered to the property and cannot be increased, whereas in tanked systems the tanks can be positioned above the water outlets (in the loft/attic space for example) so the force of gravity can assist in delivering the water, and pumps can be added into the system to increase pressure. Power showers, for example, cannot be used with tankless systems because it cannot deliver the hot water at a fast enough flow-rate required by the pump.
- Time-of-use metering and peak electrical loads: Tankless electric heaters, if installed in a large percentage of homes within an area, can create demand management problems for electrical utilities. Because these are high-amperage devices, and hot water use tends to peak at certain times of the day, their use can cause short spikes in electricity demand, including during the daily peak electrical load periods, which increases utility operating costs. For households using time-of-use metering (where electricity costs more during peak periods such as daytime, and is cheaper at night), a tankless electric heater may actually increase operating costs if the hot water is used during peak times. Instanteous-type heaters are also problematic if they are connected to district heating systems, as they raise peak demands, and most utilities prefer all buildings to have hot water storage.
| ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY: |  |
Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Its county
seat is Santa Ana. According to the 2000 Census, its population was 2,846,289,
making it the second most populous county in the state of California,
and the fifth most populous in the United States. The state of California
estimates its population as of 2007 to be 3,098,121 people, dropping its
rank to third, behind San Diego County. Thirty-four incorporated cities
are located in Orange County; the newest is Aliso Viejo.
Unlike many other large centers of population in the United States, Orange
County uses its county name as its source of identification whereas other
places in the country are identified by the large city that is closest
to them. This is because there is no defined center to Orange County like
there is in other areas which have one distinct large city. Five Orange
County cities have populations exceeding 170,000 while no cities in the
county have populations surpassing 360,000. Seven of these cities are
among the 200 largest cities in the United States.
Orange County is also famous as a tourist destination, as the county is
home to such attractions as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, as well
as sandy beaches for swimming and surfing, yacht harbors for sailing and
pleasure boating, and extensive area devoted to parks and open space for
golf, tennis, hiking, kayaking, cycling, skateboarding, and other outdoor
recreation. It is at the center of Southern California's Tech Coast, with
Irvine being the primary business hub.
The average price of a home in Orange County is $541,000. Orange County
is the home of a vast number of major industries and service organizations.
As an integral part of the second largest market in America, this highly
diversified region has become a Mecca for talented individuals in virtually
every field imaginable. Indeed the colorful pageant of human history continues
to unfold here; for perhaps in no other place on earth is there an environment
more conducive to innovative thinking, creativity and growth than this
exciting, sun bathed valley stretching between the mountains and the sea
in Orange County.
Orange County was Created March 11 1889, from part of Los Angeles County,
and, according to tradition, so named because of the flourishing orange
culture. Orange, however, was and is a commonplace name in the United
States, used originally in honor of the Prince of Orange, son-in-law of
King George II of England.
 |
Incorporated:
March 11, 1889 Legislative Districts: * Congressional: 38th-40th, 42nd & 43 * California Senate: 31st-33rd, 35th & 37 * California Assembly: 58th, 64th, 67th, 69th, 72nd & 74 County Seat: Santa Ana County Information: Robert E. Thomas Hall of Administration 10 Civic Center Plaza, 3rd Floor, Santa Ana 92701 Telephone: (714)834-2345 Fax: (714)834-3098 County Government Website: http://www.oc.ca.gov |
CITIES OF ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA:
| City
of Aliso Viejo,
92653, 92656, 92698 City of Anaheim, 92801, 92802, 92803, 92804, 92805, 92806, 92807, 92808, 92809, 92812, 92814, 92815, 92816, 92817, 92825, 92850, 92899 City of Brea, 92821, 92822, 92823 City of Buena Park, 90620, 90621, 90622, 90623, 90624 City of Costa Mesa, 92626, 92627, 92628 City of Cypress, 90630 City of Dana Point, 92624, 92629 City of Fountain Valley, 92708, 92728 City of Fullerton, 92831, 92832, 92833, 92834, 92835, 92836, 92837, 92838 City of Garden Grove, 92840, 92841, 92842, 92843, 92844, 92845, 92846 City of Huntington Beach, 92605, 92615, 92646, 92647, 92648, 92649 City of Irvine, 92602, 92603, 92604, 92606, 92612, 92614, 92616, 92618, 92619, 92620, 92623, 92650, 92697, 92709, 92710 City of La Habra, 90631, 90632, 90633 City of La Palma, 90623 City of Laguna Beach, 92607, 92637, 92651, 92652, 92653, 92654, 92656, 92677, 92698 City of Laguna Hills, 92637, 92653, 92654, 92656 City of Laguna Niguel, 92607, 92677 |
City
of Laguna Woods,
92653, 92654 City of Lake Forest, 92609, 92630, 92610 City of Los Alamitos, 90720, 90721 City of Mission Viejo, 92675, 92690, 92691, 92692, 92694 City of Newport Beach, 92657, 92658, 92659, 92660, 92661, 92662, 92663 City of Orange, 92856, 92857, 92859, 92861, 92862, 92863, 92864, 92865, 92866, 92867, 92868, 92869 City of Placentia, 92870, 92871 City of Rancho Santa Margarita, 92688, 92679 City of San Clemente, 92672, 92673, 92674 City of San Juan Capistrano, 92675, 92690, 92691, 92692, 92693, 92694 City of Santa Ana, 92701, 92702, 92703, 92704, 92705, 92706, 92707, 92708, 92711, 92712, 92725, 92728, 92735, 92799 City of Seal Beach, 90740 City of Stanton, 90680 City of Tustin, 92780, 92781, 92782 City of Villa Park, 92861, 92867 City of Westminster, 92683, 92684, 92685 City of Yorba Linda, 92885, 92886, 92887 |
| Noteworthy
communities Some of the communities that exist within city limits
are listed below: * Anaheim Hills,
Anaheim * Balboa Island, Newport Beach * Corona del Mar, Newport
Beach * Crystal Cove / Pelican Hill, Newport Beach * Capistrano
Beach, Dana Point * El Modena, Orange * French Park, Santa Ana *
Floral Park, Santa Ana * Foothill Ranch, Lake Forest * Monarch Beach,
Dana Point * Nellie Gail, Laguna Hills * Northwood, Irvine * Woodbridge,
Irvine * Newport Coast, Newport Beach * Olive, Orange * Portola
Hills, Lake Forest * San Joaquin Hills, Laguna Niguel * San Joaquin
Hills, Newport Beach * Santa Ana Heights, Newport Beach * Tustin
Ranch, Tustin * Talega, San Clemente * West Garden Grove, Garden
Grove * Yorba Hills, Yorba Linda * Mesa Verde, Costa Mesa Unincorporated communities These communities are outside of the city limits in unincorporated county territory: * Coto de Caza * El Modena * Ladera Ranch * Las Flores * Midway City * Orange Park Acres * Rossmoor * Silverado Canyon * Sunset Beach * Surfside * Trabuco Canyon * Tustin Foothills Adjacent counties to Orange County Are: * Los Angeles County, California - north, west * San Bernardino County, California - northeast * Riverside County, California - east * San Diego County, California - southeast |
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