HOT WATER HEATERS
TIPS FOR RESIDENTS

Unit owners are responsible for checks and inspections of appliances and operating features of equipment within their units. Residents who have questions or need assistance, should contact the Building & Grounds committee.

WATER-HEATER CLOSET

With the exception of the two Hampton units in Building A, hot water heaters are located in utility closets on the patios. In addition to the hot water heater, the closet contains a wall-mounted electric space heater near the floor. The purpose of the heater is to prevent water pipes from freezing in cold weather. It is vitally important that residents heed the tips that follow.

Note: Failure to do so could result in pipes freezing or bursting with expensive damage.

TIPS

• Insure that the space heater 1) works, 2) is ON during cold weather, and 3) is set to about 40 degrees F. (This correspondes to the temperature knob being set about one third of the way from Low to High or at the line to the left side of the Comfort zone.) In all but very cold weather, the hot water in the heater keeps the closet above freezing; the electric heater is there to protect against below freezing weather.
• Keep the heater-closet Door CLOSED and LATCHED. We have had one incident where the closet door was left open and pipes froze and then leaked when the door was found open and then was closed.
• Inspect your water heater for signs of leakage or corrosion.

For reasons unknown, a number of water heaters in the B Building have failed prematurely. The most recent occurred in May, 2009, when two were found to be leaking. Water was found to have filled the insulation space between the tank and the outer shell. Fortunately, no water leaked out onto the patio floor or down to the unit below. However, rust stains were clearly visible and an inspection would have caught the problem sooner. The idea is to catch problems with periodic inspections before they become major or cause consequential damage.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Consider having a water-leak-prevention device installed. There are a number of styles; the basis function is that an automatic valve shuts off the water when a sensor detects leakage.
• When the time comes to replace the hot water heater, have the plumber be sure the catch pan is not cracked or broken and that the catch-pan drain is not blocked by the water heater. This may require that the heater be raised a half inch to an inch by setting the heater on small blocks.

Hybrid Hot Water Heaters

A new type of hot water heater, known as hybrid hot water heater, has been introduced to the market. Basically, these heaters combine a conventional water heater with a heat pump. A heat pump is basically an air conditioner working in reverse to pull heat out of the environment; rather than using electricity to "make" heat, the heat pump "moves" heat from the surrounding environment into the water heater. This may result in significant savings on utility bills where the environment of the hot water heater is heated efficiently by, say, a gas furnace, but THIS IS NOT THE CASE for our hot water heater closets, where heat comes from electric space heatera. Be sure to discuss our particular circumstances with your plumber before deciding on a hybrid hot water heater.

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