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HOT water waste????

TurtleBoy | Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on January 21, 2003 03:50am

One of the jobs that I have is working for a large company here in RI. They are trying to reduce cost a number of ways like reducing waste. It seems that some of the toilets and urinals have hot water supplies. Is there any reason that this should be hooked up in this manner? Just wondering any help would be appreciated.

Turtleboy 

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Replies

  1. Jock | Jan 21, 2003 06:20am | #1

    Hot water is mixed w/the cold to prevent condensation on the fixtures(and water dripping to the floor) during  humid summers.

  2. User avater
    BossHog | Jan 21, 2003 04:06pm | #2

    Are you sure it's ALL hot water? OR is it "tempered" water, as Jock suggested?

    Could be the toilets were sweating, and someone just hooked them up to hot water because they were too lazy/cheap to do it right.........

    Common sense isn't very common.

    1. TurtleBoy | Jan 23, 2003 08:30pm | #3

      I tend to think that it is hot water that has not been mixed as I'm sure those who did the work probable could care less. Thanks for the info, I'll follow up with someone that might at least look into it.

      Thanks again turtleboy

      1. tenpenny | Jan 23, 2003 09:09pm | #4

        When I was a kid, we had a new hot water heater installed in the house.  The plumber, under the influence of something in a bottle, managed to install the water heater into the cold lines.  So, in the morning, if you were the fourth kid to use the john, you learned a whole new meaning to "steamed buns".  Sure felt good on a cold winter day, though.  Only lasted two days, till we got him back.

  3. DavidThomas | Jan 31, 2003 11:58am | #5

    I intentionally installed "tempering valves" for my toilets. City water comes in at 39F (4 in Canadian dollars) so toilets can defintely sweat most of the year. These tempering valves mix 50/50 hot/cold and are installed inside the wall. As a retrofit, you could put one in the sink base cabinet and then run a flex line out to the toilet. About $15 at Home Depot. At least at the Anchorage one.

    Although a "tempering valve" for a hydronic system would also work (Watts and Taco both make them), they have adjustable output temperatures and cost $65-85. Probably overkill, although dialing them up and down, seasonally, would save a little heat. But I figure that in the low-humidity winter, it isn't wasted heat anyway, since the heat is released within the building envelope.

    David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
  4. TheOldCynic | Feb 01, 2003 02:03am | #6

    If you ever had to use an old-fashioned outhouse in cold weather, you would certainly appreciate a warmed seat.

    And I don't know about the rest of you guys, but i find it very disruptive to have a urinal flush with cold water while I'm using it (G)

    Doc - The Old Cynic

    1. TurtleBoy | Feb 04, 2003 04:00am | #7

      Yeah I agree about the out house. turtle

  5. ponytl | Feb 04, 2003 05:56am | #8

    I was stand'n at one of those big older urnals one time..  and mentioned... "wow this water sure is cold".... dude at the urnal next to me  said "yeah and it's deep too"

    1. TheOldCynic | Feb 05, 2003 07:58am | #9

      .....deep too......

      A buddy and I pulled that routine one night at the tavern.  He was on the left utensil, I was on the right, and the guy in the middle - - half in the bag - - peed all over himself, the floor, and almost on us too trying to see for himself.

      Laughed so hard I almost got him back

      Doc - The Old Cynic

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