SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2015
EASTOREGONIAN.COM • PAGE 7
HOME & GARDEN
A home improvement that can save money
(BPT) — For many
homeowners the biggest
utility bill is electricity.
Heating and cooling the
home makes up nearly half
of electricity costs, but the
next biggest source is the
water heater. Water heaters
can account for up to 25
percent of total household
energy use. Taking steps
to improve the energy ef-
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better insulation and more
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conditioners can reduce
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as can making sure water
heaters are operating prop-
erly.
However, purchasing a
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er does little good if the
environment in which it
operates is not right. The
main culprit in reducing the
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Hard water can reduce the
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ers and increase electricity
costs by as much as 48 per-
cent, according to the Bat-
telle Memorial Institute.
The problem can be par-
ticularly severe with elec-
tric water heaters. These
can accumulate up to 30
pounds of calcium carbon-
ate, a rock-like scale, even-
tually damaging the heating
element which will have
to be replaced. The cost of
PHOTO COURTESY BPT hard water is not higher just
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because of reduced energy
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tric bills; hard water also
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damages appliances like
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water heaters, dish washers,
shower heads and faucets.
is hard water. Nearly 90 minerals cause scaling, a These must be repaired and
percent of American homes buildup that clogs water- replaced more often as a re-
have hard water which con- lines and plumbing forcing sult.
tains high levels of calci- appliances to work harder
To determine if you
um and magnesium. These DQGRSHUDWHOHVVHI¿FLHQWO\ have hard water, look for
Eastern Oregon
Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC
Residential & Commercial
“The Comfortable Choice”
spots and scale build-up
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ous indication is the lack of
that luxury feeling of a hot
shower you get at a nice ho-
tel,” says Michael Mecca of
Performance Water Prod-
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because of the nice towels
and soaps. It’s because nice
hotels use soft water not
only for their guests’ bene-
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investments in boilers, pip-
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soft water as well because
soft water is up to 12 times
more effective at cleaning
dishes than increasing the
amount of detergent used.
Researchers also found that
for washing machines, the
most important factor in
removing stains from cloth-
ing was water softness. Re-
duction of water hardness
was up to 100 times more
effective at stain removal
than increasing the deter-
gent dose or washing with
hotter water. In fact, soft
water can reduce soap use
by as much as half.
Many water treatment
companies offer free tests
to homeowners to measure
the degree of hardness in
the water and offer appro-
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vary widely in some parts
of the country and pipe
size, number of bathrooms,
number of people in the
house, types of shower-
heads and intended use
all need to be considered
for the right system,” says
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lar, are susceptible to hard
water since municipal water
SEE MONEY/9
When every dollar counts these days, stop by
Elmer’s. We have local familiar faces ready to
help you with your irrigation projects.
Proudly serving Eastern Oregon & Southeast Washington since 1978
Front left to right: Joey Gutierrez, Becky Hayden, Richard Hayden, Tess Sabuco, Nikole Green
Back left to right: Mike Fine, Jeff Pederesen, Nick Gutierrez Brayann Mendoza, Scott Bishop, Brian Van Cleave
Air Conditioning • Refrigeration • Gas Furnaces
Geo Thermo Heat Pumps • Ice Machines
Gas Hot Water Heaters • Gas Fireplaces
Sheetmetal Inspections and More!
FEATURING:
Pipe: PVC, galvanized & black fittings;
Filters: Clemons, CTC, Gheen;
Pumps: Small centricial pumps , Pressure Tanks;
Lawn & garden supplies: K-Rain sprinklers & valves;
Hand line, Main line, wheel line: gaskets & fittings, pipe cutting & threading
Pivot parts; Pivot sprinkler packages: Nelson & Senninger
Motors: UMC and US; Wheel Boxes: UMC & Valley
Valves: Butterfly, ball, gate, check
Automatic control valves: Nelson, Netafim
“The Best Little Irrigation Company in the Northwest”
541-567-3095
82000 Hwy 395 N., Hermiston
(Old Road Runner H&C building) CCB #189229
Quality Work at a
Competitive Price!
ELMER’S
IRRIGATION, INC.
80527 Hwy 395 N. • Hermiston • 541-567-5572