Catchment Hot Water Temps

[1voyager1]

I grew up in the Pacific NW and lived many years in Alaska.
I've always had real winters most of my life.
Immersion in hot water had always been an available therapeutic treatment.
Household hot water was always maintained at 180°F.
Baths hot enough to cook lobster and showers hot enough to peel paint were a natural part of my life.
It also gave good sanitizing temps for washing dishes and similar.

Our water heater here is set at about 120°F.
I now shower with straight hot water.
Don't do baths anymore because our water isn't hot enough.
Because of electrical costs, I have accepted this as a way of life.

During our extended power outages, we found that we had enough hot water to to get at least tepid showers for several days.
Recently I had a timer placed on the hot water tank to bring down the power usage to heat our water.

At the constant 120°F temp, I had no problems, other than wishing for hotter water.
The tank's temp is no longer maintained at 120°F 24 hours a day, 8 hrs on, 16 hrs off.
It has made a substantial reduction in our electrical usage.

But, I seem to be having a not so good effect from it.
I have not shaved for many years because of facial irritation.
Now after reducing the water's heating period, a few hours after showering and washing my face and hair, my face under my beard begins to itch and burn quite badly.

Trimming my beard length and wiping my face with alcohol seems to be a way to treat the problem.
I'm thinking that 120°F for 24 hours/day was enough to sanitize our hot water.
Now that the hot period has been reduced only a higher temp will do the job.

We use a 5 micron filter.
I do not think it is caused by a creepy-crawler.
My guess is that it is from a spoor transmitted organism like a fungus or such, like a facial variety of underarm or crotch itch.

We're having our roof replaced soon.
The PV system will need to be removed and replaced for that.
I am going to look into adding solar water heating supplemented by electrical heating with temps up to maybe 130°F.
I'd rather not begin regular chlorine treatments.

Thoughts or alternatives?

[leilanidude]

Add a UV light and a charcoal filter combined with chlorine treatments. The charcoal filter removes the chlorine.

[Chunkster]

Our solar water unit has a maximum setting of 145F, and we have kept it at 140 for years with no ill effects. Drainpipe Plumbing installed it, and they were very professional . . . on time and no hidden costs. We also use their cleaning and "tune-up" service every few years. The tasty tax credits for solar water heaters have expired, but I think they still can pay for themselves.

[islandlvng]

I had a complaint on a house I rent out for the hot water not being hot enough. I simply turned the thermostat up. By feel I would guess it was around 120 ish. I believe most heaters come from the factory at 140. It was possible the previous tenant lowered the temp because she had kids which is normal.

I have solar on two of my houses and in both locations on very sunny days they will run up past 160. Both systems were installed with a temp gauge on the tank. Both the normal and solar have thermostats that can be adjusted up or down. There is usually a front plate with two screws that can be removed, a small piece of insulation and thermostat right behind.

[Punaperson]

Please explore getting an on-demand water heater instead of replacing your PV.

My aching joints and bones are thankful every day when I can take a long, HOT shower for as long as I need, with no worries about running out of heated water. I keep it at 140 during the summer, and up to 160 during the winter.

My first heater lasted for 26 years, this one is going on 12, with no repairs needed. I have a dedicated 5 gal propane tank, costs me under $20 for a fill-up, and lasts 5 - 6 weeks ( a bit less during rainy and raw weather, when I take lots of hot showers just to warm up after working outside ). Like anything else, shop around for price - when helping a friend move into a new home about 2 years ago, we found Hilo Propane was 2/3 the cost of Home Depot.

[Chas]

I’m building a house and putting in an on demand gas water heater. Could you tell me the brand of that dependable unit please?

[1voyager1]

I'm thinking that I'm going to jack the temp up to about 130°F, take it off the timer, and see just what our electrical usage go up to.
Since getting a new meter that doesn't over charge us, we've been using pretty close to what we're producing, only being billed $20+/mo, the minimum grid charge.
Using the timer has been bringing our accumulated overage down 10 or more KWH/week.

@leilanidude
I am beginning to think about UV again.
But, that will increase power usage and will not bring the temps up.
We have no driving desire to change our drinking/cooking water source.
UV is not effective against our greatest concern: rat lung worm.

@Chunkster
Took a look at Drainpipe's web site.
They're estimating that an installation will cost about $6k.
They're saying that fed and state tax credits are still in effect.

I think they need to update their website.
Now that the state is requiring solar water heating on all new construction, I don't see them giving a tax credit.
It may be hard to justify without the credits.

@islandlvng
I had looked at the thermostat.
It's like a refrigerator, thermostat: Hot - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - Very Hot.
Going to the tank's manual, I find that Hot = 120°F.
Very Hot is probably 180°F.
I am going to have to justify adding solar.

@Punaperson
We are not getting rid of our PV installation.
We're just having it removed for a roof replacement.
It will be reinstalled after the new roof is finished.
The house we rented during our forced evacuation had on demand hot water.
It was gas fired.
Neither one of us liked it.
My present feeling is that I would never willingly have one installed in our home.
---------------------------------
Running at a higher temp and on a timer might be an alternative that will work.
It might be able to hold its temp above 120°F while dropping from the higher temp.
I'll give it a try to see how it does, maybe even with 2 heating periods per day.
It might take a little tuning to make it work, then again might not work.
Getting a good commercial quality jacketed 1-1/2" tank wrap insulation, and covering the tank with it would bring down the heat loss enormously.

Which brings the question:
Is there a Mechanical Insulation Contractor/supplier here on the island?

[leilanidude]

I am beginning to think about UV again.
But, that will increase power usage and will not bring the temps up.
We have no driving desire to change our drinking/cooking water source.
UV is not effective against our greatest concern: rat lung worm.
===========
No, UV isn't a stop for rat lung worm, but chlorine and a charcoal filter are.

[bluesboy]

I have a solar hot water system. It can get as hot as 180 in the tank, and is mixed down to 120. Sometimes when the sun is not out that can drop down to as low as 80, but still usually warmer than just the catchment temp. Plumbed inline after that is a Paloma. That allows me to heat the water up an additional 40 degrees or so. This system allows me to use solar heated water when it is available, and superheat the water when I need to. It also results in using the smallest amount of propane to provide hot water 100% of the time.

[dan d]

Blues has the correct idea


HPP