Leaking toilet cistern

Leaking toilet cistern

A leaky toilet cistern can be a silent and invisible water waster. The water may leak from the cistern into the toilet or out of the overflow pipe.

Inside toilet cistern

To check for leaks into the toilet bowl, add food colour to the water in the cistern. If the food colour appears in the toilet without flushing, you know you have a leak. Replace the flush valve. You may need a plumber to help with this as some cisterns are complex.

In older cisterns if water is dripping out of the overflow pipe, try adjusting the cistern float level, but it is likely the ball valve washer will need replacement. You may need a professional to do this. You could also try bending the float arm.

Newer cisterns with a flushing cassette are more difficult to adjust, seek advice from a professional.

Sink, bath and shower wastes or overflows not draining or draining slowly

Sink, bath and shower wastes or overflows not draining or draining slowly

This can be due to a build up of food scraps, soap, grease or hair and can lead to flooding.

With modern showers you should be able to simply lift the trap out and clean it out.

With older systems, first clean out the trap or u-bend with a rubber plunger, which you can get from most DIY stores or plumbing retailers. You can also try pouring boiling water or an alkaline drain cleaner down the drain to clear it.

If this doesn’t get rid of the blockage it may indicate other problems such as sagging pipes or blocked drains or pipes under the house.

Check under the house to make sure the pipes have an even fall to the drain. Provide support under the pipes if necessary.

Leaky hot water cylinder

Leaky hot water cylinder

Know where to turn your cylinder power, gas and water supply off before having any work done on it. You are not allowed to work on your hot water system yourself, you need to use a professional.

If water is dripping excessively from the hot water system overflow or running from the vent pipe on the roof, this could be a sign that your hot water system is not working properly and the valves or thermostat may need servicing.

Modern cylinders have test levers on the valves on the water supply to the cylinder and on top of the cylinder. Twice a year, lift these to check they work. If water does not discharge or is continually running from the valves, call in a professional to service them

Unsecured hot water cylinder

Unsecured hot water cylinder

This could be a hazard in an earthquake. Secure the tank to the framing or external cladding if it is outside. The Earthquake Commission’s website explains how.

Leaking waste pipes

Leaks from the bath, shower or sink waste pipes could damage your home’s framing or foundations and cause damp in the home from a build up of moisture under the house.

Leaking waste pipes must be repaired by a plumber.

Dripping taps

Dripping taps

Dripping taps or showers waste a lot of water and can stain the sink or bath. A fast-dripping tap can waste more than 70L of water a day. If it’s a hot tap, it could be costing you more than $220 a year in 

Toby tap

electricity. If you pay for your water, you’re sending even more money down the drain.

It’s easy to replace most tap washers. However, sometimes replacing the washer doesn’t fix the problem and you may need to re-seat the tap. Reseating tools can be bought at most DIY stores.

If this still doesn’t work you could try replacing the head of the tap (cover assembly). Speak to your plumber or plumbing retailer before doing this as the whole tap may need to be replaced.

Intertennancy toby

“Washerless” taps – those with ceramic washers – are fairly complex and you may need a plumber to fix these. These taps have different replacement cartridges according to the make of tap.

Problems with ceramic taps usually result when there is no filter on the water supply pipe. Your plumber can advise you about this.

Shower mixers can be complex and difficult to repair. Speak to your plumber if you are having problems with a shower mixer.

EER

EER

If you have geothermal system, air conditioner or air source heat pump, you may be interested in your system’s Energy Efficiency Rating (EER). It measures cooling efficiency and is calculated by dividing a product’s BTU output by the watts of power it uses. Rule of thumb―higher is better.

COP

COP

The Coefficient Of Performance (COP) is used to measure certain heat pumps’ efficiencies while in heating mode. You’ll commonly see this measure applied to geothermal products. Unless you’re looking for painful reminders of high school math classes or are a budding engineer, this one is pretty tough to calculate. In a nutshell it’s the energy produced by the heat pump (in watts) divided by the energy consumed by the heat pump (in watts)―easy. Like other efficiency ratings, higher is better.

HSPF

HSPF

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) measures the efficiency of the heating mode of heat pumps. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency and cost-savings. Today’s models are required to have a minimum of 7.7 HSPF. Not that we’re bragging (even though we kind of are), but we offer a heat pump with an HSPF rating of 13 that leaves other heat pumps out in the cold*.

AFUE

AFUE

If you’re in the market for a gas- or oil-fired furnace, the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating is a helpful stat to know.

Displayed in percentages, the AFUE rating tells you how much of the fuel consumed by your furnace is used to heat your home and how much is wasted. The higher the AFUE rating, the greater the efficiency. For example, a 90% furnace creates heat, 90% of which is used directly by the home with 10% lost, generally as a result of venting. We offer a full line of furnaces, some with AFUE ratings that exceed 98%. We also boast the most efficient gas furnace on the market.*

If you have an older furnace (with an AFUE of approximately 64%), you could save a staggering 34% on your heating bills simply by replacing it with a new high-efficiency furnace—and make up the cost of replacing your old, inefficient furnace pretty quickly.

If your furnace is more than 15 years old and you’re not sure of its AFUE rating, you can contact the manufacturer about it. When you call, you’ll need to have the furnace’s serial number handy. Chances are you’ll find it on a small metal plate attached to the unit.

SEER

SEER

The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is the measure of efficiency by which the cooling process of air conditioner and heat pump systems is rated. The higher the SEER number, the greater the efficiency, and therefore the greater the energy savings. Today, U.S. regulatory agencies require all new products to have a 13.0 SEER rating or better. We offer air conditioner and heat pump systems that can achieve SEER ratings over 20.

Your home is home to more than you think.

Your home is home to more than you think.

Chances are you have billions of unwanted guests living in your home. Dust mites. Mold. Mildew. It’s an even surer bet that they’ve overstayed their welcome. This doesn’t even include all the little air pollutant inhabitants you can’t see like pet dander, bacteria, viruses, skin flakes, chemical fumes, pollen and more. And there are plenty more outside waiting to get in. It’s time to take control of your home’s air quality.

Indoor air quality is one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s top 5 environmental health concerns1

Incredible as it sounds, the Environmental Protection Agency concludes that the air inside your home can be 2-5 times dirtier than the air outside1. And ironically, today’s tightly-sealed, well-insulated homes only make the problem worse, as the same stale, contaminated indoor air is circulated and re-circulated.

If you haven’t already run screaming from the house, there is good news: We offer a wide range of air-quality solutions, including humidifiers, ventilators, UV lamps and air purifiers. Working together, they can clear the air by eliminating pollutants and even killing the living intruders in your home’s air.

We put all our energy into efficiency.

We put all our energy into efficiency.

If you’re like most people, energy efficiency and cost savings are at the top of your wish list when considering which home heating and cooling system to choose.

Like mythical genies, our engineers are in the wish-fulfillment business, dreaming up a wide variety of sophisticated options to grant virtually any need—including some of the world’s most efficient cooling and heating solutions.

As you research all your options, you’ll no doubt come across your share of industry-standard efficiency rating systems. They may look intimidating, but in a nutshell, all you need to know is the higher number, the higher the efficiency, and the lower your long-term energy costs will be.

Questions? Your local Carrier® expert can also help you choose the heating and cooling products that are right for you.

Vibration isolators

Vibration isolators

An air handling unit with vibration isolator (3)

A duct system often begins at an air handler. The blowers in the air handler can create substantial vibration, and the large area of the duct system would transmit this noiseand vibration to the inhabitants of the building. To avoid this, vibration isolators (flexible sections) are normally inserted into the duct immediately before and after the air handler. The rubberized canvas-like material of these sections allows the air handler to vibrate without transmitting much vibration to the attached ducts. The same flexible section can reduce the noise that can occur when the blower engages and positive air pressure is introduced to the ductwork.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing[edit]

The finish for external ductwork exposed to the weather can be sheet steel coated with aluminium or an aluminium/zinc alloy, a multilayer laminate, a fibre reinforced polymer or other waterproof coating.

Fabric ducting

Fabric ducting[edit]

This is actually an air distribution device and is not intended as a conduit for conditioned air. The term fabric duct is therefore somehow misleading; fabric air dispersion system would be the more definitive name. However, as it often replaces hard ductwork, it is easy to perceive it simply as a duct. Usually made of polyester material, fabric ducts can provide a more even distribution and blending of the conditioned air in a given space than a conventional duct system. They may also be manufactured with vents or orifices.

Fabric ducts are available in various colours, with options for silk screening or other forms of decoration, or in porous (air-permeable) and non-porous fabric. The determination which fabric is appropriate (i.e. air-permeable or not) can be made by considering if the application would require an insulated metal duct. If so, an air-permeable fabric is recommended because it will not commonly create condensation on its surface and can therefore be used where air is supplied below the dew point. Material that eliminates moisture may be healthier for the occupants. It can also be treated with an anti-microbial agent to inhibit bacterial growth. Porous material also tends to require less maintenance as it repels dust and other airborne contaminants.

Fabric made of more than 50% recycled material is also available, allowing it to be certified as green product. The material can also be fire retardant, which means that the fabric can still burn, but will extinguish when the heat source is removed.

Fabric ducts are not rated for use in ceilings or concealed attic spaces. However, products for use in raised floor applications are available. Fabric ducting usually weighs less than other conventional ducting and will therefore put less stress on the building's structure. The lower weight allows for easier installation.

Flexible ducting[edit]

Flexible ducting

Flexible ducts (also known as flex) are typically made of flexible plastic over a metal wire coil to shape a tube. They have a variety of configurations. In the United States, the insulation is usually glass wool, but other markets such as Australia, use both polyesterfibre and glass wool for thermal insulation. A protective layer surrounds the insulation, and is usually composed of polyethylene or metalised PET.

Flexible duct is very convenient for attaching supply air outlets to the rigid ductwork. However, the pressure loss is higher than for most other types of ducts. As such, designers and installers attempt to keep their installed lengths (runs) short, e.g. less than 15 feet or so, and try to minimize turns. Kinks in flexible ducting must be avoided. Some flexible duct markets prefer to avoid using flexible duct on the return air portions of HVAC systems, however flexible duct can tolerate moderate negative pressures. The UL181 test requires a negative pressure of 200 Pa

Fiberglass duct board (preinsulated non-metallic ductwork

Fiberglass duct board (preinsulated non-metallic ductwork)[edit]

Fiberglass duct board panels provide built-in thermal insulation and the interior surface absorbs sound, helping to provide quiet operation of the HVAC system.

The duct board is formed by sliding a specially-designed knife along the board using a straightedge as a guide. The knife automatically trims out a groove with 45° sides which does not quite penetrate the entire depth of the duct board, thus providing a thin section acting as a hinge. The duct board can then be folded along the groove to produce 90° folds, making the rectangular duct shape in the fabricator's desired size. The duct is then closed with outward-clinching staples and special aluminum or similar metal-backed tape.

Polyurethane and phenolic insulation panels (pre-insulated air ducts)

Polyurethane and phenolic insulation panels (pre-insulated air ducts)

Traditionally, air ductwork is made of sheet metal which is installed first and then lagged with insulation. However, ductwork manufactured from rigid insulation panels does not need any further insulation and can be installed in a single step. Both polyurethane and phenolic foam panels are manufactured with factory applied aluminium facings on both sides. The thickness of the aluminium foil can vary from 25 micrometres for indoor use to 200 micrometres for external use or for higher mechanical characteristics.

There are various types of rigid polyurethane foam panels available, including a water formulated panel for which the foaming process is obtained through the use of water and CO₂ instead of CFC, HCFC, HFC and HC gasses. Most manufacturers of rigid polyurethane or phenolic foam panels use pentane as foaming agent instead of the aforementioned gasses.

A rigid phenolic insulation ductwork system is listed as a class 1^{[clarification needed]} air duct to UL 181 Standard for Safety.

Galvanized steel

Galvanized steel

Galvanized mild steel is the standard and most common material used in fabricating ductwork. For insulation purposes, metal ducts are typically lined with faced fiber glass blankets (duct liner) or wrapped externally with fiber glass blankets (duct wrap).

Ducts

Ducts are used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to deliver and remove air. The needed airflows include, for example, supply air, return air, andexhaust air.^[1]Ducts commonly also deliver ventilation air as part of the supply air. As such, air ducts are one method of ensuring acceptable indoor air quality as well as thermal comfort.

A duct system is also called ductwork. Planning (laying out), sizing, optimizing, detailing, and finding the pressure losses through a duct system is called duct design.