Hi all, this is just a public service announcement! We have a prospective client who shared an interesting finding today. His utility electricity costs greatly exceeded his neighbors’, so he called FPL, and they came out to do an audit. They found that a hot water recirculation pump was running 24/7, losing heat to the concrete slab under the house. This was estimated to cost hundreds of dollars per year.
The pump itself doesn’t use much power, but recirculating water constantly causes heat loss in the lines, either through the slab or in the attic, depending on where your pipes are run. That heat loss has to be made up by your water heater running. The costs really add up!
Most people put these pumps on a switch or a timer. That is a smart way to reduce electricity use while not wasting so much water by waiting for hot water to reach remote faucets.
The reason this is important to us is that electric efficiency in the home can greatly reduce the number of solar panels you need to cover your utility electric use. Basic efficiency measures are almost always more cost-effective than installing more solar panels. For example, it might be a better return on investment for you to upgrade an old pool pump than to buy an extra solar panel or two. If you have an ancient air conditioning system, you might consider upgrading that before you install solar panels (or install fewer solar panels if you plan an HVAC upgrade in the near future).
Anyway, I thought this was very interesting. It’s a cautionary tale and one thing you can look for in your home if you find your electricity usage is abnormally high.
