This World Water Day at Alpha we are raising awareness for one area often overlooked within the home when it comes to water waste. Alarmingly, three billion litres of water go to waste every day in the UK, which is enough to fill a staggering 1200 Olympic swimming pools[1]. Boilers and heating systems play a big role in the responsible use of water. A speedy delivery of hot water to an outlet is crucial in minimising the wastage of water, which often caused by leaving taps running whilst waiting for hot water to appear.

Darran Smith, our very own technical manager shares his expert advice this World Water Day on how you can reduce water waste from your heating and pipe network.

1. Ensure Optimal Insulation

Making sure your pipes are well insulated is key in reducing any heat loss on the water’s journey from the boiler to the outlet. If the water can be kept as warm as possible, the time taken for warm water to reach the tap will be noticeably reduced.

2. Enhance Efficiency

Keeping your boiler maintained and regularly serviced is vital in ensuring it works as efficiently as possible. Older or inadequately maintained systems may use more energy and be slower in allowing water to reach the desired temperature, likely resulting in more water wasted and higher energy bills. Upgrading your boiler when required is imperative to combating this. The Alpha E-Tec Plus NX combi boiler can help to lower energy usage along with increasing the performance of the hot water system.

Ensuring that there are no leaks in the pipe system is also key in maintaining efficiency of a home’s heating system. If the pressure in your boiler is regularly dropping, it might be due to a leak elsewhere in the system. Make sure that your pipes are regularly checked to avoid this.

3. Minimise Distance

Finally, for those who may be in the middle of or planning a home renovation you may have the option to move things around. By ensuring there is minimal distance between the boiler and the outlet you can lessen the time needed for water to travel between the two, which is optimal for keeping the heat loss low.

Addressing the maintenance and regulation of boilers is just one component when it comes to the preservation of water supplies in the UK. However, it plays a significant role as boilers are a common source of heating across many households, and they have the potential to consume substantial amounts of water if not properly managed. By proactively managing boilers, we can make substantial progress in preserving our precious water resources and promoting a more environmentally conscious future.

[1] https://inflowmatix.com/news/how-are-3-billion-litres-of-water-wasted-every-day-in-the-uk/