April 7, 2015 by Curtis McQuinn 1 Comment

Water Heater and Boiler Service in Sonora CA

Optimized Plumbing & Piping is Sonora, Ca based plumbing and water heating company capable of all aspects of the plumbing industry. We are proud to offer specialized skills in Water Heater Installation and Repair. Whether it is a Repair, Replacement, or an upgrade to a Tankless Water Heater, or any other energy efficient model….we can help! If you use hydronic heating or radiant floor heating we can provide boiler replacement too.

Call 209-352-4294 and ask if we are offering our $100 off water heater install coupon!

Our training sets us apart!

We are skilled in the installation and repair of all existing types and brands of Water Heaters currently on the market. We have level 2 training from Navien America to install or service their premium condensing tankless water heaters. We are certified from AO Smith to install heat pump water heaters. We have also taken classes from AO Smith University on residential gas and electric water heater installation and service. We participate in the California Solar Initiative and have gone through the training to make our customers eligible for rebates on solar water heaters. This is on top of the 5 years of classroom and on the job training our technicians have in the plumbing, and water heating industry. We think this makes us the most well trained company in the area, and you will see the difference in the quality of work and you can rest assured that our installations won’t put you or your family in danger.

Solar thermal ( Solar water heaters)

Solar water heaters consist of collector panels, a storage tank, pump, and a heat exchanger. The collectors heat a glycol solution that is circulated through them with a pump. That glycol solution moves to a heat exchanger which transfers the heat from the sun to you potable water and stores it in a tank for later use. Solar water heaters are great because they can save you a lot of money on energy bills, and they last for years.

Tankless water heaters

Tankless water heaters are a great way to save on your home energy cost, and condensing tankless water heaters are even better! A condensing tankless water heater can have an energy factor of .98 and is so efficient at using all of the heat generated by combustion that the flue pipe can be run in PVC pipe. Another energy saving feature is tunlike other tankless models where a pilot light must stay lit these models will light the flame electrically so no more wasted gas from a pilot light that always stays lit.

Navien tankless Water Heater. We are a Navien service provider, and installer. Only technicians who have completed a level 2 Navien training class or above may perform these installations.

Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater. We are certified residential hybrid installers. Reduce water heating costs by up to 66% compared to standard electric water heaters while dehumidifying, and cooling ambient air at the same time. *10 year warranty * Powered anode rod

Hybrid water heaters

Hybrid water heaters use a heat pump when possible to heat water more efficiently than standard electric water heaters. They come with a powered anode rod which means less maintenance, and a longer lifespan than a standard water heater. They are fully electric and require no gas connection or flue pipe. They are a great choice if you want to replace an old electric water heater with a new model because they can reduce heating costs by up to 66%.

Standard water heaters (tank water heaters)

Whether you want an electric water heater or gas water heater we only install good quality. All of our water heater installations use water heaters with brass fittings instead of plastic. This is because we believe if it needs to be done, it needs to be done right. You will find that the other materials we use are high quality as well whether it’s a gas valve and flex connector, or water shutoff valve and flex connectors we make sure you have good quality material installed to uniform plumbing code specifications to ensure years of trouble free use, and the safety of you and your family.

With our specialization in Water Heaters we have come to find most homes are in need of a Water Heater upgrade. These days there are many options to save you time and money when it comes to providing hot water for your family or business. Please call us Today to schedule your water heater installation at 209-352-4294. We provide water heater installations, and service for Tuolumne County, and Calaveras County, including the towns of Sonora, Twain Harte, Mi Wuk Village, Groveland, Copperopolis, Angels Camp, Murphys, Arnold, and San Andreas.

View our Water Heating solutions listed on the right side of this page. Also check out our on water heater problems and solutions.

http://optimizedpiping.com/blog/water-heater-problem/

Customer service is our top priority. We respect you and your property,and strive to have 5 star service for every customer. We do it all. If you do not see a service listed here please don’t hesitate to use our contact page to inquire about any other service you may need. Or click here

for more info: http://optimizedpiping.com/blog/sonora-ca-plumbers/

February 1, 2015 by Curtis McQuinn Leave a Comment

New water heater requirements coming 2015 explained by a Sonora Ca plumbing contractor

Sonora Ca plumbing Contractor explains:

New water heater requirements go into affect April 2015

The NAECA (National Appliance Energy Conservation Act) is requiring improvements for energy efficiency on water heaters starting April 16 2015. This is leaving property owners wondering what this will mean for them when their inefficient water heater needs to be replaced. Below you can find what changes will be made and how they can affect your next water heater installation.

For help deciding which water heating option is best for you call us at 209-352-4294.

Increased insulation thickness of 2″ or more

Expect your new storage tank type water heater to have more insulation to improve it’s efficiency. The extra insulation around your water heater will probably make it 2″ or more in diameter, and 2″ or more in height. This will make areas where the water heater barely fit before unusable for the new water heater, or could just require more labor for the installation which will add more to the cost.

Biggest changes for water heater installations in Sonora Ca over 55 gallons

A new electric water heater over 55 gallons will probably need to be the new hybrid electric heat pump style. This is because the efficiency requirement is raising from around .86 to around 1.97 for most models of electric water heater over 55 gallons. Expect this to add well over $1,000 to the cost of a standard electric water heater. The costs can be offset not only by savings from the extra efficiency (about 2X as efficient), but many electric companies are offering rebates of around $500. The hybrid electric heat pump water heaters are much larger than standard electric models and may require changes to the installation area. They also work like a refrigerator in reverse (instead of keeping the inside cool and blowing heat out the bottom, they keep the heat in the water and push the cool air to the surrounding room.

A new gas water heater over 55 gallons will most likely need to be a condensing unit which will cost more not only for the water heater but also for changes that will need to be made for the venting, and possible condensate.

Tankless water heater requirements

New tankless water heater installations will need to use units with an energy factor of .82 compared to the current standard of .62. This won’t make much of a difference for our customers because the condensing tankless water heaters we have been installing have an energy factor of .97 which is much higher than even the new standard. These high efficiency models have been a big draw because of the higher cost of propane to heat water compared to areas that use natural gas. But with the changes in standard tank style water heaters and the higher cost of installation we expect even more customers to see the value in spending a little more upfront to get the most energy efficient models.

What is an energy factor?

Basically the energy factor is the percentage of energy that is used and converted into hot water. A energy factor of .97 means that 97% of the energy used is converted to hot water. You’ll notice that the hybrid heat pump water heaters ratings are much higher than even the most efficient gas tankless water heaters. This doesn’t exactly mean the cost of heating is lower because you are comparing two energy sources that have different costs. The rates of electricity and propane would need to be factored in to find the lowest cost.

Optimized Plumbing and Piping is a Sonora, Ca based plumbing contractor who provides plumbing service and repair, residential and commercial plumbing for new construction and remodel, and hydronic heating and radiant heating in Tuolumne, Calaveras and Stanislaus counties.

September 18, 2014 by Curtis McQuinn 1 Comment

Residential fire sprinklers sonora ca

Optimized Plumbing & Piping installs residential fire sprinklers in Sonora, Ca

If you are building a new house and need someone to install the fire sprinklers you have come to the right place. We can install stand alone residential fire sprinkler systems or a combination potable water and fire sprinkler system that can cut costs by eliminating the need for expensive check valves, back flow devices, and the maintenance that goes along with them.

Benefits of residential fire sprinklers for your Sonora CA house

Lives are saved and less people are injured in the event of a fire when fire sprinklers are in place.
Besides the most important benefit of saving lives fire sprinklers also save property. The idea that fire sprinklers cause more damage than a fire in not true. This is because a residential fire sprinkler head only goes off when it reaches a certain temperature. Just because one sprinkler head goes off doesn’t mean they will all go off. This keeps any damage from water to a minimum. In almost all cases the fire would have caused the damage anyways and possibly much more, not to mention the large amounts of water from a fire hose that would otherwise be needed to put the fire out.
Many times insurance premiums can be lower if residential fire sprinklers are installed.

Residential fire sprinkler design

We work with designers to build a complete combination potable water system and residential fire sprinkler system. Once we have approved plans we will forward the information needed about the site to designers who will design a system that will function correctly. Once the system is installed we check that the sizing of the residential fire sprinkler system was designed correctly by doing a flow test of the system. This information is kept by the residential fire sprinkler design company.

So in short hand us a set of building drawings and we’ll do the rest. No hiring multiple contractors for the two systems, or trying to get fire sprinkler designs on your own. One call does it all. 209-352-4294

September 11, 2014 by Curtis McQuinn Leave a Comment

Tankless water heater installation and repair Modesto, Ca

Tankless water heater installation and repair is one of our top plumbing services in Modesto, Ca including Riverbank, Oakdale and all other parts of Stanislaus County. Since tankless water heaters are pretty complex with many parts most repairs should be left to a professional, but there are some problems that can be solved by the average homeowner. Below I’ll write about one of the most common problems with a tankless water heater that could be solved by a homeowner, but remember if you smell gas, hear funny noises or have a tankless water heater error code immediately turn of the water heater, turn off gas if possible and give a professional a call (209)352-4294.

A pretty common problem with tankless water heaters that we hear from our customers around Modesto, Ca is that the tankless water heater will either not turn on, or will turn on and then turn off. We have found that many times this is caused by a lack of flow through the water heater. A tankless water heater knows when to turn on when a flow sensor senses a flow of water through the tankless water heater. Most until have a minimum flow rate that will turn them on. If the water flow is below this amount the tankless water heater can turn on and then turn off, or never turn on at all. This can be caused from turning the temperature up too high. What happens is the higher temperature water is used to mix with cold water to make water that is suitable for a shower, hand washing, or bathing, and it takes less 140 degree water than 120 degree water to mix with cold water to make a comfortable temperature water. This causes less water to move through the water heater because more heat is being stored in the 140 degree water, and sometimes causes the unit not sensing flow. This problem can often show up in the summer because incoming cold water is usually warmer and requires even less hot water when mixing to get it up to the desired temperature.

The problem can be solved by adjusting the temperature down from it’s higher set point. Most tankless water heaters installed in Modesto, Ca have a high enough flow rate to turn on when set at 120 degrees. Many tankless water heaters like the Navien NPE series have a controller on the front that can be re-set by pushing the down button. Other tankless water heaters need a part on the panel inside switched out to set it at the lower temperature. If you need help troubleshooting your tankless water heater or making a repair give us a call at (209)352-4294

August 27, 2014 by Curtis McQuinn Leave a Comment

Plumbers in Arnold CA

Looking for a plumber in Arnold, Ca? Call Optimized Plumbing & Piping!

Our Arnold, Ca plumbers offer 24/7 assistance- to give you the help you need when you need it with our 24 hour phone line at: 209-743-9821
Hire accredited professionals. When investing in a new plumbing installation like a new water hook up, water heater or just a minor repair get technicians who have completed course work, and passed required competency tests.
Professional grade equipment- Quality work requires quality tools
Our Arnold, Ca plumbing service offers competitive pricing with the very highest quality of service.

If you are in need of a new water line connection in the fly in acres area give us a call.

Our standard water service installation is top notch, and includes 18″ trench shaded with sand, and uponer PEX pipe. Permits are pulled for all required connections, and installation is performed by plumbers who are trained in the trade. Don’t waste money on inferior installations that could leave you paying for repairs after just a few years.

Shading the pipe with sand before backfilling with native soil (that contains rocks, and other abrasive debris) can save your pipe from excessive wear over the years. Many leaks that surface after a short time could have been prevented by backfilling the ditch with sand to cover the pipe, and protect it from rocks.

Pex pipe does not split or crack when frozen! Compared to the high cost of copper, and the tendency of PVC pipe to split ot break when frozen Pex is the material of choice for your Arnold, Ca new water service installation. Pex can also be unrolled for the length of ditch as one continuous piece of pipe leaving less chance of an underground leak. With PVC pipe the chance of a leak on a glued joint or fitting is much higher than with a continuous length of pex that has no glue joints.

Pex is such a good material it can be installed indoors per the Uniform Plumbing Code. The same cannot be said for PVC which is reserved for drainage, or water lines outside the house and irrigation piping.

Whether you’re a full time resident, or own a vacation cabin in the fly in acres area of Arnold, Ca you don’t want to have to worry about PVC pipe splitting during a freeze, or leaking at an underground glue joint. Call Optimized Plumbing & Piping today at: 209-743-9821 to request a free quote.

Call Now 209-352-4294