Why You Need a Water Softener System

Why You Need a Water Softener System

by | Jun 21, 2021 | Uncategorized

In today’s blog post, we discuss all things soft water! Why hard water can be hard on you and your home and how a water softener system will help! 

Hard Water

It’s no secret that the water in Regina is well…a little rough around the edges. Hard water contains high levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which can be hard, no pun intended, on your skin, hair, and overall plumbing. 

In your everyday life this may look like:

  • The presence of dry irritated skin
  • Spots on your dishes and flatware
  • Scaling and build up on plumbing fixtures (ie: bathtub and sink faucets) 
  • Residue on your dishes after they’ve been washed

So what’s your next move? The solution to your health and your corroding pipes desires….a water softener system! 

Benefits of a Water Softener System

A water softener system helps contribute to a healthier life and makes your home appliances last longer. What’s not to love? 

There are a number of benefits to having a water softener system:

  • Healthier Skin: You won’t have to worry about that “dry skin” feeling right after you step out of the shower which means you might save some $$ on moisturizing lotion as well! 
  • Stronger Hair: Is your hair feeling dry, damaged and somewhat lifeless? Styling tools and the type of hair products you use can sometimes play a role here, but typically the number one culprit can be hard water drying out your hair and scalp. When the harsh minerals are removed from your water, the difference will be shiny healthier hair. 
  • Softer Laundy: When your clothes are constantly being washed in water containing harsh minerals, fabrics can deteriorate over time, compromising the integrity and quality of some of your most favourite pieces. Say goodbye to mineral build-up on clothing leaving them feeling rough with an “unwashed” look. 
  • Purifies Water Taste: Have you ever had a tall cold glass of metallic tasting water? Then you know just how unpleasant the experience can be! A water softener removes that overly earthy taste, leaving your tap water tasting filtered and refreshed. 
  • Gentle on Pipes & Appliances: Hard water takes a toll on your home’s pipes and appliances. Over time corrosion occurs, leaving you with ungodly looking corroding spots and scale build-up that often ends with plumbing issues, aka more money out of your pocket. Soft water doesn’t leave a scaly build-up, ensuring the integrity of your pipes for years to come. 

North Star Water Softeners

At Reliance Heath, we trust North Star Water Softeners. Their simple to set, permanent program memory systems utilize meter-controlled regeneration, saving salt and water. With a great lineup of residential softeners, we’ll recommend the softener system that best fits your unique needs! 

The best part? When you rent a North Star softener from Reliance Heath, our annual rental fee includes routine maintenance free of charge. Thus, prolonging the life of your water softener system and saving you money in the long run. 

Your Soft Water Saviour

So, now that you’ve established that a water softener system is the best solution to combat hard water and all the effects that it can have on your body and your home, it’s time to soften things up. That’s where we come in! At Reliance Heath, ensuring that you and your family are well equipped with all the soft water that you need, 365 days of the year is our top priority. 

Our experienced and trusted experts are just one quick phone call away! Schedule an appointment today and experience the life-changing benefits of soft water. 

Why Am I Running Out Of Hot Water?

Why Am I Running Out Of Hot Water?

by | May 4, 2021 | Hot Water, Water Heaters

No More Hot Water? 

We’ve all been there. You’re in the middle of your much needed glorious hot shower after a long and tiring day and suddenly, as if out of nowhere a flood of piercingly cold water comes rushing through the shower head! “AHH” you scream as you try to maneuver your way out of the danger zone! You wait it out for a few seconds…..sometimes longer before it passes and you can get back to your lather and rinse. At this point you’re probably thinking one of three things (or maybe even a combination of these): 

  1. WOW, that was seriously cold!
  2. That’s the second time that’s happened this week! 
  3. Why the heck does this keep happening? 

Rest assured, we get it, we’ve been there and we can help! There are a few main reasons why this is happening and we can provide some helpful tips to avoid any screaming cold showers in the future! 

Excessive Hot Water Use

The first and most sometimes most common culprit resulting in lack of hot water is water usage. Particularly hot water over usage. Having your long hot shower right after you’ve cleaned up the kitchen from dinner and started the dishwasher may not be the best idea. Similarly, tossing those dirty gym clothes into the laundry machine right before your post-workout shower also won’t bode well in your favour. Being cognizant of when you’re using significant amounts of hot water and staggering those times so that your water heater has the appropriate amount of time needed to filter in new water and heat it will be pivotal in avoiding another cold shower blunder! 

There are also a couple of other helpful tips that we can provide to ensure that you’re making the absolute most out of your hot water! 

  1. Shorter Showers: Take shorter showers. The average shower usually lasts about 8.2 minutes, using 17.2 gallons of water. We know it’s easy to lose track of time singing along to your favourite playlist in the shower, but cutting that number down by 1-3 minutes can significantly reduce your hot water usage, energy consumption and your overall monthly water bill.  
  2. Load it up: Instead of tossing in a quick small load of laundry or popping in the 10 odd dirty dishes and cutlery, wait until you have full loads to run the dishwasher and the laundry machine. By doing so, you’re saving large amounts of hot water in the long run. 

Tank Size

Your water heater tank size could be another glaring indication of why your hot water keeps running out. As a general rule of thumb: 

Small Tank: A 50-60 gallon tank is sufficient for one to three people. 

Medium Tank: An 80 gallon tank is great for three to four people.

Large Tank: An 80+ gallon tank is best suited for four to six people.

If the size of your water tank doesn’t properly align with the amount of people in your household it could be the answer as to why you keep running out of hot water! It may be time for a water heater upgrade! 

Inefficient Elements

Have an electric heater and you’re continuously running out of hot water although you monitor and manage your usage? This may be an indication that a heating element in your water heater isn’t functioning properly. Electric water heaters typically have two heating elements. If one is burnt out, it significantly reduces the functionality and overall amount of hot water in your tank. Elements can stop working for various reasons: they may be burnt out or mineralization and build of could have occurred. We won’t be able to determine the problem until we come out and assess your water heater. 

Reliance to the Rescue

We’re here to get to the bottom of why you keep running out of hot water! At Reliance Heath, ensuring that you and your family are well equipped with all the hot water that you need, 365 days of the year is our top priority. Our team of trusted experts is just one phone call away! We’ll be out to assess your water heater and provide a recommended course of action! Say goodbye to cold water!

Electric vs. Gas Water Heaters: How Do They Work?

Electric vs. Gas Water Heaters: How Do They Work?

by | Apr 12, 2021 | Water Heaters

Today, we walk you through how both electric and gas water heaters work. We help you make a decision on which one is right for your family.

Electric vs. Gas Water Heaters

Time for a new water heater rental? Or maybe your owned water heater is on its last leg and you’re finally making the decision to switch to renting. Now that you’ve decided it’s time for an upgrade, you have to make the decision between electric or gas water heaters. Today, we’ll walk you through how each works and help you make the right decision for your family! 

Bradford White, the trusted and reliable product line that we use offers both gas and electric water heaters. Both promise to deliver on safety and performance! The main commonality between a gas water heater and an electric water heater is that their purpose is the same. Both have a large tank attached to a heating mechanism. That mechanism converts your cold water to hot water for a variety of different uses within your home. 

How Gas Works

You’ve heard of gas stoves, maybe you even have one in your home. Gas water heaters work in a somewhat similar way in that they burn gas which is then converted to heat. A typical gas water heater burns gas to heat the hot water located inside your home’s water heater tank.

As the hot water is used to wash dishes and take that hot shower after a long day, cold water then enters the chamber via a tube, filling the bottom of the tank. Located outside of a gas water heater you’ll find a gas valve. The valve attaches to a thermostat which will read the temperature of the water inside the tank. The thermostat reads the temperature of the cold water which has just entered, it then knows to open the gas valve. At which point the burner kicks in and begins to heat the cold water that remains at the bottom of the tank. This process then continues as you go about your routines and use hot water in your daily life.

Gas Water Heater Models

At Reliance Heath, we carry a number of Residential Gas Water Heaters that promise to deliver maximum efficiency! 

Not sure which gas water heater is best for your home? We can help. 

How Electric Works

Electric water heaters differ from gas water heaters in that they use electricity instead of gas to convert cold water into hot water. Located inside of the tank you’ll find two heating elements that heat the water inside of the tank. Based on your water heater temperature settings, the two elements will work together to heat the water to the set temperature. Once the desired temperature is reached, the elements will then turn off.

At Reliance Heath, we recommend that your water heater is not set above a temperature of 140 F or 78 C. The efficiency of the water heater largely depends on the tank and the heating elements. On every water heater, you’ll find a hot water pipe and a cold water pipe. The cold water pipe is attached to the dip tube. Then incoming water is then sent to the bottom of the tank to be heated and then sent out to the hot water pipe as you switch your dishwasher on or begin to run a warm bath. 

Electric Water Heater Model

Reliance Heath uses the  Bradford White AeroTherm® Series Heat Pump (RE) to heat your water like never before. With four easily selectable operation modes (Heat Pump, Hybrid, Electric, Vacation), the AeroTherm Series gives you control over your water heater’s energy consumption.

Your Best Water Heater Yet

We understand that efficiency, water bills, and having the smallest negative impact on the environment are usually our customer’s main concerns and we’ve got you covered. 

So, this all sounds great but you’re still unsure which type of water heater may be best for your family, given your home’s unique needs. No problem. Our team of trusted experts is just one phone call away! We’ll come down and assess your current water heater situation and provide you with a recommendation that is the optimal choice for your home. Get ready for your best water heater yet.

5 Reasons To Rent A Water Heater

5 Reasons To Rent A Water Heater

by | Mar 1, 2021 | Uncategorized

Are you trying to decide whether you should rent or buy your next water heater with the intention of minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency? Today, we’ll take a look at the benefits of renting versus buying, ensuring that you make the best choice for you and your family’s lifestyle. With 5 clear benefits, your decision will be a no-brainer. 

Annual Cost

Cost is an important factor to consider when deciding to buy or rent a water heater. The average cost of purchasing and installing a new water heater can range anywhere from $1200- $1500. Ouch. This number doesn’t include service and maintenance fees which can average $100 per service. 

On the off chance that your purchased water heater leaks, you may have to call a plumber to come in and change your water heater. The moment that the plumber shows up you may be looking at a bill that could run anywhere from $100 – $400 depending on the time and severity of the issue. Mentally picturing all the dollar signs? We get it. 

At Reliance Heath, our water heaters are rented annually. When you choose to rent a water heater instead of buying one, you are agreeing to an annual fixed price, with no hidden charges or surprises. We will provide you with a recommendation that is tailored specifically to your personal needs. We are able to determine this by factoring in the size of your home and the number of occupants. Based on this information, we will install the Bradford White water heater that is best suited for your lifestyle. Our free-of-charge service includes a 12 point service inspection to ensure that your new water heater is running efficiently. Say goodbye to the daunting question: “how much is this going to cost me?”

Free Maintenance

We’ve touched on the steep maintenance fees that can rack up (often at the most inconvenient times) when you own your water heater. We understand that these unexpected problems can throw a wrench in your life and leave your wallet feeling much lighter than anticipated. When you rent a water heater through Reliance Heath, there are NO additional costs to service your water heater. We provide routine maintenance-free of charge to all of our customers, prolonging its overall efficiency and lifespan. 

Having an issue with your water heater? We’ll be out within a day to assess the problem and provide a resolution. Renting is ultimately the contingency plan that buying will never be able to provide you with.

Reliable Product Line

Although it may seem insignificant at times, hot water provides you with not only practical uses but relaxation and memories that shape the way you live your life. It’s the well-deserved bath after a long day and the teachable moments of washing the dishes with your children.

At Reliance Heath, we recognize the importance of this and that’s why we use only the best commercial and residential brand available. Our highly trained technicians trust Bradford White Water Heaters. Their large selection of gas, electric, and power vented water heaters provide our customers with: 

  • Quality: Never worry if you’re going to run out of hot water again. Bradford White water heaters are built to last. We’ve trusted their brand for years and our customers have continued to have hot water, year after year. 
  • Safety: Bradford White products are designed with the highest level of safety. Their well-designed and engineered safety valves provide you with peace of mind. 

The water heater brand and service that you choose should be able to provide you with effective and efficient hot water solutions. Bradford White and Reliance Heath will deliver just that. 

Ability to Upgrade

Are you seeing a significant increase in hot water due to additional occupants within your home or a number of other factors? No problem. When you rent, you have the ability to upgrade your water heater to the size that’s going to deliver the hot water that you require, 365 days of the year. Our team of trained technicians will assess your home and provide you with the size and type of water heater that best fits your unique needs. 

Peace of Mind 

Finally, the last and most comforting reason that you should rent a water heater is for peace of mind. If an issue ever arises, knowing that the team at Reliance Heath is just one quick phone call away can make a world of difference. We’re always here and available to answer any of your questions or concerns, free of charge. 

The Decision Is Yours 

At Reliance Heath Water Heater Rentals, we strongly believe in the quality of our products and services, and you should too. Have questions? We’d love to get in touch. Call Reliance Heath to learn more.