FAQ — Bella Vista and Casa Pacis

Water Conservation

— PLEASE CONSERVE WATER
— PARTICULARLY TRY TO MINIMIZE USE OF HOT WATER

One way to conserve water is being conscientious about using hot water. We have, therefore, marked all hot water faucets with a red square so to remind us if it is really needed to use hot water at this particular instance.

The water heater (a new “tankless” propane-fired heater in Bella Vista, and a conventional electric heater at Casa Pacis) is located at a considerable distance from any of the faucets in the house. Before heated water reaches the faucet, the cold water residing in the pipes between the heater and the faucet must first be replaced with hot water, and the copper pipes themselves must be heated up. Only when that is completed will you enjoy hot water at the faucet. But by that time you will have used a considerable amount of water: About ONE GALLON in Casa Pacis and in the kitchen of Bella Vista, and as much as TWO GALLONS in the bathrooms of Bella Vista. All this water is wasted and runs down the drain.

Being conscientious about using hot water has a secondary beneficial effect: it also conserves energy, which helps reducing global warming. All this cold water — along with the copper pipes in which it flows — we are wasting until a hot stream is finally coming out of the faucet is already senselessly being heated at the source in our house. This costs energy that does nobody any good. The end product of using propane for water heating is carbon dioxide being emitted into the air, contributing to the dreaded global warming with climate change, which we need to keep in check.

— “FLO” WATER FLOW SHUT-OFF DEVICE

A vacation home, such as Bella Vista, is by definition, occasionally unoccupied. Problems with the water system can happen, and if a pipe or hose bursts, especially inside the house, a huge water loss and significant water damage can result. To avoid this from ever happening, we have installed a “FLO-by-Moen” detection device that continually monitors the water flow and pressure inside the house and turns the water mains off when an “unusual” water draw is detected.

This system is extremely sensitive and will act even when a small unusual flow persists for longer than “usual,” such as a faucet not completely shut or a toilet flapper sticking. I has happened —- albeit very rarely — that a guest taking an unusually long shower triggered such a shut-off. Please be “forewarned” of this eventuality. If my phone will not catch it in time, and a shutoff actually occurs, I can quickly re-open the valve remotely.

———————————————————————

RETURN TO FAQs (Bella Vista)

RETURN TO FAQs (Casa Pacis)

RETURN TO BELLA VISTA HOME PAGE

RETURN TO CASA PACIS HOME PAGE

052024