Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Using Tankless Water Heater to Save Money

Winters are here and everyone needs warm things whether it is a dress to wear, coffee to drink or water to take bath. As there are many hot water heaters available in the market, it is not a big problem for a home to use as much hot water as they want anymore. Generally, there are two types of hot water heater: conventional tank water heaters and tankless water heaters. Conventional tank water heaters were widely used before tankless hot water heater was invented.

Conventional hot water heaters used to have many problems. For example, it takes a long time to heat up water and uses much more energy to keep the water hot in the tank. Now this problem is solved by the newly invented tankless water heater. Tankless hot water heater is also called ondemand water heater or instantaneous water heater. Tankless water heater, by the name, does not have any tanks for the storage of water. It heats the water when it is turned on. Thus, it uses energy only when the hot water is needed. This is one of the main reasons that it uses much less energy.

There are two main types of tankless water heater. The first one is called full on type, and the second type is called modulated type. Full on type of tankless water heater's power productivity level is not changeable. It means that the power of these tankless water heaters is either on or off. For modulated type tankless water heater, the total volume of water flowing out of the valve will determine the amount of output.

Usually, tankless water heater can be powered by either gas or electricity. The price for these 2 types of water heaters is in the same range, and their functions are very similar. However, depends on the users' location, the price for the gas and electricity may be different. Since we will need use the water heater everyday, choosing the right type of tankless hot water heater could save money in the energy bill.

There are many factors that need be considered carefully when buying a tankless water heater. These factors include level of requirement, type of temperature required and type of fuel to be used. Consumers should compare the quality and the price of different brands. Checking other users' feedback on various websites will be very helpful too. If a friend is using a tankless water heater at home, ask the friend for his experience, it will be a great help to you to make the right decision.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Hot Water Heater - How To Save the Cost

The regular hot water heater lasts for eight to twelve years. Nowadays, most of the tanks are steel lined with porcelain or glass. It deteriorates and oxidizes over time. Although in some homes, hot water heater's life span is about fifteen to twenty years, it is important to remember that although water heater remains working, it is much less efficient since residues will build up inside the heater tank.

There are some easy methods to increase the active life span of the hot water heater:

*    Second anode pole - installing of these rod can increase immensely the water heater's life. Sacrificial pole made of aluminum or magnesium goes through overtime-galvanic corrosion. This rod sacrifices itself to prevent the corrosion of the heater tank.

*    Flushing or cleaning the tank - flushing of the older tank can help rid of the residues or sediment build up thus maintaining longer and higher efficiency of the tank. Nowadays, there are numerous models of hot water heater tanks having self-cleaning ability.

*    Expansion Tank - installing another tank or expansion tank can prolong the functional life of the tank. This is done if you are in closed system. The heater expands when it's heated between 50 and 120 degree Celsius through 2% approximately. Therefore, fifty gallons produces additional one-gallon volume.

*    Water softeners - Several areas southwestern united stated and south California have water that contains high mineral also known as the hard water. This hard water affects the water tank and even appliances that causes scaling due to the mineral precipitations. Therefore, it will reduce drastically the life span of the water heater. Through water softener, it can help decrease the tearing and wearing of the plumbing water system because of hard water.

*    Installation of regulating pressure valve - the water with high pressure beyond 90 PSI can cause the unit to fail ahead of time and it can damage your appliances. Water system pressure will reduce if you install the regulating pressure valve. It can also reduce the tearing and wearing of all your appliances. Be reminded that it is better to install extension tank if you have PRV.

Except increasing the hot water heater's life span, another simple way to save operating costs and energy is insulating your water heater. Experiments verified that it can lower heating water bill from 4% to 9% and can reduce 25% up to 50% loss of stand by heat just through putting the blanket made of extraordinary insulation. You can also insulate the water pipes - insulated pipes of hot water raises the efficient temperature of hot water at the faucet or at the showerhead by 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit beyond the similar setting of the water heater if not all pipes are insulated.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Introduction to Tankless Hot Water Heater and Why It Is Better

For many years, the standard water heating systems in households has been the regular tanked hot water heater. They provide hot water for the house activities. But sometimes, these water heaters are inconvenient for the homeowner. Now, tankless hot water heater is availabel on the market. It is more energy efficient and convenient.

What is a tankless hot water heater?

As the name suggests, tankless water heaters do not have a storage tank where traditional water heaters heat the water before distributing to the pipelines. Instead, tankless heaters heat up the water as it passes through a series of pipes inside the unit. In electric tankless units, heating elements are responsible for heating the water. In a gas-powered tankless water heater, gas-burners quickly heat up the water passing inside the heater unit, giving you hot water on demand.

Why should we choose tankless hot water heater?

Tankless hot water heater has lots of advantages over the traditional hot water heater. One of which is that you will not run out of hot water ever again. With tankless water heaters, you have an endless supply of hot water whenever you need it. Unlike the conventional water heaters with tanks where you have a very limited amount of hot water available, tankless water heaters almost instantaneously heat up the water as it goes into the heating unit, which means there is no more waiting for hot water. If you have a big family, tankless water heaters would be of great advantage. 

How much does tankless hot water heater cost?

The only negative thing about tankless water heater is that it is more expensive than the traditional one. A regular tankless heater is almost the same price as a high-end model tank water heater. Costing about a thousand dollars each, many people may think it is not affordable. However, if you consider how much you can lower your energy bill, the price is actually reasonable. With the development of more advanced technology, tankless water heater is much more energy efficient than the tanked ones. It can cut the energy bill upto 50%.

With a tank water heater, even when nobody is using it, the gas-burners or heating elements are always on to keep the temperature of the water. Otherwise, there will have no hot water available immediately and you will have to wait for some time, then can use the hot water when you need it. With a tankless water heater, the heater turns itself on only when someone needs to use hot water. This is the main reason of its high energy efficiency.

These are just some of the advantages of owning a tankless water heater. For you to discover the other benefits, why not go to your local store to get more information about the tankless water heater?

Fwd: Why Tankless Hot Water Heater Is Better

Conventional tanked water heating systems has been the standard in households for a long time. They provide hot water for the house activities. But sometimes, these water heaters are inconvenient for the homeowner. Now, thanks to the advances in technology, a more efficient and energy-saving choice is available, the tankless water heater.

hot water heater

What is a tankless hot water heater?

As the name suggests, tankless water heaters do not have a storage tank where traditional water heaters heat the water before distributing to the pipelines. Instead, tankless heaters heat up the water as it passes through a series of pipes inside the unit. In electric tankless units, heating elements are responsible for heating the water. In a gas-powered tankless hot water heater, gas-burners quickly heat up the water passing inside the heater unit, giving you hot water on demand.

Why should we choose tankless hot water heater?

There are lots of advantages that tankless heaters have over the traditional tanked water heaters. One of which is that you will not run out of hot water ever again. With tankless water heaters, you have an endless supply of hot water whenever you need it. Unlike the conventional water heaters with tanks where you have a very limited amount of hot water available, tankless water heaters almost instantaneously heat up the water as it goes into the heating unit, which means there is no more waiting for hot water. If you have a big family, tankless water heaters would be of great advantage. 

How much does tankless heater cost?

The only downside about tankless water heater is that the initial investment is more than the traditional one. A regular tankless heater is almost the same price as a high-end model tank water heater. Costing about a thousand dollars each, many people may think it is not affordable. However, if you consider how much energy cost you can reduce, the price is actually reasonable. With the development of more advanced technology, tankless water heater is much more energy efficient than the tanked ones. It can cut the energy bill upto 50%.

With a tank hot water heater, to make sure that there is plenty of hot water in the tank, the gas-burners or heating elements are always on to maintain the temperature of the water, even if no one needs it. With a tankless water heater, the heater turns itself on only when someone needs to use hot water. This is the main reason of its high energy efficiency.

These are just some of the advantages of owning a tankless water heater. For you to discover the other benefits, why not purchase one so that you can see it by yourself?

Thursday, July 28, 2011

You May Fix these Toilet Problems By Yourself

You actually do not have to use a plumber every time to fix the toilet problems when you can do it on your own. There are a number of toilet repair tutorials that you can find online. They can help you diagnose the problem and get the right solution. Usually, it would help a lot when you actually have some plumbing supplies on hand, so that you can fix the problem quickly.

Learning how to do toilet repair on your own may be a bit difficult at first, but once you get to familiarize yourself with the parts such as fill valve and flush valve, it is really easy to do. Fill valve and flush valve are two main parts of a modern toilet. Part of learning how to do toilet repair is to learn how to troubleshoot these two parts when the time comes. This may involve checking for leaks. In many situations, leaks are caused by clogging.

Water Heaters

To find out whether there are any leaks, the first step is to mark the water level after shutting off the water supply. If the water level goes down, it is clearly a leak. You only need adjust the refill valve a little bit. If the float itself seems to be the problem, then just unscrew the float and see whether it contains any water. If it does, simply remove the water and screw it back on. Of course, if the tank has some cracks on it, then you can apply some glues to fix it. But, if it has too many cracks or a crack is too big, then you will need change the tank.

What we should we do to unclog toilet? There are really many Choises. First, you can try to solve the problem manually by using a plunger. If it did not work, then you can try using an auger, which works like a snake. It follows the contour of your toilet drain pipes to clear the clog. You may also try the closet auger. It is one of the preferred tools of professionals for clogging problems. If it still did nto work, then you may use enzymes. However, remember that, enzymes only work for organic wastes. Plumbing Supplies If the enzyme did not work, then you can try drain cleaning chemicals. Although we do not recommend using chemicals given that it is not environment friendly, it works in most situations. After you tried all the choices, and if it still did not work, then you will have to call a professional.

The Internet is your best friend if you decided to learn how to repair toilet by yourself. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can easily find the right documents, even video tutorials, to teach you how to do it step by step. By following the guidelines from professionals, you will save some money and time.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Featuring Higher Efficiency and Easier PVC Venting - Eco-Friendly NRC98 Tankless Water Heater

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA -- The ENERGY STAR-rated NRC98, the newest addition to the Noritz ecoTOUGH™ Series of gas-fired residential condensing tankless water heaters, has an Energy Factor of 0.93, a rating that is nearly 10 points higher than that of a comparably sized, conventional tankless unit. The 0.93 EF is also approximately 30 points higher than a standard, tank-type gas-fired water heater.

With a maximum flow rate of 9.8 gallons per minute (gpm) and temperature settings from 100F to 140F, the new NRC98 protects the environment by heating water strictly on demand, while offering a longer product life cycle than storage tank-type models. In addition, it promises lower emissions, reduced electrical consumption, smaller amounts of potentially hazardous construction materials, and easier recyclability of those materials and components once the product is removed from service.

Featuring a standard Btu input range of 16,000 to 180,000, the NRC98 Tankless Water Heater is engineered to fully meet the domestic hot water needs of northern residences with two bathrooms and southern homes with three baths. A two-pipe direct vent model for indoor installation, the NRC98-DV, will be available for shipment August 1. An outdoor model, the NRC98-OD, will be available during the fourth quarter of this year.

Installation flexibility:

Condensing technology permits venting with installer-friendly PVC or CPVC piping, instead of Category III Stainless Steel. The less costly, zero clearance plastic piping enables longer vent runs - up to 62 linear feet with 3-inch PVC - and therefore greater installation flexibility. A PVC adapter built into the flue of the NRC98-DV speeds the vent connection, and a factory-supplied increaser fitting facilitates the creation of a 4-inch run, if required.


Both of the new NRC98 models also offer the following key features and components:


LOWER EMISSIONS:

The high-efficiency, low-NOx Eco-Burner has a nitrogen-oxide emissions level of 20 parts per million (ppm), which will comply with the new South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) regulations that go into effect on January 1, 2012. The new regulations apply to any boiler or water heater rated from 75,000 to 400,000 Btu per hour.


TRUE TANKLESS EFFICIENCY:

The advanced technology of the fully modulating Eco-Burner also delivers superior temperature control, eliminating the need for a buffer tank to stabilize the temperature. This, in turn, removes another potential source of standby heat loss, thus maintaining system efficiency.

TWO DURABLE HEAT EXCHANGERS:

-Primary: The internal waterways of the commercial-grade, primary heat exchanger are 25 percent thicker than Noritz's residential-grade model. Its copper con-struction offers better heat transfer than stainless steel.

-Secondary: Made entirely of stainless steel to resist corrosion from fluid produced by the condensing process, the secondary heat exchanger uses a low-pressure-loss design to provide a better showering experience across a wide range of household water pressures.

12-YEAR RECIRCULATION WARRANTY:

Like all Noritz residential tankless water heater products that feature the company's durable, commercial-grade heat exchanger, the NRC98 is covered by a 12-year/6,500-hour warranty when used with controlled recirculation systems that deliver hot water more quickly to the tap.

Eco-friendly commitment:

In addition to higher combustion efficiencies and reduced atmospheric pollution, the Noritz ecoTOUGH Series also includes the following green improvements over the previous generation of Noritz tankless water heaters:

-reduced amounts of hexad chrome in the coating of the exterior and the burner case;

-reduced amounts of lead in the water-flow servomotor, the lightning protector and the circuit boards;

-reduced amount of cadmium in the inlet/outlet bracket;

-reduced consumption of standby electricity by the power transformer.

In addition, Noritz has affixed specific alpha codes to various plastic components within the NRC98 to help identify their material makeup when it is time to recycle the unit. For example, the polystyrene PCB cover is labeled "OS"; the polypropylene neutralizer tank is marked "PP."

"Noritz is committed to investing in eco-friendly technologies and practices that will reduce the burdens on our environment," says Jay Hassel, Vice President of Marketing for the Noritz America Corporation.

Extending the series: Later this year, according to Hassel, Noritz expects to further extend the ecoTOUGH Series by unveiling a smaller, 160,000 Btu/h unit with a flow rate of 8.3 gpm, again with both direct-vent and outdoor models. Noritz previously introduced the NRC111, with inputs up to 199,000 Btu/h and a flow rate of 11.1 gpm.

"Any contractor or builder currently using power-vent, tank-type water heaters should take a closer look at condensing technology and the advantages it offers," says Hassel, who adds that the price points of these two water-heater types are "very close."

"Our goal at Noritz is to provide a full line of high-efficiency condensing tankless water heaters that will cost-effectively meet the hot-water needs of every American household, regardless of size."

For more information on the new NRC98-DV and NRC98-OD condensing tankless water heaters and other Noritz products, visit Noritz.com or call 866.766.7489.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

2011 Tax Credit for Tankless Water Heater



2011 Tax Credit for Tankless Water Heater is up to $300, but in some situations, you may claim up to $500 tax credit. Click here for more details about your local rebate for energy efficient tankless water heaters .