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Benefits of a tankless water heater
Published January 8, 2011 | 
Conventional storage tank water heaters have been used since the early twentieth century. While most household electronics have taken great strides in terms of new technology and efficiency, the traditional tank water heater has not. Most consumers do not need a lesson in the inefficiencies and problems associated with traditional water heaters as we have all experienced them at one time or another. With energy costs continuing to rise and interest in household technology and environmental stewardship at an all-time high, the concept of “on demand” or tankless water heating has increase dramatically in popularity during the past decade.
The general premise behind a tankless water heater is to only heat water “on demand” as it is needed. This eliminates the need for a storage tank and dramatically increases energy efficiency.
Benefits of the tankless water heater
- Reduce water heating costs as much as 50%! – Tankless water heaters heat entirely on demand only when hot water is needed. Since there is no hot water storage, thermal heat loss is almost completely eliminated.
- Tankless heaters never run out of hot water – they can literally run all day long if necessary and they will never stop producing hot water since they heat water instantly on demand.
- Sophisticated tankless heaters allow you to set the ongoing water temperature to a much more reasonable and safer temperature, closer to the actual temperature you will use the water at, thereby reducing risk of scalding. According to the US. Department of Energy, for each 10°F reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3%-5% in energy costs.
- Since hot water is not stored, tankless water heaters generally handle hard water minerals and sediments much better than conventional tanks. This makes them far less likely to leak or rupture, and able to maintain efficiency throughout their whole lifecycle. Accordingly, many have much longer warranties.
- Tankless water heaters can last more than 20 years.
- Tankless water heaters are about the size of a briefcase (electric units) – they save valuable floor space that can be used for storage etc. especially in condos and apartments.
Maintaining Good Indoor Air Quality during the Winter
Published December 10, 2010 | Winter may be a great time to “hibernate”, but if the air inside your home isn’t up to par, then it’s time to follow some tips to improve and maintain the quality of the air you breath.
Reduce indoor contaminants by:
- Changing filters in forced-air heating systems every 3 months, or when they become dirty, whichever comes first.
- Cleaning and freshening the air with non-toxic products.
- Avoiding harmful VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, if you’re sprucing up the house with paint. Low-VOC paint and paint that contains zero VOCs are readily available and can be color matched just like any other paint.
- Making sure combustion appliances, like gas stoves, fireplaces, boilers, and furnaces are working properly.
- Regularly cleaning, dusting and vacuuming to reduce allergens such as dust mites and pet hair & dander.
- Fixing plumbing leaks and getting rid of excess moisture, in the bathroom, kitchen and basement. Throw away items that have been contaminated with mold and mildew, and thoroughly clean surfaces, such as bathroom tiles, that have become moldy and mildewy. Make sure exhaust fans vent to the outdoors.
- Eliminating secondhand smoke in your home (and car).
- Being aware of sources of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and toxic gas that causes health effects which are often mistaken for the flu. Install carbon monoxide detectors in living spaces.
- Testing your home for cancer-causing radon, a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that can enter a home through cracks and openings in floors and walls that are in contact with the ground. Testing your home is simple and inexpensive.
General Winter Heating Conservation Tips
Published October 29, 2010 | Here are tips consumers can follow during the winter months to stay warm and save on energy bills at little or no cost:
- Close draperies at night and on cloudy days and open them on sunny days.
- Use a sunny room as living space to read the paper or eat a meal on sunny, cold days. Upholstered furniture will soak up the heat when placed in a sunny spot.
- Install your storm doors and windows.
- Purchase plastic window covering kits or interior storm window kits. Carefully follow instructions.
- Seal doors with draft-reducing weather-stripping and door sweeps.
- Lower your thermostat to 60 degrees while you’re away during the day.
- Use more blankets in bed at night to keep your body warm enough without warming your whole home.
- Replace furnace filters regularly.
- Dress warm. Wear layers of clothing, such as a sweater over a shirt over an undershirt. This insulates the air trapped between the layers.
- Lower the water heater thermostats to the lowest level that meets your hot water needs (midway between the “low” and “medium” settings on many units). Each decrease of 10 degrees saves five percent on water heating costs.
Fall Energy Savings Tips
Published September 28, 2010 | As we enter Fall, here are some tips that can help you save energy!
- About 80 to 85% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes – use less water and use cooler water. Your clothes will be just as clean as using warm, or hot water and you’ll save money by not heating water to wash clothes. Costs are 26¢ per load using hot water and 11¢ per load using warm water.
- Use natural gas for cooking, water heating and drying clothes. Natural gas can save up to 30% more in costs than using electric for these appliances and is better for the environment.
- Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F. For each 10°F reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3% – 5% in energy costs.
- Now is a good time to have your furnace inspected, cleaned and that your filters have been replaced.
Effective Air Conditioning Tips to help you SAVE MONEY!
Published August 21, 2010 | The less demand you put on Air Conditioning System, the less energy you’ll utilize and the longer your unit will last. Here are some suggestion to maximize your energy usage:
- Avoid overcooling. Unfortunately, many buildings are far chillier than necessary. For most people, 78°F. degrees is perfectly comfortable. Yet many homes and businesses crank the temperature down as far as 65°. You can save a lot of money–and fight global warming–by the simple act of setting your temperature higher. Going upward a single degree, in fact, can reduce your air conditioning bill by 3% to 5%. If you are not going to be home, raise the temperature to 85° or 90°. You can use a timer to automatically bring the temperature down to 78° just before you come back.
- Insulate and tighten up your house. No matter how efficient an air conditioning system is, it can’t perform well in a house with insufficient insulation and poor sealing. Checking for leaky ducts is particularly important. A huge amount of energy–well over $100 a year–can be wasted if they leak. Speaking of leakage, keep doors and windows closed when your air conditioner is on.
- Cool with fans. By circulating air, fans make us feel cooler, yet they use only a fraction of the energy required by air conditioners. Unless it is very humid where you live, a large fan that vents to the outside in the top-floor ceiling may radically reduce your need for air conditioning. Even a good attic fan can cut air conditioning costs up to 30%. Using your bathroom fan can cut your home’s humidity–another way to make you feel cooler.
- Don’t cool unoccupied rooms. If you have room air conditioners, shut them off and shut the doors. With central air conditioning, shut off registers in some of the rooms you are not using. But, be careful. If the thermostat is in the room you have closed off, the system will continue running long after the rest of the home is cool.
- Keep your AC clean. If you have a room air conditioner, remove and rinse off its filter (usually behind the inlet grill) every month. If you have a central air conditioner, have the condenser unit professionally cleaned at least every other year. Clean all registers and air inlets and outlets. This is important not only for efficiency, but to prevent buildup of dust and mold than can harm your respiratory system. Every three years, have a technician add a tune-up and inspection to the cleaning. Among other tasks, the technician will check your refrigerant level. If it’s low, you’re wasting as much as 20% of your air conditioner’s energy. Proper airflow is also critical.
- Buy energy-efficient appliances. All electrical devices give off heat, so consider replacing old refrigerators and incandescent light bulbs. Unplug electronic equipment when it’s not in use.
- When you paint or re-roof, consider “cool” exterior finishes. Light-colored or other “cool” roofing and siding products can reduce peak cooling demand by 10% to 15%.
- Be aware of windows. Close drapes and shutters on windows on the sunny side of the house. If it’s time to replace your windows, get the double-glazed type with a coating that reduces heat coming in from the sun.
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