Water Heater Tax Credit

October 14th, 2010 Posted in Water Heaters
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As we near the end of 2010, we also near the end of the $1500 tax credit for new energy efficient products installed in your home.  The tax credit includes qualified, energy efficient water heaters. Don’t let this opportunity go by to get a great new energy efficient water heater installed in your home.  By installing a qualified water heater, you’ll not only get a tax credit for up to $1500, you will save money on energy costs for years to come.

If your water heater will need to be replaced soon, don’t put it off until next year.  This tax credit expires at the end of December, 2010.  Even if your current water heater might last a couple more years, you will probably be better off taking advantage of this tax credit and installing a new qualified water heater before the end of the year.

The tax credit is available for gas, electric, or propane water heaters and includes installation costs too!  Call a reputable local plumber to arrange installation of a qualified energy efficient water heater.  An experienced plumber can get the job done if a few short hours and most reputable plumbers will also haul away and dispose of your old water heater.

Water heating accounts for up to 25% of home energy costs.  A new energy efficient water heater can mean big savings on your energy bills.  New energy efficient water heaters not only use less energy, they heat water faster.  Your new energy efficient water heater means energy savings, tax savings, and more hot water for baths, showers, laundry, and dishwashing.

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Toilet Tank Running

October 8th, 2010 Posted in Toilet Tanks
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Your toilet tank flushes fine, but doesn’t seem to know when to quit.  Either it runs continuously or it shut off, then starts running again.  A toilet tank that won’t stop running is not only noisy and annoying, it wastes a lot of water.  Fortunately, running toilet tanks are relatively easy to diagnose and repair.

First, take the lid off of the tank and see what kind of mechanism you have in your toilet tank.  Mechanisms may look different, but they all work on the same principles.  There is a flapper valve at the bottom of the tank that is attached by a chain to the flush lever.

Check the flapper valve first to see if it is working properly.  The pull chain or other debris may have gotten under the flapper valve which will cause the toilet to run constantly.  The flapper valve may have come loose and no longer seals properly.  If so, install a new flapper valve from any home improvement store.

If the flapper valve looks OK, check the float valve.  This may be a floating ball attached by a metal rod to the water inlet valve or a cylinderical float that fits around the inlet valve itself.  In either case, flush the toilet and watch the float as the tank fills.  When the float nears the top of the tank, the valve should close and the water should shut off.  If not, see if you can adjust the float valve to make the water shut off a little sooner.  If that doesn’t work, your float is probably leaking and you will need to install a new float and valve assembly.

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Smelly Kitchen Sink Drains

October 8th, 2010 Posted in Drains, Kitchen Sinks
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Many people complain that their kitchen sink ‘smells’.  Usually, these kitchen sinks have garbage disposals and a few simple tricks will help make the smell go completely away.

If you have a smelly kitchen sink, and you have a garbage disposal, it is likely that your garbage disposal needs to be cleaned.  When you turn on the garbage disposal, blades spin around grinding the food particles into small enough pieces to allow them to flow down the drain.

Often, the grinding isn’t complete, and pieces of food get stuck in your kitchen drain and begin to smell.  Basically, the food has begun to rot and that is what is causing the unpleasant odor.

The first step is to fill the kitchen sink where your garbage disposal is at up with warm, soapy water.  Degreasing detergents tend to work best, as grease particles are often the cause of some of the worse smells.  Next, remove the stink stopper, and turn on the garbage disposal.  Allow warm water to flow into the sink at the same time.  This action should help dislodge any ‘stuck’ food particles or grease, and will eliminate the smell.  You should notice immediate improvement.

If this didn’t work, and you still have an unpleasant odor, try the same thing, but this time use ½ cup of baking soda plus ½ cup of vinegar instead of detergent.  Continue to stream warm water and run the garbage disposal.  After approximately five minutes, pour 2-4 cups of clean, boiling water down the drain.

If you are still experiencing problems, you should contact your local plumber for assistance.  They will be able to further trouble shoot the cause of the odor and help remedy the problem.

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Endless Hot Water

October 8th, 2010 Posted in Endless Hot Water, Tankless Hot Water, Water Heaters
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With fall here, and winter around the corner, you want plenty of hot water for those early morning showers or late night baths.  The colder it is, the harder it is to handle cold water and there is nothing worse than having a shower turn cold on you on a cold day outside.

The best solution to this problem is having endless hot water, but how can you do this without spending a fortune?  The answer really is quite simple:  the best bet is an endless (also called an ‘on demand’ or ‘tankless’) hot water system.  Endless hot water systems actually save energy and water by providing on demand hot water when needed.

Endless hot water systems generally provide hot water around 5 gallons per minute.  Gas fired tankless heaters tend to produce slightly higher amounts, and electric tankless heaters slightly lower amounts.  When you are shopping for your tankless system, consider the number of outlets (sinks, showers, tubs, washers and dishwashers) that may require hot water.  Then, seriously consider what the usage is.  How often are more than one item used at the same time?  Make sure to purchase the tankless system that is sized realistically for your home.

As the temperatures cooler, investing in a tankless water heater may be a great choice for you and your family.  Having plenty of hot water for everyone at home will always bring a smile to faces.  The energy savings from a tankless heater will bring a smile to your face, too.  On the average, tankless water heaters are 20% more energy efficient than traditional water heaters.  This helps lower your energy costs and allows you to be more energy friendly while still enjoying your hot showers!

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