Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Tankless Water Heaters

The Tankless Hot Water Heater Difference

Endless Hot Water

No Storage, No Shortage
With a tankless water heater you will never run out of hot water. Tankless water heaters heat water on demand, and that means there is no energy being wasted re-heating a tank of hot water or ever worrying about running out of hot water. Imagine the luxury of always having enough hot water for your showers, your hot tub and still have an endless supply of hot water for the rest of your household needs.

Higher Volume

Hot Water For Any Size Home
Tankless water heaters are capable of supplying more hot water than a tank water heater. Tankless water heaters can meet any hot water demand of today’s homes.

Clean Water

No Dirty Tanks
With a tankless water heater, water is heated as it passes through the unit so you will never have to use hot water that has been stored in an old rusty tank. As the years pass by, traditional tank-type water heaters start to rust and build-up scale inside the tank, which is where your hot water is being stored for use.

Space Savings
Flexible Installation Options
Compact in design, Tankless water heaters can be installed virtually anywhere. Compared to traditional water heaters, one of the most obvious differences is its small size. Tankless water heaters come in models that mount on the wall, inside or outside. This eliminates the bulky tank that requires much more space.
Energy Savings
Lower Water Heating Costs
With a tankless water heater, you'll save energy and thus, money. On-demand systems require no pilot light and can save about half the cost of your current water heating bill since there is no re-heating of water as with traditional water heaters. Being an energy-efficient product makes tankless water heaters eco-friendly.
Lasts Longer
Durability
Tankless water heaters are extremely durable, lasting longer than traditional tank-type water heaters, and require little maintenance over their lifetime.
             

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Energy Savers

Long-Term Investments for Energy Savings

Long-term investments in energy efficient products and upgrades can help you save more money and energy in the years to come. Consider the suggestions below when you need to purchase new products or just want to make your home more energy efficient.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

  • Install a programmable thermostat that can be adjusted to temperatures according to your schedule.

Add Insulation

  • Add insulation to your home.
  • Insulate heating ducts in unheated areas, such as attics and crawlspaces. Keeping ducts in good repair can prevent heat loss of up to 60% at the registers.
  • Insulate your water heater tank and your water pipes to prevent heat loss.

Upgrade Your Heating System

Improve Your Doors and Windows

  • Install exterior or interior storm windows. Storm windows can reduce heat loss through the windows by 25% to 50%. Low-e storm windows save even more energy.
  • Consider installing new, energy efficient windows. The typical home loses more than 25% of its heat through windows.


Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances

  • Purchase energy-efficient appliances to reduce your electric bills.

Landscape for Energy Efficiency

Consider Renewable Technologies

  • Consider purchasing solar technologies to provide for some of your energy needs.
  • Consider installing a geothermal heat pump to heat and cool your home (and possibly even supply hot water).

Source – US Dept. of Energy

Thursday, December 30, 2010

2010-2011 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report

Ever wondered how much home improvement projects cost and how much of that value you could recoup at resale?  Here is the annual report from Remodeling magazine.  They have been studying this for years and their annual report is the benchmark for all others.  This information is extremely helpful for budgeting and evaluating projects.  But, as you will see very few projects re-coup 100% of the cost.  Therefore, remember that improving your home has "Value" in many other ways too.

If you would like to see the whole report and the specific data for your region you can click here.


Select another year
Select another region
 

National Data

This site compares the average cost for 35 popular remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale. Choose your state to display data for one of 9 regions; choose any one of 80 U.S. cities to download a PDF with local data. Click on a project name to see a project description and 3-D model. To read the article in the November 2010 issue of Remodeling, click on “The Magazine” just above the search bar. For more information on the Remodeling 2010–11 Cost vs. Value Report, click on any of the links listed at right.
East
South
Midwest
West

2010-11 National Averages

Midrange Projects
ProjectJob CostResale ValueCost RecoupedChange vs. 2009-10
Attic Bedroom$51,428$37,14272.2%Change
Backup Power Generator$14,718$7,13648.5%Change
Basement Remodel$64,519$45,18670.0%Change
Bathroom Addition$40,710$21,69553.3%Change
Bathroom Remodel$16,634$10,66864.1%Change
Deck Addition (composite)$15,620$10,33766.2%Change
Deck Addition (wood)$10,973$7,98672.8%Change
Entry Door Replacement (fiberglass)$3,576$2,14760.0%Change
Entry Door Replacement (steel)$1,218$1,243102.1%Change
Family Room Addition$85,740$53,62462.5%Change
Garage Addition$60,608$35,87659.2%Change
Garage Door Replacement$1,291$1,08383.9%Change
Home Office Remodel$28,888$13,23545.8%Change
Major Kitchen Remodel$58,367$40,12668.7%Change
Master Suite Addition$108,090$68,14663.0%Change
Minor Kitchen Remodel$21,695$15,79072.8%Change
Roofing Replacement$21,488$12,78059.5%Change
Siding Replacement (vinyl)$11,357$8,22372.4%Change
Sunroom Addition$75,224$36,54048.6%Change
Two-Story Addition$165,243$107,33865.0%Change
Window Replacement (vinyl)$11,066$7,92071.6%Change
Window Replacement (wood)$12,027$8,70772.4%Change
Upscale Projects
ProjectJob CostResale ValueCost RecoupedChange vs. 2009-10
Bathroom Addition$78,409$41,56253.0%Change
Bathroom Remodel$53,759$30,73857.2%Change
Deck Addition (composite)$38,382$22,15457.7%Change
Garage Addition$90,053$48,27853.6%Change
Garage Door Replacement$3,545$2,47669.8%Change
Grand Entrance (fiberglass)$7,700$4,97964.7%Change
Major Kitchen Remodel$113,464$67,74659.7%Change
Master Suite Addition$232,062$122,37052.7%Change
Roofing Replacement$38,022$21,12055.5%Change
Siding Replacement (fiber-cement)$13,382$10,70780.0%Change
Siding Replacement (foam-backed vinyl)$13,973$10,11972.4%Change
Window Replacement (vinyl)$14,284$10,36872.6%Change
Window Replacement (wood)$18,226$12,30367.5%Change