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A conventional water heater can be made to last forever if its sacrificial anode is
replaced every couple or three years (this fitting is a rod that "sacrifices" itself
by attracting rust that would otherwise attack the tank; it costs about $15 and
replacing it is a do-it-yourself job). Also, it would be wise to flush the tank to
get rid of any corrosive debris at least once a year.
Excerpted from The Providence Journal
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Tankless Water Heaters
Heating water accounts for up to 30% of the average home's energy
budget. Some makers of gas-fired tankless water heaters claim their products can cut your energy
costs up to half over regular storage heaters. So is it time to switch?
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Probably not. Gas tankless water heaters, which use high-powered burners to quickly heat water
as it runs through a heat exchanger, were 22% more energy efficient on average than the gas-fired
storage-tank models in our tests. That translates into a savings of around $70 to $80 per year,
based on 2008 national energy costs. But because they cost much more than storage water heaters,
it can take up to 22 years to break even - longer than the 20 year life of many models. Moreover,
our online poll of 1,200 readers revealed wide variations in installation costs, energy savings,
and satisfaction.
With the help of an outside lab, we pitted Takagi and Noritz gas-fired tankless water heaters
against three storage water heaters. We didn't test electric tankless heaters because many can't
deliver hot water fast enough to replace a conventional water heater if groundwater is cold. Even
in areas with warm groundwater, most homeowners would need to upgrade their electrical service to
power a whole-house tankless model.
Read more...
Original Source: Consumer Reports
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Garbage Disposal Do's and Dont's
- DO grind food waste only with a strong flow of cold water
- DO grind hard material such as bones, fruit pits, etc. A scouring
action is created by the particles inside of the grind chamber.
- DO grind citrus and other melon rinds
- DO dispose of small amounts of fats and greases in your disposal. Be sure to have the
disposal operating, and use a strong flow of cold water. If you have a large amount of fat
and grease, it is suggested that you place it in a container, allow it to solidify, then
dispose of it in the trash.
- DO flush the disposal for cleaning. Allow the disposal and the cold water to run after
grinding or after draining the sink or dishwasher. Some detergents are caustic; flushing will
pass such material into the drain line without disposal damage.
- DON'T use hot water when grinding food waste. However, hot water can be drained into a
disposal between grinding periods.
- DON'T turn off the motor or water until grinding is completed (when only a motor and
water sound is heard).
- DON'T grind extremely fibrous material like corn husks, artichokes, etc., to avoid
possible drain blockage.
- DON'T dispose of coffee grounds in your disposal whether or not you are on
metropolitan sewer or septic tank. Coffee grounds will not harm the action of the septic
tanks. The folks at ISE also recommend regular cleaning with a foaming garbage disposal
cleaner or a degreaser and a deodorizer. We find that grinding up a lemon or a lime once every
week or two works well. A high quality disposal can be very expensive, and is well deserving
of the tender loving care described here.
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