For many people tankless water heaters provide a suitable alternative to the traditional storage tank type water heater. Tankless water heaters only use energy to heat water when you open a hot water tap thus saving money on your energy bill. This depends, of course, on how you utilize your tankless water heater. Misuse of the unit, e.g. taking extra long showers, can cost you as much in energy as your old tank type unit. Installing a tankless water heater is usually a job for a professional but the competent do-it-yourselfer can accomplish the installation with a minimum of problems.

Preparation

Used properly, a tankless water heater can save you incredible amounts on your utility bill

1. Determine your hot water consumption. The more hot water you use, the more you stand to save on your energy bill with a tankless water heater. Calculate how many hot water loads of laundry you do daily as well as how many hot showers everyone in your household takes. Include the number of automatic dishwasher loads you do every day as well. The manufacturer of your appliances can tell you how much hot water they use per load.
2. Determine whether you will purchase and install an electric tankless model or a gas unit. If you opt to install a gas unit, make certain that you purchase the tankless unit equipped for the gas your utility provides you. Natural gas and propane are not interchangeable.
3. Check out the proposed location for your water heater. Tankless units are designed for either inside locations or outside locations. Make sure you purchase a unit designed for an outside installation and that it is freeze protected according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Installation of the tankless water heater

1. Route a hot and cold water line to the water heater location.
2. For a gas installation, install the proper gas line sized for your water heater to the water heater location. Make sure to test the new gas pipe installation for leaks before hooking it up to the gas valve on the unit. Verify that the new gas line is properly sized for the water heater as well as all the other gas appliances in your home.
3. For an electric tankless water heater, install the proper size electrical cable to the unit location according to the NEC. Make certain that you have installed the proper size circuit breakers in your electrical panel to accommodate the water heater. In some cases, you may have to upgrade your electrical panel to accommodate the new breakers.
4. Once you have the water, gas, or electrical installed, hang the tankless water heater on the wall and vent it for gas. Usually tankless water heaters will require a minimum of a 5″ B vent extended above the roof at least 5 feet above the highest point.
5. If you are going to use a remote thermostat route the thermostat wire now to the thermostat location.
6. Install the temperature and pressure relief valve in the unit and pipe it to an exterior location without using valves, caps, or plugs.
7. With the gas or electricity off, flush water through the unit until it flows clear.
8. Turn on the electricity and/or gas and open up a hot water faucet in the home. Hot water should appear at the faucet within a couple of seconds depending on how far the water heater is located from the faucet and how much water pressure you have.
9. Adjust your thermostat for the temperature you want and you are ready to go.

Tips

There is limited space in the bottom of some tankless water heater models so make sure you plan your installation to use a minimum number of fittings.

Verify that your installation complies with all applicable codes and the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

Spring means many things to the homeowner. It’s time to tackle that long awaited spring cleaning list. Time to service the lawnmower and weedeater and start the annual spring lawncare routine. It’s a good time to start planning your garden if you have not already done so. It’s a great time to build ponds, to tackle a remodel or other do-it-yourself home repair chores, and even a great time to catch up on your honey-do list. Most importantly, spring is the perfect opportunity to review your home and its utility systems for ways you can save on energy. Here are some energy saving tips that are easy to perform and that can save you substantially on your home energy bill.

Turn down the thermostat on your water heater

1. Have you had work done on your water heater over the winter? Perhaps you had it replaced. If so, now is a good time to remove the water heater element covers and double check the thermostat settings.
2. Most new electric water heaters come from the factory with the thermostats preset to 120 degrees. But it is important to make sure of those settings.
3. The upper thermostat and lower thermostat should be set to the same degree or setting. Some thermostats are labeled A, B, C, instead of degree numbers. Still, make certain that both thermostats are set to the same point.
4. If you have a gas water heater, make sure that the thermostat is set to low. That approximates 120 degrees in most cases.

Service your furnace

1. If you have not yet done so, now is a great time to have your furnace serviced.
2. Change the air filter. Electrostatic air filters are more efficient than the old fashioned pleated ones.
3. Be sure to clean the air plenum where the air filter is located.
4. Vacuum out the burner chamber being careful to avoid the igniter which is very delicate on newer energy efficient models.
5. If you hire an HVAC company to service your furnace, ask if they will check your ducts too.
6. Make sure that your ducts are all intact and that the joints are sealed. This is a major source of heat loss. Ideally, the ducts should be insulated, as well.
7. Ask the furnace repairman if they will inspect and test the heat exchanger. A cracked exchanger can cost you money and is dangerous in that it can emit carbon monoxide fumes.
8. Do not neglect to inspect the furnace chimney and vent duct work. Make sure they are clean, well supported, and properly sealed.

Replace all the showerheads

1. Replace the showerheads in each bath.
2. Simply grasp the showerarm with one smooth jaw wrench like a Crescent or adjustable wrench and place a second one on the showerhead. Turn it counterclockwise as you look at it to unscrew it.
3. Make sure the new showerhead states that it is low flow.
4. Inspect the new showerhead port for a rubber gasket. If there is one, there is no need to use pipe joint compound on the threads. Do not use teflon tape either.
5. Simply make sure the gasket is in place and screw the showerhead on. Tighten it snuglyand orient it downward.
6. If the new showerhead does not come with a rubber gasket, place some pipe joint compound on the threads and install the head. You may also use teflon tape for this.

Replace faucet aerators

1. Each kitchen and bathroom faucet with the exception of the tub spout comes with an aerator. This is a small threaded filter-like fitting that screws directly into the end of the faucet spout.
2. Aerators wear out just like other parts of your water system.
3. Simply unscrew the aerator and replace it with a new one.
4. Make sure the aerator gasket is in place.
5. Do not overtighten the aerator. Just snug it up with your fingers.
6. Aerators come in a bewildering array of styles, finishes, and thread combinations. Take your old one down to the plumbing company, your local hardware, or home center to match it up with a new one.
7. Even if you cannot find the right one, there are adapters available to change from one thread style and size to another. Simply purchase the proper aerator adapter and screw it into the end of the aerator, then screw that assembly into the faucet.

Tips

Before removing the element and thermostat panels on your electric water heater, turn off the circuit breaker to that appliance and lock it out or place tape over it stating, “DO NOT REMOVE”. Double check that the electricity is indeed off with an electrical tester before making any adjustments to the appliance. Water heaters run with 240 volts of electricity and that is enough to inflict severe injury or even kill.

Practice good safety measures when working around gas or electric furnaces, water heaters, or other appliances.

Take the time to go over your whole house and examine it for any places where you can add or replace weatherstripping, caulking, insulation, or trim.

All of these items wear out over a period of time. Replacing them ensures that you have done everything possible to make sure that your home is energy efficient, safe, and secure.

Saving energy is more important than ever now. There are many different ways to help cut down on the cost of energy for heating and cooling. One effective method is to install window film on all the single pane windows in the heated areas of your home. Window film helps to retain heat when your windows are the old style single pane type. The film reflects up to 40% of heat back into the room in winter and deflects heat back outside in the summer. There are two main types of window film available today. One type simply provides a shaded window surface much like tinted windows on a car. This type does not do much to reflect heat. The second type has a reflective coating that does indeed reflect heat back into the room. This is the type to install for added heat retention.

Installing window film is relatively easy, requiring little in the way of tools or expertise.

Preparation

1. First, lay towels or rags on the window sill and the floor beneath the window. Installing window film requires a good bit of water.
2. Next, clean the glass surface. Now is a good time to clean the glass inside and out.
3. Use a mixture of distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Wipe the glass dry with crumpled newspaper for a streak-free job.
4. Make certain that there are no small bumps or projections left on the glass, like paint drips or pieces of dirt or wet newsprint.
5. Allow the glass to dry.

Application

1. Cut the film from the correct side. The film will be properly marked for this. You can use either a razor knife or a sharp pair of scissors. Cut the film about ¼” smaller than the inside dimension of the window glass.
2. Wet the window thoroughly with either the solution that you purchased with the window film or plain water.
3. Place the window film on the glass and maneuver it so that there is equal distance on all sides between the edge of the film and the window frame. Make sure that you have the correct side facing the room.
4. Spray water over the surface of the window film soaking it well.
5. Using the squeegee that came with the window film, start in the center of the window and squeegee toward the window frame, working all the air bubbles out toward the edge of the film.
6. After you have squeegeed the film thoroughly, wipe up any excess water and allow the film and window to dry at least 24 hours at room temperature.

Tips

Even after the film has dried, there still may be a few small bubbles left in the film surface and these will disappear over time.

If you are not satisfied with the installation, you can peel the film off and trim it or rewet the glass surface and try again.

To make the film installation permanent, after the window has dried for a few days apply a bead of caulk between the edge of the film and the window frame. Make sure you use a good latex acrylic caulk with no silicone.

People have been hanging clothes out to dry since they first started washing clothes. Hanging clothes out on a sunny day is the perfect way to save energy and enjoy that freshly laundered smell without laundry additives. Clothes dried on a clothesline outside have a wonderful, sunny, fresh air quality that adds to the enjoyment of wearing them.

There are many ways to install a clothesline. Some people even hang their clothes up to dry in a warm spot like a basement or back porch in their house. There are the small single pole carousel type clotheslines as well as two pole installations. We will talk about the traditional clothesline installation with two clothes poles and line strung in between.

Preparation

1. Measure off a suitable distance in your back or front yard.
2. Try to keep your clothesline away from fences, trees and tall shrubs, which birds inhabit in the spring and summer.
3. Dig two holes at least two feet deep and one foot wide minimum, the proper distance apart.

Construction

1. Build two tee shaped poles out of at least 2” galvanized pipe 8’ long minimum. The cross pipe on top should be 2 pieces at least 18” long. Screw all three pieces into a 2” galvanized tee.
2. You can also use square steel tube but it should be heavy gauge, welded, and galvanized.
3. You can drill the cross pipe in 6 evenly spaced places and install eye bolts with nuts and washers or just tie your clothesline cord to the cross pipe.
4. Set the clothesline poles in the holes in the ground, prop them upright and plumb them, and pour them in cement. Make sure the cross pipes are parallel.
5. When the cement is cured, tie one end of the clothesline to one end of a cross pipe, take it down to the opposite clothesline pole and wrap the line around the cross pipe. Move the line over about 1’ on the cross pipe and wrap it around the horizontal cross pipe, then take it down to the first clothesline pole and repeat until you have as many clotheslines as you think you will need.

Tips

Use a good quality cotton or poly rope for clothesline. It is better to change it every year than to use an inferior product that will damage your laundry. Avoid the wire type rope wrapped in a plastic coating. The plastic will wear through or harden and break and the wire will rust, staining your laundry.

Make sure your poles are well buried and supported. The weight of heavy wet laundry will tend to bend the poles toward each other.

Hang the heaviest items like blankets, linens, blue jeans, etc., nearest the clothesline poles. Hang the lightest items like pillowcases, hand towels, lingerie, and undergarments, nearer the center of the clothesline.

The clothesline will stretch so make sure you string the line tightly when you first put it up. You will probably want to retighten the line each spring.

One source of air infiltration in homes is under outside doors and between window sashes. If you have old-fashioned wooden windows, the seam between the upper and lower panes and the bottom of the window and the sill can let heat out and cold air in.

You should have proper thresholds and door sweeps installed on all outside doors but sometimes these still let a little draft in. You can stop those cold drafts and help lower your heating bill with a draft stop.

You simply place these long stuffed fabric containers over or against the seam or crack and they block the cold air from entering the home. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes; anything from fabric animals all connected to simple straight tubes of fabric, sewn and stuffed with a variety of fillings to give them weight and hold them in place.

You can make them easily and save money.

Measure the width of the window seam or crack under the door where you intend to use the draft stop. Cut a fabric of your choice in a minimum 8” wide rectangle an inch or two longer than the width measurement. Use a strong fabric such as upholstery fabric that matches, contrasts with, or complements your decor, not a soft or fuzzy material, or a lightweight one. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise so the backside of the fabric is facing out. Now simply sew the long side and one of the short sides shut with a strong, matching thread.

Turn the bag you have sewn inside out. You can work it out with a broom or mop handle by inserting the handle in the bag and pushing it as you work the fabric down the handle.

Choose the filling you want to use. In choosing the filling think about filling materials that will bear up under moisture because the draft stop may collect condensate from the window sash. You can use dried beans, rice, clean dry sand, clean dry pea gravel, or fabric fillings you can buy at a local fabric store or sewing center. Just make sure that the fabric fillings are heavy enough to hold the draft stop firmly in place.

Bear in mind any allergies you, or members of your household, might have in choosing the type of filling material.

Simply place the filling material inside the tube making sure to leave enough material at the end of the tube to sew it shut. The tube should be a nice round shape, not flattened out or oblong.

Sew the end of the tube shut and place it at the bottom of the door or over the seam in the window sash.

You have just made a cheap, efficient, practical, and good-looking draft stop and saved money on your utility bill in the process.