In the market for a new hot water heater? Knowing which appliance is right for you can make the process much, much easier. We’ve compiled these lists of pros and cons to help you decide which heater best meets your needs.

Costs of Tankless vs Traditional Hot Water Heaters

We asked our favorite plumber, Mike from Summit Northwest in Vancouver, WA, to provide us with some general pricing on traditional hot water heaters and tankless ones as well as installation costs. Not surprisingly, tankless water heaters were more expensive to buy and install:

According to mike, these are basic installation costs that you might pay in new construction. In existing homes, you would need to pay extra for piping and venting to units that are installed where no previous unit existed. So if you’re thinking about replacing a water tank with something tankless you will probably pay even more for installation.

Now let’s take a look at the units themselves.

The Tankless Hot Water Heater

Tankless hot water heaters provide instantaneous hot water because they heat the hot water as it is needed, rather than storing and heating a tank full around the clock. They are widely used throughout Europe and are increasingly used here in the US. Popular brands include Bosch, Rinnai, and Noritz (thanks to Noritz for the photo).

Pros

• Energy Efficient - Tankless heaters operate on demand, eliminating the need to use precious energy to keep a tank warm throughout the day.
• Compact - These small, wall mounted water heaters can be installed almost anywhere in your home. That means you gain square footage and can place your tankless heater close to where you use the most hot water.
• Long-Lasting - Tankless water heaters are made from stainless steel, so they are durable and long-lasting. The average life span is 20 years, five to 10 years longer than the average traditional heater.
• Endless Supply - Imagine taking a 24-hour shower and never running out of hot water. With a tankless water heater, that dream could be a reality since they operate on demand.

Cons

• Price - Tankless water heaters cost more than traditional hot water storage tanks. Some prices even 3-4 times higher for the unit. On top of that, installation, piping, and venting are pricier as well. If you are doing a renovation for your home, transitioning to this new innovation can be expensive and complicated as well.
• Performance – Electric units don’t perform as well as the gas ones. They consume a lot of energy to heat the water for your home. Also, while hot water production is endless, it is not generally a large enough quantity to serve two major water uses at once, for example two showers or a shower and dishwasher at the same time.
• Delivery Delay - With tankless water heaters, heating begins instantaneously, but delivery of hot water does not. Users must let the water run for a while until it reaches the appropriate hot temperature and reaches your faucet. This waste of water can be frustrating for some and downright infuriating for the greenest consumer. On the other hand, this can happen with traditional tanks too when the tank is positioned a distance away from the shower head.
• Cold Water Sandwich - Since tankless systems heat on demand, the heating mechanism turns off when the faucet turns off. When two people shower back to back, the tankless switches off when the first person turns off the faucet. When the second person showers, they’ll start their shower with the hot water left in the pipes, but will experience a sudden burst of cold water that flowed into the system when the faucet was turned on again. Then the hot water will resume. While not a deal breaker concerning the tankless, the cold water sandwich is an occurrence to be aware off.

Traditional Hot Water Storage Tank

Traditional hot water storage tanks hold and heat a pre-determined amount of water so that water is hot and ready to use whenever you need it. Water can be used for numerous events – showers, dishwashing, laundry, etc. – at the same time until the water is gone. Popular brands include A.O. Smith and Rheem (thanks to Rheem for the photo).

Pros

• Low Cost – Traditional hot water storage tanks are inexpensive – to buy, to install, and to replace. This low price tag can be a real bonus when you all you really want is a hot shower.
• Dependable - The technology is proven to work and can often be repaired within the life cycle. For years, this has been the go-to appliance for home hot water needs.
• Efficient - Hot water storage tanks have come into the 21st century in terms of efficiency. While not necessarily the most efficient way to heat water for the home, these tanks have now been awarded the Energy Star rating. It is easy to find one that is better than your last, and with a little searching, you can find one that rival tankless heaters.
• Easy to use and replace - If you’re remodeling, you may be considering revamping your hot water heating system. The easiest and least expensive move during a remodel is to replace your current hot water storage tank. Installing tankless can be costly and difficult.

Cons

• All Day Long - Traditional hot water heaters fill their tanks and then proceed to heat the water 24 hours a day. This continuous energy usage adds up over time and impacts you in terms of dollars and the environment.
• Spacious - And not in a good way. Tank water heaters are large and cumbersome. They take up valuable square footage in your home and must have secure area dedicated to water heating instead of Wii or closet space.
• Gone when it’s gone - When your hot water tank runs out, that’s it for hot water usage until it refills and reheats. That means if you’re last on the shower rotation, you may be taking a quick cold one rather than a luxurious hot shower. Think about it.
• Life span - The average life span of a hot water storage tank is 10-15 years. That means that you could replace your heater a minimum of three times during the time you are paying off your mortgage. Adding the cost and the hassle and multiplying by three may be more than you are up for.

Hopefully this Series on water and water heaters has helped you weigh out your usage and decide what is right for your home. If you’re still undecided or need help with an installation plan, contact me at john@fazzhomes.com.

Links:

• Consumer Reports review of tankless water heaters
• Rheem
• AOSmith
• Bosch
• Rinnai
• Noritz
• Energy Star

Where you don’t see them as often are as light fixtures in homes and businesses. That’s been slowly changing and we’ve been getting an increasing number of questions from people who are thinking about adding LEDs as lighting sources to their homes.

So we thought we’d learn a little more about this type of light and its use in homes and find out if it’s really worth it to convert your home to LED bulbs.

LED compared to fluorescent - off

This lightbox shows an LED bulb (left) compared to an incandescent (middle) and compact fluorescent.

LED bulb compared to fluorescent - on

This lightbox shows an LED bulb (left) turned on compared to an incandescent (middle) and compact fluorescent.

LED outdoor spotlight

LED night time spotlights have motion sensors, are bright, and can be charged by solar panels.

LED PAR lamp

This could be one ideal use of LEDs, where many bulbs are used at once to spotlight hallways, kitchens and other rooms.

Light Emitting Diodes (LED)

LED bulbs can come in many different colors. Diode Photo By: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Afrank99

LED fixtures available for home use

Now that they’ve been on the market for awhile the diversity of LED fixtures continues to grow. We’ve found them in a variety of home applications, including:

• Bulbs and globes for use in lamps and fixtures
• Floodlights for outdoors
• Spotlights for indoors and outdoors
• Track lights for accent lighting
• Candle bulbs for chandeliers and candelabras
• Strip lights for under shelves and cabinets

You can also get many of these products in different colors now, ranging from stark white to soft yellows, greens, blues, and reds.

I really like the thought of using LEDs for hard-to-reach bulbs and outdoor lighting. No more hoisting yourself up a giant ladder just to reach a light under the eve that burned out because you forgot to turn it off the night before. Also, LEDs don’t emit ultraviolet light, so they don’t attract bugs.

LED fixtures do cost more – a lot more

There’s not doubt LED fixtures cost more than other types. We trekked over to the Globe Lighting store in Vancouver, WA to make some comparisons of common lighting fixtures. (Thanks for the help, Vicki.) Here’s what we found:

For light bulbs, where we found the greatest disparity in price, LEDs right now can be as much as 60X more expensive that incandescent, yet last nearly 50X longer (we’re using the greatest numbers). LEDs are 12X the price of compact fluorescents, and last 10X longer. Yet for PAR lamps and candelabra candles the price gaps shrink considerably, making them a better value based on price vs. longevity.

LEDs do save energy, a lot of it, and could be a good long-term “investment” for your home

(Warning: Math Content*)

There’s no doubt that LEDs use less energy than incandescent, halogen or even fluorescent bulbs while emitting about the same amount of light. In fact, LEDs can use a watt or less to up to 11 watts for the brightest ones. If we assume that your home has 100 light bulbs, including outdoors and those in candelabras, and the average cost of LEDs is $52 each, you would pay $5,200 to retrofit.

Now, if you refit ALL your applicable incandescent bulbs with LEDs you could presumably save up to 86% of your lighting costs (although this does not account for energy losses to the fixtures). Lighting typically accounts for only 15% of your total electrical bill, with heating and cooling using the greatest amount of energy. That means if you pay $100 per month in electricity, you would save $12.90 per month – (.15 x $100) x.86 = $12.90. So you’re paying $5,200 for an energy savings of $154.80 per year.

There’s even more savings. This does not include the replacement of your other bulbs, which would be burning out regularly, let’s say once a year (although this is just a guess to keep the math simple). So if at most the average replacement cost of incandescent bulbs is about $3.50 each your would save an additional $350 per year, for a total savings of $504 per year, or a 10% return on cost of the LEDs per year. After 10 years you would get roughly $5,004 back.

Let’s compare that to compact fluorescents. If you replaced all your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs you would pay about $728 – $7.28 x 100 = $728. Since we’re assuming you would change your incandescents once a year and compact fluorescents last 5X longer then we would double that to get the 10-year cost of $1,456. During that time you would save about (.15 x 100)x.75 = $11.25 per month, or $135 per year. After 10 years you would save roughly $3,414 in energy and replacement costs over incandescent bulbs.

**Incandescent bulbs would need to be changed every year, on average.
***Compact fluorescent bulbs would need to be changed every 5 years, on average.

Fluorescents seem like a better deal, except manufacturers claim LEDs can last 10X longer than even those thrifty bulbs, given them a potential lifespan of 50 years, based on our assumptions*. Does that mean you could get $25,000 back on your $5,200 investment versus a return of $24,250 on a cost of $7,280 over 50 years for compact fluorescents? I don’t know, but suffice it to say that you probably won’t be buying LEDs just because of the monthly savings. If you’re not all about dollars and value, then LEDs still make a lot of sense because of the energy savings.

(*We are making some key assumptions in this math, especially in regards to bulb longevity, and we will be happy to amend these numbers if someone has compelling evidence that they need to be changed.)

Should I buy LEDs for my home?

The answer to this depends on your goals. If you want to save energy at any cost, then LEDs are a great way to go green. If you are planning to stay in your home for 10 years, then there’s a good chance you will recoup the money you put into your LEDs. But if you are on a strict budget, then LEDs might just be too expensive for you to convert all your lights. You could try experimenting with outdoor and garage lights, which often can be difficult to change and expensive if they’re left on for long periods of time (ooops). Remember our example from above: If your home has 100 light bulbs, it would cost $5,200 to cast that house in the “green” glow of LEDs.

Pros

• Energy-efficient - An LED bulb that puts out the same amount of light as a 60 Watt incandescent only uses about 6 Watts.
• Long-lived - LEDs can last for 30,000-50,000 hours. Presumably that means you could leave an LED on continuously for nearly 6 years.
• Durable - LEDs are resistant to shock, extreme changes in temperature (although high heat can shorten their lives), and repeated cycling (turning off and on).
• Safe - LEDs bulbs operate at lower temperatures than other bulbs. You can’t even touch a halogen bulb when it’s off for fear of the oils on your fingers heating to a point that it shatters the bulb.
• UV free - LEDs don’t emit ultraviolet light, which can damage artwork and which attracts bugs
• Interference free - LEDs don’t have ballasts like fluorescents, so they don’t interfere with radio signals
• Multi-colored - LEDs can be manufactured in many different colors and don’t require filters – they literally make monochromatic light.

Cons to LEDs

• Expensive - No matter how you look at it this is the single most important deterrent to LEDs becoming more prevalent.
• Heat-sensitive - The lifespan of LEDs can be greatly reduced by excessive heat.
• Glare - LEDs can cast very bright glare off surfaces such as granite without a diffuser.
• Look - They’re getting much better that the blue-hued versions we are used to seeing, but can be a little overwhelming.

Links:

Where to get them:

Globe Lighting (My local favorite)

There’s also plenty of LED products available through online retailers. We’ve never purchased anything from these guys, but here’s a quick list:

• BestHomeLighting.com
• EnvironmentalLights.com
• USALight.com

Manufacturers:

List of LED manufacturers

History:

Facts and History of LEDs from Wikipedia

While granite and quartz are the overwhelming choice for most homeowners, we just completed a kitchen remodel in Vancouver, WA where we installed soapstone countertops in the kitchen. The homeowners, Jim and Liz Luce, loved the understated look of the material in contrast to the flashier polished granite and quartz. We thought we’d take our recent experience and compare soapstone with the other two familiar products:

Granite
Granite has been popular for many years because of the wide variety of styles that can be found and because it has depth and when polished has a lot of sparkle from crystals embedded in the stone. Although these “inclusions” are the bane of good diamonds, they give polished granite depth, interest, and a randomness that can be hard to replicate in man-made materials. But these inclusions also give granite it’s main weakness: it’s porous, which means it needs to be maintained regularly and can harbor bacteria. I have it in my home and do not maintain it according to the “recommended rules”. I don’t seal it, I use Windex to clean it (which is a no-no), and I don’t worry about it. I have a family with kids, so I’m not going to lose sleep over maintaining my granite countertops!

Quartz
In the meantime, quartz countertops are engineered from natural quartz crystals that are joined using a resin and then formed into slabs by the manufacturers. This means that unlike granite, quartz is not porous. But it also means it can’t take the same heat as granite, so you will need to keep the hottest pots and pans on trivets. The engineering process also means that quartz can be chosen in specific colors, giving designers more control over the finished look. This is a material that can withstand neglect.

Soapstone
Soapstone is coming back into popularity. It was used as an old-world building material and often found in older American homes. It features a matte finish and is really only available in dark grey. It’s very durable, not particularly absorbent and stains stay on the surface of the stone and can be scrubbed off. In fact, according to this site, it can be completely refinished to look new, even after 100 years of use. Another option is to oil the soapstone. This will provide a darker look, but will require a little work at least in the early years of your counter. Owners also tend to love it or hate it after living with it for a few years because it gets darker and develops a patina after a lot of use.

Here are some things to consider:

* Remember, this is just my opinion.

Which to choose
Each of these materials costs about the same per square foot and have similar installation costs. Each brings something different to the countertop party. If you like the randomness and variety of natural stone and don’t mind occasional maintenance, granite is a great option. If you want a low-maintenance countertop that has consistent coloration and can be chosen quite precisely to match other colors in your design, choose quartz. If you want something old-world yet unique in modern construction, like the color, and don’t mind its maintenance or tendency to change in shade over time, then soapstone will be a great option.

Given that, I thought it would be good to take a look at a key consideration in renovating: HVAC. Specifically I wanted to take a closer look at ductless (aka mini-split) heat pumps.

An example of a Sanyo wall-mounted ductless heat pump.

If you are not familiar with these, remember the last time you stayed in a relatively modern hotel. Chances are the HVAC system in your room looked like (although did not operate like) a type of ductless heat pump. They are mounted in a wall or in the ceiling and you set them to a temperature and forget them.

There are similar systems available for your home. Here’s how they work:

A compressor sits outside the home and does the HVAC heavy lifting. It is connected via thin refrigerant lines to “head units” which use fans to blow across the refrigerant to cool or heat the home. The head units can be mounted in the wall or in the ceiling and create “zones.” We call this system ductless because you don’t need to run large ducting to vents throughout the home. You simply cut a hole in the wall or ceiling, run the appropriate lines and you’re done with installation.

The Pros for this type of system include:

• Ease of installation – We don’t have to install ducting and the lines are small enough to be easily installed.
• Efficiency – Heat or cool only the rooms you use and lose less energy because hot or cold air is not running through ducts.
• Noise – Compared to a window-unit air conditioner, these systems are quiet.

Cons include:

• Air Quality – You won’t get fresh air into the room via the head units.
• Styling – Depending on the application, the head units could be considered eye sores.

This image, from the Sanyo company, illustrates how a ductless heat pump system works.

I’ve installed several of these systems and like them for specific applications. They are good for renovations and or additions, especially in older homes where there is no existing ducting.  They are also great in commercial applications where zones can be good for different offices.

As for cost, I think that’s pretty even. You can save money installing them because you don’t need ducting, but the head units can be fairly expensive.

If you don’t mind the intrusion of the head unit in a room and you don’t want to go through the time and expense of adding ducting, then this is a great solution to keeping your heating and cooling costs low and your comfort level high.

Incentives

If you live in Clark County, WA, and have cable ceiling heat, baseboard or wall heaters in your home you will probably qualify for a $1,500 rebate on the cost of the system from Clark County PUD.

If you live in Oregon, then you may qualify for up to $400 in incentives if you install a ductless heat pump system.

The systems are available through many manufacturers, including LG, Fujitsu, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, Daikin and many others.  Last year we installed a single Mitsubishi system in an addition in Washougal, WA and 4 Daikin systems in a commerical project in Vancouver, WA.

For those of you in the Vancouver, WA area – specifically Clark County, MetFab Heating, Inc. has a great site full of useful information.  MetFab installed more ductless heat pump systems through the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project through September 2009 than any other heating and c0oling company in Washington state.

Proper window installation is a must to prevent water and air leaks.

If you live in an older home in Southwest Washington or Oregon this time of year (and especially this past week as temperatures have stayed below freezing) you probably have started to notice a little wisps of cold air lapping at your feet or down your back when your sitting around the house.

There are some likely culprits: lack of insulation; bad seals on windows and doors; and old, single-pane or ineffective double-pane windows with aluminum frames.

The good news is all of these are easily remedied. For this article we’ll take a quick look at windows.

Savings and Incentives

First off, now is a good time to replace ineffective windows because of the number of incentives. According to the US Department of Energy, changing to energy efficient windows can lower your heating (and cooling) bill because they account for 10%-25% of it. Your local utility and the federal government are offering to share the costs of you making your home more energy efficient:

* Through the end of 2010 the federal government will give home owners a 30% tax rebate on qualified installed windows (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_taxcredits) up to $1,500.
* In the Clark County Public Utilities District home owners can qualify for up to $500 in incentives (http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/yourhome/conservation/wx/incentives) or you may qualify for low interest loans to purchase and install them (http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/yourhome/conservation/loans/weatherizationLoans)
* The Energy Trust of Oregon is offering a variety of incentives and for qualifying home owners to install efficient windows (http://energytrust.org/residential/incentives/)
* The Central Electric Co-Op in Oregon has an incentive program and low-interest loan program (http://www.centralelectriccoop.com/prodserv/residential/weatherization/weatherization.html)

Choosing your Windows

Manufacturers offer the choice of vinyl, fiberglass, or wood and it’s really your preference as to what you want. For most homes vinyl windows are the best bet because they are easy to install and relatively inexpensive. Just remember in order to get the qualifying tax credits you must get a window that is Energy Star compliant. We provide a written confirmation to our clients that the windows they purchase qualify for the rebate.

We are asked regularly what brand of windows we recommend. If you are shopping brand, then certainly Milgard windows, a company started here in the Northwest, are a good bet. If you are simply hoping to get an Energy Star compliant vinyl window then you can spend less and get the same efficiency from a manufacturer such as Atrium, which is based in Dallas, TX.

After checking the ratings on the windows, my usual recommendation is for you to find a window that you like the operation of, because for the most part that will be your only interaction with the window.

Installation

With a qualified installer windows in a normal-sized home can be changed often in one to two days once the windows arrive from the factory.

Before the installer orders the windows they come to your home and measure. Then once the windows arrive the installer will remove the trim around the old window (if it exists) and remove the windows and entire frame. They then mount the new window and frame, shim it, check its operation and re-trim and seal the window and paint the trim if necessary.

Caulk Talk

The proper installation of a window is critical to the function of the window as well as the weatherproofing of your home. If installed incorrectly, which I see all the time, there is a good chance you will have moisture and air leaks. Remember, as with all siding and window installation, if you are depending on caulking to prevent air and water penetration you will have a problem – because caulking fails. We treat caulk as an appearance enhancer rather than a sealant. Although it will add to the effectiveness of the sealing…it should NOT be treated as a standalone solution. Our approach is simple but requires a little more time and patience. We treat our installations with the idea that there is no caulking filling any joints – and if the home can withstand water and air penetration then we have properly sealed the home. Then we caulk to add a finishing touch.

And as always – a good installer will dispose of your old windows and clean up after they are finished.

A Word of Caution

If you are thinking of replacing your existing windows be sure to get everything in writing. If you want the windows installed and finished, be sure your contract details exactly what the installer will be doing. I have seen all too often when an installer will install the windows but then say that they did not inlcude re-installing new trim or painting the trim. And the homeowner was left with doing this themselves or paying more. And as always – make sure your installer is licensed, bonded and insured, and that you have a written guarantee. We guarantee ours for seven years.

If you have any questions or are considering window replacement, feel free to call us at 360-571-7027 or fill out our form for a free consultation.