Posted on July 28, 2014 by admin in Water Heater Installations Sometimes, when you’re a homeowner, the latest check-ins on what Congress wants to say about your electric water heater aren’t your highest priority. Wait, scratch that: all of the time. But with a new national law going into effect in 2015 regarding water heater efficiency, this is one instance where being up to speed can help you save money and time, as well as run your home more efficiently.  The folks at Plumberologist, a contractor service located in Virginia, are here to guide you through. Effective next year, the federal EPA standard of electric water heater efficiency is going to be raised. The reason this is an issue is because the current water heater technology has reached its maximum efficiency potential: in short, starting next year, you’re not going to be able to buy an electric water heater like the one you have now. The newest models use what is called heat pump technology. What this means is that the new electric water heaters have an AC unit on top that pulls heat in from the air in the room to heat the water, rather than producing all the heat by itself.

Well, there’s a couple of problems that congress didn’t think about when they wrote the law. First of these water heaters are going to be about 2 feet taller than the water heater you have now. This might pose an issue in older homes where the water heater is in a confined basement space, or in smaller homes and condos where they squeeze the heater under a cabinet in the kitchen. This may surprise you, but when your current water heater is empty, it actually isn’t that heavy. Plumbers regularly throw a 50 water heater up on their shoulder and carry it into a home. Adding an air conditioner more than doubles the weight. The lightest units tip the scales at close to 450 lbs. This means it will take two people to do what used to be a one person job, and guess who will be paying for that extra person to be there. Heat pump water heaters need a lot of warm air to work. Several hundred cubic feet in fact, a lot more space than is in a closet or a small basement room. In addition to the height, this is another reason you might not be able to install one of the new water heaters where your current water heater lives.

Oh, and whatever room you do end up putting it in is going to be as cold as a freezer. You aren’t buying one appliance any more. You’re buying two: a water heater and an air conditioner. That’s why heat pump water heaters are twice as expensive as your old electric water heater was! It’s taller, so it might not fit. It’s heavier, so you’ll pay more to install it. fan coil unit applicationIt needs more air, so you’ll have to move it or renovate your home. cheap ac repair houston txIt’s more expensive, so you’re paying twice as much just to get it in your home. who makes icp ac unitsAnd to top it all off, the new technology is only really increasing your heating efficiency in the months when you aren’t heating your home. In Virginia, that means that you’re only really saving money half the year.

If you currently have an electric water heater in your home, you need to be thinking ten years ahead starting now. Chances are that it is already at or close to the newer standard of efficiency. Your best option is to take really good care of it. With some basic maintenance, your electric water heater will work at EPA-mandated levels of efficiency for the next ten years. By then, electric water heater manufacturers may come up with better solutions than a heat pump to reach the EPA’s required standards of efficiency. You should replace it now while you can with the same technology you currently have, before you lose that option in 2015 and will be forced to go with the much more expensive option. So if you’re committed to using electricity to heat your water, don’t wait; replace your 4+ year old water heater now and take care of it so it will last until the technology improves and the cost of replacing it goes back down. Again, you can work on finding alternatives that may be more suitable to your home in 10 years.

If you haven’t already, this is a great reason to join the Plumberologist Preferred Customer Club, because then they’ll do an annual inspection on your heater to make sure it lasts the decade. Now that we’ve discussed electric water heaters, let’s move on to option #2, which is by far the better option: switch to a natural gas water heater. People tend to think of electric-powered things as being the newer, way-of-the-future route, but with water heaters it’s exactly the opposite. You can think of the electric heater vs. gas heater comparison as the inverse of electric-powered cars vs. gas-powered cars: Having a gas water heater in your home will make it more economical and, if you go with a tankless water heater, more technologically up-to speed. For starters, with even the most basic gas water heater, you’re going to save money right from the start. According to the US Department of Energy, the annual cost of heating your water with an electric water heater is somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 to $600 dollars, if you live in Northern Virginia.

By comparison, they estimate the annual cost of heating your water with gas to be somewhere between $200 and $300. That’s $100’s back in your pocket each year, and that’s with the most basic gas water heater. If you decide to switch to tankless, you’ll save even more. A tankless gas water heater is up to 25 times more efficient than the most efficient electric water heater. When a homeowner makes the decision to switch to tankless from electric, the unit pays for itself in less than 10 years.Make sure your water heater is the best for your home this year!Here is a more in-depth explanation of HO6 homeowner insurance. Insurance companies offer Dwelling Coverage, which generally insures the interior walls, drywall, wallpaper, paneling, flooring, carpeting, or built-in cabinets. This is the coverage you need to cover your part of the building; the unit you own. As a condo association, you all take responsibility and ownership for the common areas, the exterior of the building, and energy equipment.

The interior of your unit, however, is your responsibility, and it is important to make sure your real estate investment is protected. Note: Some condo “Master Policies” provide all-in coverage. This means the entire building, including your unit, are covered. Check your condos Master Policy and find our if it covers your individual unit. If the Master Policy doesn’t cover your unit, you need individual Dwelling Coverage. Dwelling Coverage usually covers damage resulting from: * Freezing of plumbing * Accidental discharge or overflow of water from your plumbing * Fire and lightning * Theft, vandalism and malicious mischief * Sudden, accidental damage from smoke * Weight of snow, ice and sleet * Sudden, accidental tearing, cracking, burning or bulging of a steam pipe or hot water heating system Dwelling does not cover damage caused by: * Earthquakes, floods, and in many states, hurricanes. If you want to insure your Condo against these risks, you may be able to buy an additional policy or endorsement for each of these.

* Theft by someone named on your Condo policy as an insured party. Do I need dwelling coverage for my unit? * As noted above, your condo building Master Policy might have coverage for your unit. Find out if you have coverage and, if so, how much coverage and at what deductible. Important note on condo docs: In some rare cases, your condo documents might say something different than your Master Policy. If your Master Policy says your unit is insured for dwelling, but your condo docs say otherwise, the condo docs win. A claim adjuster would default to what the condo docs say, and you wouldn’t have coverage. Make sure your condo docs state the same coverage as your Master Policy. * If you have no coverage with your building policy, you should purchase dwelling coverage for the full replacement amount. Even if your building Master Policy provides some coverage for your unit, most condo owners still like to take out dwelling coverage for their specific unit, often around $10,000 with a $500 deductible.

This is due to master policy limits, high deductibles, and condo document discrepancies (see above). Personal Property Coverage typically protects your personal belongings against the same list of risks and perils mentioned in Dwelling Coverage of Condo Policies Part 1. Your personal property is not covered by a condo master policy, and you should protect it. Unlike dwelling coverage, where the building policy might provide some coverage, your personal property is at risk. Personal property includes everything you own in your home. Furniture, TVs, computers, rugs, clothing, books, cookware, etc. Everything that is not attached to your condo is personal property and it should be insured. See our home inventory page for details about documenting your personal property. How Much Coverage Is Enough? There are a couple ways to determine how much coverage you need. The question is difficult: what is the replacement cost of everything you own? Most often, homeowners undervalue their property which results in them under-insuring their property.

One method is to individually value each item in your home. This means taking an entire inventory of your home, and assigning a value to each item. Many homeowners also like to take pictures, or even a video, of their home to keep on file in case of a loss. Another method of determining your personal property value is to use a simple multiplier. As a rule of thumb, for the first 1,000 square feet of your condo, assume $40,000 in personal property. For each additional 500 square feet, add approximately $5,000 in coverage. Example: If your unit were 1,500 square feet you would want to consider purchasing $45,000 in personal property coverage. Unless otherwise specified, Coverage C – Personal Property Coverage is for actual cash value at the time of loss, which is the replacement cost of the item, minus depreciation. Buying an endorsement can increase this coverage. Do you need more than actual cash value coverage for your personal belongings? We recommend replacement coverage for your personal property, rather than actual cash value.

If you purchased most of your belongings a few years ago, their current depreciated value may be a lot less than what it would take to replace them. Example: If your television is damaged in a fire, actual cash value coverage pays out the amount of money your 10-year-old TV would be worth today, which may only be a few dollars. Replacement cost coverage would pay for a new TV of the same size and functions. This is why replacement cost coverage is always better than actual cash value. If you have personal property such as firearms, jewelry, furs, antiques, collectibles, fine artwork, musical instruments or office equipment, you may need additional coverage. A standard condo policy usually has specific dollar limits for items like these. You can add or increase coverage amounts with an endorsement or additional policy. If a loss occurs and your home is damaged, it will take some time to renovate your home. During this time, you will probably need somewhere else to live while the work is being done.

How will you pay for additional living expenses while your condo is being fixed? Loss of Use Coverage will insure you for temporary housing expenses such as an apartment rental. Loss of use coverage will also cover things like furniture, car and boat storage, and even pet kennel expenses. The Loss of Use coverage usually has a limit based on a percentage of the Personal Property limit, often around 40%. For example: if you insure Personal Property for $30,000, your Loss of Use coverage limit would be $12,000 (40% of $30,000). One of the most important parts of a condo insurance policy is the Personal Liability Coverage. This will cover you against lawsuits, legal expenses, and medical costs if you are legally responsible for injury or property damage to others. The coverage here is variable, but most insurance professionals recommend $500,000. If a person is injured in your condo, and they are not named on your policy, this coverage would pay for some minor medical treatment, such as exams or X-rays.