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The topic - More 15-minute fixes!

Tune in for new episodes of HouseSmarts starting March 13th.  We’ve made sure that good eatin is on the menu.

Lou signs the guest chef apron at Sur La Table after shooting a What's for Dinner segment.

Find out what makes this cupcake special in an upcoming Green Piece segment.

True, the Founding Fathers gave us the Constitution–but what’s really cool are the houses they left behind. Read the rest of this entry »

That’s a question I have been asking for the last fifteen years. Hot water of course is a necessity in US homes and the process to heat it has been dominated by systems that heat and store water for use. Last year over 9 million tanked water heaters were sold in the US. And according to the EPA 20% of the energy used to keep that water hot is consumed for stand-by. There is a better method.

Tankless water heaters or on demand water heaters have been around for over 75 years. In fact most of Europe heats their water this way both in residential and commercial installations. I have been beating this drum for a long time and early on I received a lot of push back from plumber’s and tank heater manufacturers. Both groups took the position that tankless units were unreliable and would not provide the same amount of hot water as a conventional water heater. While some of their concerns may have been valid these systems have now come main stream, as every maker of tanked heaters now makes a tankless unit. Go figure! According to Kyle Murray with Bosch Thermal Technologies, in 2004 270,000 tankless water heaters were sold in the US, in 2008 just four years later, 710,000 units were sold. With more information for US homeowners to find on these units and licensed plumbers becoming more comfortable with them the demand will continue to grow.

How tankless units work. The heaters are about the size of a medium suitcase and mount on the wall. They use heat exchanger technology not unlike a hot water boiler that may heat your home. When the water is turned on the flow triggers the burners to ignite through a series of coils. Units can run on natural gas, electricity or propane. As the water flows through its heated instantly and then delivered to your fixtures. As long as the water is flowing you will have hot water, endlessly, meaning your entire family, relatives, neighbors, even strangers can take a shower one after another and never run out of hot water. And when the water is turned off so is the unit. So while your home is empty and no one is there no energy is being consumed to heat that water. Sizing the units correctly as to how you live your life is key, there are units that can create enough hot water to have showers, laundry, and dishwashing occurring simultaneously. The pricing is a consideration as these units currently cost more. The average conventional water heater installed by a licensed plumber is around $1,200.00 with an average life of 13 years. Tankless units average $3,500 but have a life expectancy of 20 years. But the payback can be realized in as little as 5 years. Also tax incentives have been extended so your return on the added investment can be quicker. If you need a new water heater you owe it to yourself to at least consider a tankless on demand unit.

Here is my latest batch of things you can repair or maintain around your home in 15 minutes or less, really! Read the rest of this entry »