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Come see Custom Design Services at the
Austin Green Living Show
this weekend, March 9th - 11th at the Austin Convention Center.
We will love to see you there!!
Please visit the Show Technology website for times and location information.
http://www.showtechnology.com/
Office Building Update!
Construction is moving right along with the framing underway. Take a look....
Office Building March 5th
Choices... Tankless water heaters
Volume 2 : Choices series
Many people ask me questions about Tankless Water Heaters: How do they work? Do they work? Do they really save money? Since I own a tankless heater myself, I recently had mine serviced by a wonderful company who was very knowledgeable and they had all the answers to these questions and more!
Nick Gabriel, the operations manager of Clarke Kent Plumbing, said the biggest selling feature of tankless water heaters is the energy savings of up to 50% versus a regular water heater tank. Tanks lose about 30% efficiency by losing heat and reheating when hot water is not in use. Additionally, you never will run out of hot water, a big advantage with larger families and you can get a $300 tax credit upon installation.
Tankless water heaters are activated by water flow; 1/2 a gallon of water per minute. The hot water is not instant, a common misconception, but endless! However, if you install a recirculation loop, the hot water is instant. The loop works by running a water pipe to all of your fixtures and back to the water heater. Hot water is kept at a specified temperature by an AquaStat (like a thermostat) and only fires when needed using a nominal amount of energy. When you turn on your faucet, your water is hot immediately which saves water too!
An additional advantage is their space savings! They take up 25% of space as a tank. They are best installed in the attic or outside so that venting is made simpler. They work fine in the winter with an electric ceramic plate that heats the copper coils when the temperature drops below 30 degrees.
When purchasing a unit, it is important to check the gallons per minute to size it properly for your use. For example, the average temperature of incoming water in Austin is 70 degrees. Set your heater to the typical setting of 120 degrees and you have a 50 degree rise in water temperature. During a typical shower you use about 2 gallons of hot water per minute. If you purchase a 6-7 gallon per minute unit at a 50 degree rise, you will have enough hot water to take 3 showers at the same time! There are a variety of sizes and options available so make sure you choose the right one for your family.
The maintenance is very simple, but very important. First, make sure you have the correct vent kit and valve service kit installed initially. Then, one time per year, flow a vinegar solution or CLR through the unit for about 10 minutes. You can purchase a maintenance kit at Clarke Kent Plumbing to make it easier. Also, instead of replacing an entire water heater tank which only last about 5 - 10 years in central Texas, you can simply replace parts on a tankless unit. You are purchasing a life time heater!!! Just think of how that would help the land fills!! And with a 10 year heating warranty and a 5 year parts warranty, you can't lose!
So, consider a Tankless Water Heater on your new or existing home, give the nice folks at Clarke Kent Plumbing a call at 477-2200 and tell them we sent you!!!
Check out our website
Contact Cammi Klier at 512.330.9309
or cklier@cdshomedesign.com
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