Found 2 blog entries tagged as Utilities.

When you are buying your new home, you are faced with a bewildering array of specs, guidelines, options, and pricing. Some builders take advantage of this, and put in something that LOOKS like what you've come to expect.  One of the substitutions COSTS the builder less, but COSTS you much more in the long run.  Hot water heaters:

 hot water heaters

 

Notice any differences?  Let's eliminate the tankless and the small units (more for offices), and show just 2 options:

They LOOK almost identical.  The biggest difference is one is ELECTRIC and the other is NATURAL GAS.  If you aren't paying attention, you won't notice the lack of exhaust or the missing gas line on the electric.

The electric one is cheaper to buy (Rheem 40 Gal electric is $448 @ Home…

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During the purchase process, clients are exposed to a variety of new and unfamiliar products. One of the newest and HOTTEST (pun intended) is tankless water heaters, also called instant water heater. These units are usually much more expensive to install, claim to be more efficient, save space, and offer limitless hot water. Do these claims measure up? Is the extra cost worth it? What is the payback period? No limits on water? Let’s look at a few options.

Normal Hot Water Tank   

The regular hot water tank has been a fixture that everyone is pretty much familiar with. We heat a certain amount of hot water (often 50 or 60 gallons) to a pre-set temperature and STORE it until use. The tanks are insulated to help prevent heat loss. As hot water is called upon for bathing,…

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