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Heffner Plumbing Newsletter
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No, the Federal Government is not providing health care for water heaters, but the Department of Energy has mandated sweeping changes that will go into effect on April 16, 2015. As the Affordable Care Act was confusing for most, so too are the changes for all gas, electric and oil fired water heaters. The goal with these changes is to save energy, but it is the consumer that will ultimately be saddled with the additional costs for the new technology that is being mandated. One water heater manufacturer's representative here in Indianapolis has speculated that the cost for water heaters could double under this ruling. And that would just be the tip of the iceberg. Installation of water heaters will change as well. As an example, since water heaters will become either taller or bigger in diameter because of added insulation, there will be situations where a new water heater will no longer fit in the current space that they are in. Possible choices for this scenario would be to relocate the water heater to a different part of the house or switch to a tankless water heater. The costs in either case could push the total replacement expense for a new water heater far beyond what some families can afford.
If your water heater is 10 years old or older, my advice would be to give some serious consideration to replacing this before the new Energy Factor (EF) ratings go into effect. I don't mean to sound like a used car salesman, but waiting could literally cost you thousands of dollars.
For more information, please go to the Bradford White web site:
2015 Department of Energy Changes for Water Heaters
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Freeze Damaged Hose Bibbs
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I have had multiple calls from customers that have experienced freeze damage with their hose bibbs. With the one pictured, the customer had dis- connected the garden hose, but because it had not been properly installed when the house was built and with the severe cold over the winter, this hose bibb froze and the copper pipe split. Since water will not leak until the hose is turned on, the problem was not obvious until the customer found the carpet wet in their finished basement. If you notice low water pressure when you first turn on the hose bibb or hear water gushing in the wall, shut the hose bibb off immediately and do not use this again until it has been replaced.
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A First Step or Taking Sump Pump Protection To The Next Level
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The PitBoss is 21st Century technology at its best. Utilizing existing cellular service (it doesn't matter what carrier it is), the PitBoss can send text messages to 3 different phones when there's a problem. The cost of the installation covers the first year of cellular service and the annual cost after that is $30.00. The installed price starts at $375.00, but the cost can vary depending on the installation.
So whether you don't have a battery back-up sump pump and this is a first step toward that goal or if you want to take sump protection to the next level, the PitBoss is the answer.
Here is a video with more information about the PitBoss;
PitBoss video by Heffner Plumbing
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