When you rely on Roto-Rooter for water heater repair or water heater replacement, you can expect professional service from a skilled plumber. Roto-Rooter offers 24-hour emergency water heater service, so you will have hot water again as quickly as possiblethe same day in most cases.

If a replacement water heater is necessary, a Roto-Rooter water heater expert will help you determine which one is right for your home and budget, taking into consideration your familys water heating needs and energy usage expectations. Most any type or brand can be installed, including a tankless water heater.

View our Water Heater Infographic.

New Water Heater Standards for 2015

Types Of Water Heaters

Conventional Water Heater Conventional water heaters store water in a tank and are available in a variety of gallon capacities. Electric or gas energy is required to maintain the water at a set temperature until a faucet is turned on and water is pulled through the pipe. A conventional electric or gas water heater should last about 11 years. Newer conventional water heaters are more energy efficient than older models. A high-efficiency model can reduce water heating bills by about 7 percent.

Tankless Water Heater A tankless water heater is generally considered more energy efficient because they heat water only as it is needed. When the tap is turned on, the heater goes to work and supplies continuous hot water. A tankless water heater often requires less space and can hang on a wall, but may require larger gas lines, special venting or additional electric circuits that add to the upfront costs. However, a tankless water heater has a life expectancy of 15-20 years and may reduce water heating bills by as much as 30 percent.

Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater A hybrid water heater combines conventional tank storage with a heat pump that extracts heat from the air and uses it to help heat the water. A hybrid water heater uses existing water and electrical connections, and can reduce water heating costs by almost 60 percent.

Solar Water Heater Systems Solar water heater systems use the suns energy to generate hot water for your home. Solar water heaters are either passive or active. Passive solar water heating systems are typically less expensive than active systems, but they're usually not as efficient. However, passive systems can be more reliable and may last longer. Active solar water heating systems utilize pumps and controls to circulate water into the home. Most solar water heating systems require a well insulated storage tank and a backup system for cloudy days and high water demand.

See the article here:
Residential Water Heater Repair, Installation ...

Hands-on Basics The Home Power and FSEC articles listed below are the best way I have found to get up to speed with building a solar hot water heater. They are very well done, and very hands-on. Solar Site Survey ...

http://www.azsolarcenter.com/technology/solarh20.html

See the entries below for more details on each type of system, and for systems you can build yourself. If the number of types of systems Ken describes seems a bit overwhelming, then concentrate on 1) batch systems, 2) drain back systems, 3) closed loop systems, and 4) thermosyphon systems -- these are the most common and robust. Some additional considerations if you want to build your own system...

FSEC Solar Thermal Resources Pages (very good):

FSEC's main page on solar water heating...

Good detailed section on system installation including collector mounting, plumbing, tank, ...

Also, good Installation Pictorials for the entire solar water heating installation.

This article is currently available as a free download from the Arizona Solar Center here

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Solar Water Heating Projects and Plans - Build-It-Solar

Youre getting a licensed, qualified individual whos going to install the water heater correctly, make sure all of the safety features are in place, and that its installed to the current local plumbing code, says Chuck Sauro, a master plumber and manager at A.B. May Co.in Leawood, Kansas.

Steve Hyde, general manager forWashington Water Heatersin Bellevue, Washington, echoes that sentiment. Installing a water heater is dangerous and we encounter improperly installed water heaters on a daily basis, he says.

RELATED: Don't Let New Water Heater Rules Surprise You

On electric water heater installations, youre dealing with 240 volts of electricity," Hyde notes. "On a gas water heater, if a gas leaks occurs and its not corrected, it could result in catastrophic damage to the house or its occupants.

Other considerations when installing a water heater include making sure the unit is adequately plumbed, including installing it with enough clearance and ensuring drip pans are equipped, if needed.

Hanleybrown says one of the most important elements for gas-fired tank water heaters or tankless water heaters is ensuring the units are properly vented to prevent exposure to carbon monoxide gases produced by combusted fuel.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, unintentionalcarbon monoxide poisoningcauses 400 deaths each year and 20,000 visits the emergency room.

Hiring a licensed plumber with experience in water heater installation including how to properly vent exhaust gases and one who pulls a permit, if required, are safety measures every homeowner should take when installing a water heater, Hanleybrown says.

Because of the carbon monoxide issue, we say people should always question anyone who is not pulling a permit, he says.

MORE: How Often Should I Flush My Water Heater?

Excerpt from:
How Much Does Water Heater Installation Cost? | Angies List

Solar water heating (SWH) is the conversion of sunlight into renewable energy for water heating using a solar thermal collector. Solar water heating systems comprise various technologies that are used worldwide increasingly.

In a "close-coupled" SWH system the storage tank is horizontally mounted immediately above the solar collectors on the roof. No pumping is required as the hot water naturally rises into the tank through thermosiphon flow. In a "pump-circulated" system the storage tank is ground- or floor-mounted and is below the level of the collectors; a circulating pump moves water or heat transfer fluid between the tank and the collectors.

SWH systems are designed to deliver hot water for most of the year. However, in winter there sometimes may not be sufficient solar heat gain to deliver sufficient hot water. In this case a gas or electric booster is used to heat the water.

Water heated by the sun is used in various ways. While perhaps best known in a residential setting to provide domestic hot water, solar hot water also has industrial applications, e.g. to generate electricity.[1] Designs suitable for hot climates can be much simpler and cheaper, and can be considered an appropriate technology for these places. The global solar thermal market is dominated by China, Europe, Japan and India.

In order to heat water using solar energy, a collector, often fastened to a roof or a wall facing the sun, heats a working fluid that is either pumped (active system) or driven by natural convection (passive system) through it.[2] The collector could be made of a simple glass-topped insulated box with a flat solar absorber made of sheet metal, attached to copper heat exchanger pipes and dark-colored, or a set of metal tubes surrounded by an evacuated (near vacuum) glass cylinder. In industrial cases a parabolic mirror can concentrate sunlight on the tube. Heat is stored in a hot water storage tank. The volume of this tank needs to be larger with solar heating systems in order to allow for bad weather[clarification needed], and because the optimum final temperature for the solar collector[clarification needed] is lower than a typical immersion or combustion heater. The heat transfer fluid (HTF) for the absorber may be the hot water from the tank, but more commonly (at least in active systems) is a separate loop of fluid containing anti-freeze and a corrosion inhibitor which delivers heat to the tank through a heat exchanger (commonly a coil of copper heat exchanger tubing within the tank). Copper is an important component in solar thermal heating and cooling systems because of its high heat conductivity, resistance to atmospheric and water corrosion, sealing and joining by soldering, and mechanical strength. Copper is used both in receivers and primary circuits (pipes and heat exchangers for water tanks).[3]

Another lower-maintenance concept is the 'drain-back': no anti-freeze is required; instead, all the piping is sloped to cause water to drain back to the tank. The tank is not pressurized and is open to atmospheric pressure. As soon as the pump shuts off, flow reverses and the pipes are empty before freezing could occur.

Residential solar thermal installations fall into two groups: passive (sometimes called "compact") and active (sometimes called "pumped") systems. Both typically include an auxiliary energy source (electric heating element or connection to a gas or fuel oil central heating system) which is activated when the water in the tank falls below a minimum temperature setting such as 55C. Hence, hot water is always available. The combination of solar water heating and using the back-up heat from a wood stove chimney to heat water[4] can enable a hot water system to work all year round in cooler climates, without the supplemental heat requirement of a solar water heating system being met with fossil fuels or electricity.

When a solar water heating and hot-water central heating system are used in conjunction, solar heat will either be concentrated in a pre-heating tank that feeds into the tank heated by the central heating, or the solar heat exchanger will replace the lower heating element and the upper element will remain in place to provide for any heating that solar cannot provide. However, the primary need for central heating is at night and in winter when solar gain is lower. Therefore, solar water heating for washing and bathing is often a better application than central heating because supply and demand are better matched. In many climates, a solar hot water system can provide up to 85% of domestic hot water energy. This can include domestic non-electric concentrating solar thermal systems. In many northern European countries, combined hot water and space heating systems (solar combisystems) are used to provide 15 to 25% of home heating energy.

There are records of solar collectors in the United States dating back to before 1900,[5] comprising a black-painted tank mounted on a roof. In 1896 Clarence Kemp of Baltimore, USA enclosed a tank in a wooden box, thus creating the first 'batch water heater' as they are known today. Although flat-plate collectors for solar water heating were used in Florida and Southern California in the 1920s there was a surge of interest in solar heating in North America after 1960, but especially after the 1973 oil crisis.

See Appendix 1 at the bottom of this article for a number of country-specific statistics on the "Use of solar water heating worldwide". Wikipedia also has country-specific articles about solar energy use (thermal as well as photovoltaic) in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Read more:
Solar water heating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

More and more people are choosing tankless water heaters over traditional water heaters these days, and for good reason. Tankless water heaters use gas or electricity to provide hot water on demand, reducing standby energy losses that cost you money.

In addition, tankless water heaters typically last about twice as long as standard water heaters. And numerous tankless water heaters qualify for a three hundred dollar energy rebate, saving you even more!

However, your tankless water heater needs to be professionally installed for optimal energy efficiency, and no one knows tankless water heaters better than we do. With state-of-the-art technology and an expert staff of plumbing specialists we have the tools to tackle any job, big or small, residential or commercial. Plus our experience and relationships with manufacturers allow us to offer all parts and labor at unbeatable prices!

We start by determining your demand, location, and application for hot water, then we customize a system designed to fit your needs and budget. Your project will be supervised from consultation to cleanup to ensure your complete satisfaction with the process, and our plumbing contractors will work around your schedule.

Tankless water heaters are a great investment to save your household money. Tankless water heaters save you money by not having to keep the water in a tank hot all the time even when you are not using it! By installing a tankless water heater you have hot water on demand when you need it no more cold showers it is there when you need it.

Our tankless specialists will give you an estimate for your tankless water before any work is performed. We have expertly trained technicians to install the tankless water heater for you to optimize it and make sure it is running the most efficiently as possible.

We mostly install residential tankless water heaters, but they can also be used in garages, poolhouses, hot tubs, outdoor sinks, etc. Whether your plans are for residential or commercial applications, one thing you can count on is saving energy, which in turn helps save money, and the environment!

For more information or to receive a free estimate, please contact us today.

See more here:
Tankless Water Heater Installation | Tankless Water Heater ...

Three more areas of Fresno County this week joined Sanger and four other cities when they launched the HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program, which enables homeowners and commercial property owners to make energy-and water-efficiency improvements and pay them off through their property tax bill. The communities include Parlier and Selma, as well as unincorporated areas of the county.

Fresno residents want to do the right thing when it comes to saving energy and water, and the HERO PACE program will make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to improve efficiency, said County Supervisor Henry Perea.

The County is proud to make this service available to residents so they can afford to install the most efficient technology available when it comes time to replace that water heater or furnace.

Sanger, Clovis, Fresno, Kingsburg and Reedley have already launched HERO. Kerman is due to launch this summer. Property owners repay the assessment over 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. Interest is tax deductible.

Homeowners know that investing in energy and water efficiency saves money in the long run. Now most homeowners can access affordable financing to make these efficiency upgrades, said Blair McNeill, vice president of community development for Renovate America, the company that administers the HERO Program. HERO is helping homeowners realize tomorrows energy efficient future today.

HERO now serves 10 million households in California.

It has helped fund more than 28,000 residential efficiency projects, totaling more than $550 million in financing, according to Renovate America.

By stimulating home renovation activity, the HERO program increases demand for contractor services. In this way, HERO has helped to create 4,700 jobs in California since beginning in earnest in Dec. 2011, according to Renovate America.

HERO leads the industry with its proactive consumer protection policy, according to Renovate America.

HERO requires participating contractors to undergo rigorous training aimed at ensuring customers are fully informed about the costs and benefits of the program. Funding for projects is made available to the contractor only after the homeowner has indicated full satisfaction with and completion of the project.

Excerpt from:
Sanger is part of an energy renovation program - HERO/PACE - praised by Supervisor Henry Perea

A complaint by a resident that she had to pay too much for a permit to replace her home water heater prompted a call for a complete review of residential building permit fees.

Alderman Carol Johnson asked for an explanation of the current fee for a resident to replace a home water heater.

Speaking at the March 17 board of aldermen meeting, Johnson said one of her constituents recently was charged $125 for a permit to install a water heater after her old one failed.

How did we come up with that kind of fee? Alderman Ed Gass asked. If were charging that much to install a water heater, Id like to get rid of that fee.

Mayor Jeff Palmore said the fee structure for permits had been in place for a long time.

Gass said its time to review what the city is charging residents to make repairs on their homes.

Lets send this to the operations committee and look at all the permit fees, he said.

Alderman Mike Bates said because of the crowded agenda for the upcoming meeting, the permit fee review would have to wait until a later meeting.

Well be glad to look at it, but not at the next meeting, Bates said.

Continued here:
Aldermen Discuss Water Heater Replacement Fee

Apollo water heater installed correctly
http://www.askexpertexpress.com/plumbing/apollo-water-heaters/ How can I tell if I have an Apollo type water heater? apollo water heaterIf your water heater also heats your house then...

By: Expert Express plumbing heating and air conditioning

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Apollo water heater installed correctly - Video

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) -

On April 16, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) will have new standards when it comes to how efficient water heaters are, so if you're planning on getting a new one, you may want to make room at home and in your pockets.

"To the consumer on energy saver, this will increase," said Stine assistant manager Travis Hoffpauir. "Your yearly operating cost will increase over a year's time."

Aside from saving you some money and energy, the new water heaters are going to be bigger. They're going to be 2 to 8 inches taller and 2 to 6 inches wider, depending on the model. So, fitting it in your house cocoulde an issue.

"It depends on the spaces," said a local homeowner as he shopped. "Some people have them underneath cabinets and some people don't."

Hoffpauir said those people who have their tanks in a tight closet with very little room may see most of the change. According to WashingtonEnergy.com, the changes will require custom install solutions to fit some homes and apartments, which may cost homeowners more money.

They also anticipate retail price increases in the range of $100.

If you have a large size tank (66 or 80 gallon) or 75 gallon gas water heater, some of these are being discontinued.

But there is some good news, the change will eventually save consumers money on their utility bills, but Hoffpauir said that may take awhile to happen.

"It's hard to tell if they'll even see the savings," he said. "They projected it over a whole year's time so, you're not going to see a great saving immediately on your electric bill."

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New federal regulations to affect water heater purchases

Rebuilding Together needs volunteers

Betty Ann Reeves stands outside of her home Tuesday on Prast Boulevard in South Bend where Rebuilding Together will replace her roof, install a new water heater, upgrade some plumbing and fusebox and paint the exterior. Reeves said she retired in 2011 after 38 years in Memorial Hospital's housekeeping department. SBT Photo/JOSEPH DITS

Betty Ann Reeves, center, talks with Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Pam Meyer, South Bend's director of neighborhood engagement, in front of her home Tuesday on Prast Boulevard in South Bend as Rebuilding Together announced this year's program. Among the 19 homes that will be fixed up, Reeves' house will receive a new roof and water heater, upgraded plumbing and fusebox and a repainted exterior. SBT Photo/JOSEPH DITS

Posted: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 6:05 am | Updated: 7:04 am, Wed Mar 18, 2015.

Rebuilding Together needs volunteers By Joseph Dits South Bend Tribune SouthBendTribune.com

SOUTH BENDVolunteers are needed to help this year as the nonprofit Rebuilding Together fixes up 19 homes on the citys far west side, straddling Lincoln Way West, whose owners are either seniors or have low income.

Local tradesmen will do the skilled jobs required on the homes March 28, including at least 16 new roofs and seven upgraded furnaces, organizers announced Tuesday.

But community volunteers no skill required are needed to work April 11. A total 500 volunteers are expected to help.

This years program will focus on a neighborhood generally bordered by Bendix Drive on the west, Wilber Street on the east, Elwood Avenue on the north and Bertrand and Longley on the south.

Now in its 27th year, Rebuilding Together is a nonprofit organization in St. Joseph County that combines the efforts of city government, businesses, labor unions and other charities. The work is all done at no expense to home owners.

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Rebuilding Together needs volunteers