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

Whether you are looking to replace a water heater or are wondering how to fix a socket on a lamp, Lou Manfredini is here to help. The TODAY contributor and host of House Smarts stopped by Studio 1A to answer viewer-submitted questions.

How can I replace a worn-out socket on a lamp without being electrocuted?

This is one of the easiest things to do, Lou said. "You can rewire a lamp for less than $15."

You can pick up spare sockets and a lamp cord at the hardware store. To install it, unplug the lamp. Take the cover off of the spare socket and notice the gold and silver screws. Your lamp cord will have a ribbed side. Take that side and attach it to the gold screw. Take the non-ribbed side of the cord and attach it to the silver screw. Put the cover back on and attach to the lamp.

During the winter, my dryer and microwave are freezing. You can feel a cold breeze coming from both when you open the doors. How can I fix this?

When you have an exhaust fan in an appliance, the metal on the fan actually draws the cold air in. To fix this, Lou recommends picking up the Backdraft Damper from Tamarack Technologies. The product has a sock that will trap the cold air, but the sock won't hinder your appliance's performance.

I want to replace my 8-year-old water thank asit started producing rusty water. Is there an economic advantage to installing an on-demand water heater instead?

The average life of a tank water heater is about 7 years and has a rod that can decay and rust the water. That rod can be replaced if you don't want to buy a new water heater, but Lou loves on-demand or tankless water heaters. They can often provide hot water for continuous use (including showers). They cost more upfront, but will last up to 20 years.

The rest is here:
Are tankless water heaters worth the cost? Answers to your home questions

What is the most common mistake you find in a home inspection?

By far it is electrical problems.

The most common in older homes is that people remove the old two-slot outlets and replace them with three-prong outlets, which are supposed to be grounded. Just because they are three-prong does not mean the wires were changed and that they are grounded.

This problem can be fixed by reverting back to two-slot outlets. But a better solution is to install ground fault circuit interrupter outlets, which have the test and reset buttons on them. These outlets, which have a circuit breaker built into them, do not need to be grounded to offer protection.

Improperly updated electrical service is another common problem. When a service is updated from the old 60 amps to a more modern 100- or 200-amp service, the old meter base needs to be changed. Without changing the meter, youre still getting the old amperage.

I recommend hiring a licensed electrician when you have any electrical problems.

I feel I did not get a full inspection because the inspector could not inspect the gas fireplace or the water heater because the gas was turned off to them.

Anything that is turned off should not be turned on or ignited by a home inspector.

The reason is we cannot know or predict why they are turned off. If a breaker is tripped the inspector should not turn it back on. It may be off for a reason.

The inspector could be held liable if something would happen if they turned it on.

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Ask the Inspector: Electrical problems common

2015 Water Heater Federal Regulations
New Water Heater Regulations Will Dramatically increase Replacement Prices For Austinites. The new federal regulations that go into effect April 15 2015 will...

By: Radiant Plumbing Air Conditioning

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2015 Water Heater Federal Regulations - Video

The Better Business Bureau rates Bonney Plumbing an A+, and the company is one of the biggest plumbing contractors in Northern California -- but KCRA 3s investigative team has found the business may be in danger of losing its license.

Watch report:State accuses Bonney Plumbing of overcharging, misleading customers

The state of California is accusing Bonney Plumbing of deliberately misleading and overcharging customers.

Two years ago Leonard Granger was looking for a plumber. He needed to replace the water heaters at two homes. So he turned to Bonney, partially he says because the company is among the biggest of its kind in the Sacramento area.

"I saw their ads on TV and I listened to it on the radio, Granger said. When they said, You can trust us from the very beginning -- we'll get the permits, we'll go all the way through the job and conform with the state code and county code, and so forth, I thought, Now that's the outfit I want to work with."

The company is certainly high profile. The red-and-blue vans have been a staple since Mark Bonney started the company in 1978. Bonney Plumbing now has more than 100 of those vans, and 150 employees. The business promotes itself with ads on TV. The new pro soccer stadium at Cal Expo is even called Bonney Field.

With that pedigree, Granger hired the company to install the water heaters at his farm in Vacaville and another property in Dixon.

Receipts show Granger paid more than $2,000 for one job and about $1,800 for the other. Granger said Bonneys employees told him Dixon city code and Solano County code both required expansion tanks to be installed with the water heater. He paid nearly $450 for both tanks.

"I'm not sure what that does, said Granger, pointing out the tanks to KCRA 3. He added that he paid at least $150 for permits and administrative fees on each job. "(Bonney Plumbing) did a wonderful job, Granger said. I have no complaints about the work.

But months later, that all changed when Granger called the city of Dixon and Solano County to find out why his scheduled inspections hadnt been completed.

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State accuses Bonney Plumbing of overcharging customers

Published: February 28, 2015

By Peter Hotton The Boston Globe

Q. I believe youve stated that the best ventilation for an attic is a ridge vent and long, continuous soffit vents. My question is what happens when the ridge vent is under 3-4 feet of snow. Should I keep the gable vents?

A. When a vent is blocked, by snow or anything else, it stops working. Im surprised you did not report ice dams and leaks into the attic or house. The soffit vents may be enough to prevent ice dams, but its a good idea to free the ridge vent of its snow burden. But not you. Lay off the roof; it is too dangerous. Hire a roofer or professional who does this sort of thing as his vocation.

Q. Several months ago I recaulked my bathroom tile shower, the corners where the tile wall meets the tile floor. I carefully removed the old caulk, let the shower dry a couple of days, and slowly applied the new caulk. For most of the shower, it looks great. But in one corner, it curled and came away from the surface. I again removed the caulk in this area, dried the shower thoroughly and replaced the caulk. Again it has curled and come away from the wall. Whats the problem and how I can fix it?

A. Problem? First, there seems to be no depth to the joint (maybe because the tiles are too close together), so any caulk is being applied to a flat surface. Second, the wrong caulk was used. Use instead grout, a white cement-like material that will get into any cracks that are available. Use sandless grout. If you really want to use caulk, do it this way: Put your caulk cartridge in a caulking gun, with a good spout, then push the caulk into the joint, then smooth it out with a wet finger, making a small concave cove.

Q. My kitchen ceiling is peeling just above the stove, probably from steam from pots. How can I repair it? It looks like parallel wavelets.

A. I dont think its calcimine, which must be removed entirely or painted with a paint called CalCoat. I think the steam from cooking did it. To fix, sand all the loose, wavelet type peelings, right to the bare plaster, then apply two thin coats of a latex ceiling paint. To prevent a recurrence, I suggest you install a stove hood vent, exhausting outdoors to clear out all that steam.

Q. I had a new gas-fired water heater installed about a month ago and every time I turn the hot water on everywhere in my house I have air in the pipes. Do you know how I can fix this?

A. I am guessing that you are getting hot water eventually; no one should go without hot water for a month. Id say you should call the installer to make sure you get hot water with each turn-on, with no air.

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Ask the handyman: Checking snow-covered roof vent

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) February 27, 2015

The new DOE federal regulations going into effect on April 15 will increase the size of all conventional water heaters, making them too large to fit though standard attic access and some closets built for existing water heaters. Once the new regulations for water heater efficiency go into effect, manufacturers will stop producing current models. All that will be offered are upgraded devices. Consumers won't be able to find a direct replacement to install if it breaks down. Typically, the new water heater models will cost up to 35% more and will be 2" wider and taller (due to having more extensive insulation).

Brad Casebier from Radiant Plumbing and Air Conditioning says, "A large percentage of Austin homes have water heaters in the attic. The standard attic access is 21 1/2" wide. The new water heaters are going to be about 2 larger than that. This means that home owners will have the additional expenses of sheet rock repair, and even possible carpentry."

Plumbing experts (Brad included) suggest replacing older water heaters before the deadline, that way consumers can make sure the replacement fits both home and budget. Consumers that have an older machine or are noticing the warning signs of wear and tear, should consider investing in a replacement today!

Some signs that a water heater is in disrepair include: leaks, bad odors, visible rust, higher energy bills, dirty water, and poor heating. If the water heater is past 5 years old, consider this action sooner rather than later. Check to see the age of the water heater in question, then call the local plumbing professionals at Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning http://www.RadiantPlumbing.com for a replacement estimate today. If unsure of the age of your unit, a specialist would be happy to come out to verify the age and condition.

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Federal Regulations Will Dramatically Increase Water Heater Replacement Prices For Austin Residents