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That 60 gallon tank of hot water in your basement eats up a lot of energy. But tankless on-demand water heaters leave you running water down the drain while you wait for warmth. This tiny Kickstarter water heater promises to change all that, and save you money, thanks to some fascinating technology.

The team behind the Heatworks Model 1 says the foot-long device can deliver instantaneous hot water on demand, saving 40% on energy costs and 10% on wasted water compared to an electric tank-style heater. One unit supplies enough endless hot water for one shower at a time, while larger households could install a unit at every bathroom, saving money on hot water piping and cutting out minutes spent waiting for hot water to arrive.

The key is how the Model 1 heats the water. Unlike current tankless electric heaters, which use a corrosion- and failure-prone metal coil, Heatworks relies on submerged graphite electrodes that use the water around them as a resistor. This, they say, gives you instant heat, rather than the 30-second wait associated with other tankless systems.

Sure, this all sounds great, and with the Kickstarter already past goal, it looks like Heatworks will have the money they're seeking to start production. But being funded on Kickstarter is entirely different from producing a reliable product in quantity. Even if they make it, are you willing to trade the familiar water heater any plumber can fix in the middle of the night for a high-tech energy saver that runs on the future? It's a gamble, and a cold shower is the loser's lot. [Kickstarter]

Update: Prompted by a number of comments asking whether there's any risk of being electrocuted by this device, we reached out to Heatworks for clarification. Founder Jerry Callahan explained via email:

Yes, we pass currents through the water, but here is why no one should be concerned;

Original post:
This Football-Sized Device Could Replace Your Huge Water ...

A Staten Island public elementary school is getting more than $1 million dollars in federal emergency funding to help cover repairs made to the school after Hurricane Sandy, but that is only a drop in the bucket considering what needs to be done. NY1's Bree Driscoll filed the following report.

Principle Jane McCord greets students at P.S. 52 every morning.

As they make their way in, they have to hop over broken concrete, damage left over from Hurricane Sandy.

"I never anticipated that I'd be 15 months out with plans still not on the table," McCord said.

Hurricane Sandy devastated the building.

"I was here the following morning, and we opened the door to the basement, and you couldn't go down," McCord said. "The water came up to the second step."

The school's boiler, electrical, ventilation, hot water and telephone systems were all destroyed. Students were forced to relocate to the Petrides School for about a month.

Since the storm, the student population has dropped by about 75.

"Many of our families moved away and haven't been able to return," McCord said. "Some still hope to return."

The school has a new ventilation and electrical system, paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but the boiler is temporary, and the hot water heater is much smaller than what was there before.

See more here:
SI Elementary School Still Dealing with Damage from Sandy

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That 60 gallon tank of hot water in your basement eats up a lot of energy. But tankless on-demand water heaters leave you running water down the drain while you wait for warmth. This tiny Kickstarter water heater promises to change all that, and save you money, thanks to some fascinating technology.

The team behind the Heatworks Model 1 says the foot-long device can deliver instantaneous hot water on demand, saving 40% on energy costs and 10% on wasted water compared to an electric tank-style heater. One unit supplies enough endless hot water for one shower at a time, while larger households could install a unit at every bathroom, saving money on hot water piping and cutting out minutes spent waiting for hot water to arrive.

The key is how the Model 1 heats the water. Unlike current tankless electric heaters, which use a corrosion- and failure-prone metal coil, Heatworks relies on submerged graphite electrodes that use the water around them as a resistor. This, they say, gives you instant heat, rather than the 30-second wait associated with other tankless systems.

Sure, this all sounds great, and with the Kickstarter already past goal, it looks like Heatworks will have the money they're seeking to start production. But being funded on Kickstarter is entirely different from producing a reliable product in quantity. Even if they make it, are you willing to trade the familiar water heater any plumber can fix in the middle of the night for a high-tech energy saver that runs on the future? It's a gamble, and a cold shower is the loser's lot. [Kickstarter]

Update: Prompted by a number of comments asking whether there's any risk of being electrocuted by this device, we reached out to Heatworks for clarification. Founder Jerry Callahan explained via email:

Yes, we pass currents through the water, but here is why no one should be concerned;

More:
This Football-Sized Device Could Replace Your Huge Water Heater

Putting solar panels on your roof will only take you so far. The trick is finding ways to use more of the electricity in your home and send less of it to the grid where you will likely be charged per kilowatt-hour for your share of upkeep.

It makes little sense to be anti-solar energy in this day and age, although it does make sense to do it right.Even solar can be done wrong. Usurping farmland, forest, or pristine desert tortoise habitats for solar should be against the rules.

Our mission is to provide clear, objective information about the important energy issues facing the world, address and correct misconceptions, and to actively engage readers and exchange ideas.For more great energy coverage, visitEnergy Trends Insider.

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I was motivated to do this post by a rare, cloudless, 50 degree day in the dead of winter.

If you put grid-tied solar panels on your house to eliminate your electric bill, you may one day be billed for use of the grid anyway.Some solar panel owners are already paying about 25% for use of the grid. Thats because, like natural gas and coal, solar panels are essentially a source of energy (fuel) for an electrical grid,which is only one component of the total cost. Power grids are like roads and sewer lines in that we all have to pay our fair share for their use. Im OK paying an extra fee for my electric car which pays no gasoline taxes. Im also OK with temporary government subsidies to test the waters for new technologies.

Some percentage of most electric bills goes to pay the fuel costs at the power plant. In my neck of the woods almost98% of our power comes from hydro (90%), wind (4%), and nuclear (4%), which have no or very low fuel costs. Yet we stillpay roughly 9 cents per kWhfor residential electricity.The average American pays about 12 cents. The difference in cost (12 9 = 3 cents per kWh) is mostly fuel. The other 9 cents is what it costs to get the electricity to you, expand or maintain the grid infrastructure, pay for Federal programs, etc. This means that someone who offsets all of their electricity use with grid tied solar panels might one day, in theory, end up paying something like 75% of their original electricity bill (12 cents 3 cents for fuel costs = 9 cents = 75% of 12 cents).

However, if your highest priority is to use less fossil fuels (willing to spend more to accomplish that), then volunteering to pay more for your electricity isnt necessarily a bad thing, in fact, one could argue that its a noble thing. If wind, solar, and nuclear really do cost more than fossil fuels, maybe paying a little extra to get rid of fossil fuels isnt a bad idea.

One method to reduce the various monthly grid use charges beginning to show up on electric bills by owners of grid-tied solar panels (who are essentially very small power companies) is to find ways to use more of the electricity in your own home (send less of it to the grid where you will likely be charged per kWh for your share of upkeep).

Read more here:
How to use less fossil fuel at home

5:22 p.m.Feb. 5, 2014

There are two ways to quickly answer the call for more fresh water:

These can be done inexpensively and in many cases without significant permitting.

I reduced water use at home from about 400 gallons per day to 280 gallons per day, a 30 percent savings. For help, I called the city of San Diego Water Utilities Department. They sent out a technician who, at no cost, helped me find leaks, learn how to install a simple pump at the hot water heater to bring hot water more quickly to my faucet, thus wasting far less water waiting for cold to get hot, how to reduce outdoor irrigation by managing on-off days and run-times for my sprinklers.

This simple effort cost me a few dollars with the plumber. That was returned within a few months through lower water and sewer bills.

Even though the cities and county have been diligent about reducing urban runoff, it still exists. It can be injected into groundwater basins. It takes some negotiating with state and federal water quality agencies, but for the most part, they are interested, amenable and have excellent suggestions based on successes elsewhere in California and the nation.

An added benefit is the ability to deal more quickly and at far less cost with our chronic flood-control problems.

It is important not to overreach. If we stick to simple, inexpensive and practical solutions to our immediate freshwater problem, we will create more supply, almost overnight.

But if we continue to insist on new dams, on using nuclear power to create freshwater from the sea, and embark on energy-intensive flood control and groundwater management programs. we will fall far short.

It is time to do things that work, and work fast.

Original post:
Dry times

WINTER is Cold! ...but it can be fun and safe if you take steps to educate and protect yourself. Did you know that winter storms are now classified in a storm scale called The Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS)

Myth vs. Fact Myth: If it's 33 degrees and the wind chill is in the 20s, water (or your car engine) will freeze. Fact: wind chill only applies to flesh of warm blooded creatures (without fur), specifically humans.

Myth: wind chill makes everyone cold. Fact: wind chill only applies to exposed flesh so if you are bundled up in coat, gloves, hat, etc the wind chill is NOT an issue. The wind chill formula does not account for sunshine, nor the color of your clothes. If you are outside in a sheltered spot where the wind does not reach you, then there is no wind chill for you.

Myth: wind chill makes your house colder. Fact: Wind will remove heat faster from your house, and cold air will blow into your house through cracks but the house can not be colder than the actual air temperature, based on the wind.

Myth: The wind chill does not change very much on a cold day. Fact: The wind chill changes every time the wind changes so it's typical for it to fluctuate from 5 to 10 degrees, even within a minute, when the winds are gusty.

Myth: At 32 degrees pets should be brought inside. Fact: There's no difference to a pet between 33 and 32 degrees. Pets should be inside when it is very cold or cold for a long time. There is no magic number to when pets should be inside.

Myth: Frost is the same as freeze. Fact: The temperature can be way below freezing without frost when the air is dry. Frost can form when the air is above freezing if cold air settles to the ground.

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WINTER TIPS -Dress properly for the temperature and wind. Wear loose-fitting, light-weight clothing in layers. Layers help to trap air as an insulator and they can be removed to avoid perspiration and the chill that follows. Outer garments should be tightly woven, water repellent and hooded. Always wear a hat. Half of your body's heat loss can occur through your head. Mittens are better than gloves because they allow your fingers to share heat. Avoid having skin exposed to the wind. Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold. Stay dry. Check out this Wind Chill chart from NOAA.

-Check often on elderly and infants for safety and comfort and don't overexpose pets to very cold, dry air.

See more here:
Winter Weather is Cool, With Some Hazards

ROCKFORD (WREX) -

February 2nd through the 8th marks Burn Awareness Week and the Rockford Fire Department is giving several tips to keep you and your family safe from burn and scald injuries.

Burning and scalding could cause lifelong scarring, and even death, so prevention is always preferable to treatment. The injuries could be worse for some.

"Although anyone can sustain a scald burn, certain people are more likely to be scaldedinfants, young children, older adults, and people with disabilities. These high risk groups are also more likely to require hospitalization, suffer complications, and experience a difficult recovery," according to the American Burn Association.

Rockford Fire Department Division Chief Matthew Knott warns, "Most burn injuries occur in the person's own home, and the vast majority of these injuries could have easily been prevented."

Tap water scalds are some of the most dangerous, often more severe than scalds related to cooking. The following tips are recommended to decrease your risk of tap water scalds:

Cooking-related scalds can also be prevented through the following steps:

For more information, visit http://www.ameriburn.org.

Continue reading here:
Rockford Fire Dept. gives safety tips during Burn Awareness Week

Cold winter weather is not only uncomfortable; it can be expensive trying to keep your home warm. Going Green's Terry Ettinger explains how to properly insulate your home.

One way to make sure youre not spending more than you have to is by taking advantage of the wide variety of home winterization products like these window kits.

So that way its a film over the window and what that film does is it prevents heat from escaping and the cold getting in, said James Gardner, a Lowes assistant store manager.

Theres also caulk rope you can use and basically this goes around the edge of doors and windows and that way youre not losing heat through spaces where you might have gaps, Gardner said. Theres also door sweeps. The door sweeps will keep the wind from coming in under the door. That way youre not losing heat or energy out that door.

Theres heat tape and insulation that can be used to wrap around pipes so they dont freeze, and you might want to consider putting a blanket on your hot water heater.

A lot of people dont realize that with a water heater sometimes youre losing heat and energy out of the water heater, especially if its in a basement thats unfinished. You put a blanket around it and keep that heat inside so it isnt kicking on constantly and wasting energy, Gardner said.

And for those interested in the latest technology.

We also have a system thats called Iris. Iris has what they call a home and comfort system and that home and comfort system allows you to control your heat from an iPhone or a tablet or any kind of smart phone, Garder said.

The rest is here:
Insulating your home properly for the winter

Tanked 42000 BTU water heater install at Decoverly
Shows a 42000 BTU direct vent tanked water heater installation at Decoverly IV. The Bradford White 50 gallon water is only 20 inches wide and easily fits in...

By: NathansHVAC

Read more:
Tanked 42000 BTU water heater install at Decoverly - Video

Worlock provides water heater installations for the entire Phoenix area. Our service department is available 24 hours a day to work on the water heater in your area home. We have been providing service in this area since 1987, so we have years of experience and also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. We are locally owned by Bill Worlock, and our goal is to always provide the best in service.

Web Special: $200 Off Any Water Heater Installation. Call For Details!

Worlock can install many types of water heaters in your Phoenix area home. We know a water heater tends to go out at the worst possible time, so we are always ready to get you up and running with hot water for your family. We can install:

Water heaters come in all shapes and sizes, and you can choose the capacity that fits your home and family the best. Most homes have either a 40 gallon or 50 gallon water heater, and those sizes usually can handle most home applications.

We also install tankless water heaters, which heat water on demand. So it will continue to heat water as long as your hot water faucet is on. This is really beneficial for homes with large soaker tubs, or a lot of family members where a lot of hot water is necessary. If you need endless hot water, a tankless water heater installed in your home is your best bet.

Call Worlock today, and well provide a free estimate to install a water heater in your Phoenix area home. We offer good service at a fair price.

Read more:
Water Heater Installations in Phoenix | Tankless Water ...