Finn McCuhil

Finn McCuhil is a freelance writer based in Northern Michigan. He worked as a reporter and columnist in South Florida before becoming fascinated with computers. After studying programming at University of South Florida, he spent more than 20 years heading up IT departments at three tier-one automotive suppliers. He now builds wooden boats in the north woods.

Tankless water heaters save money by heating water only as it is used. Rather than keeping a storage tank full of water heated and ready for use, these units heat the water as it is required for immediate use. These units are usually smaller than standard water heaters since they require no storage tank. They do have some special plumbing requirements, so read and follow the manufacturer's installation instructions carefully before and during installation.

Tankless water heaters (sometimes called on-demand water heaters or instantaneous water heaters) have been a staple in Europe and Asia for quite...

Tankless hot water heaters are an advancement in technology over conventional water heaters. Unlike a conventional heater, a tankless heater only turns...

In order to install a tankless water heater, it's necessary to consider venting, gas pipe sizing, water pipe sizing and gas flow...

A tankless (aka demand or instantaneous) water heater can supply hot water more efficiently than a traditional hot water heater because it...

Tankless water heaters have been used in European and Asian households for generations and are gaining popularity in the United States. These...

Stiebel Eltron manufactures a series of tankless water heaters that are installable at the point of use, unlike other conventional tanked or...

When an older hot water heater finally fails, a homeowner has a myriad of new choices to consider. A Rinnai tankless water...

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Tankless Water Heater Installation | eHow

Install a new, electric water heater in your home and save energy and money. When installing your water heater, make sure to follow model-specific information, warnings, safety notices and local codes. Consult a qualified professional if in doubt.

Youll need common plumbing tools and pipe joint compound approved for potable water. Youll also need a circuit tester or voltmeter. Most codes require the water heater to be installed in a metal drain pan. See the installation instructions for information about sizing the drain pan and other installation details.

If your house has copper pipes, consider an installation kit with compression fittings that don't require soldering. If your pipes are plastic, youll need connectors / fittings for the specific type of plastic pipes used in your home. Read the instructions for the new connectors before cutting the existing water pipes.

Locate the circuit breaker marked water heater and turn it off. Some homes use fuses, which should be removed. Your water heater may also have a disconnect switch which should also be turned off.

Because circuit breakers can be mismarked, always check the incoming power wires with a voltmeter or circuit tester to make sure the circuit you are working on is off.

Open a hot-water faucet, and let the hot water run until its cool. Then, shut off the cold-water supply to the water heater. Leaving the hot-water faucet open will help the tank drain.

Connect a garden hose to the drain valve. Place the other end of the hose in a drain or outside (you could also use buckets). Open the water heaters drain valve. While the water heater is draining, read the installation instructions that came with your water heater. Disconnect the water and power lines, and remove the old water heater.

Most homes have check valves in the plumbing system and now need a thermal expansion tank installed near the water heater. The expansion tank is attached to the cold-water inlet line. To operate properly, the expansion tank must be pressurized with air. Refer to the expansion tanks instructions for details.

The temperature and pressure relief valve (T&P) is an important safety device. It opens to relieve pressure if the water temperature or pressure is too high. Use the new T&P that came with your new water heater. Dont reuse the old T&P valve.

The T&P discharge pipe should be terminated near a floor drain with an air gap of no more than six inches between the end of the discharge pipe and the drain. Some localities require terminating the T&P discharge pipe outside. In cold climates, we recommend using a floor drain. In all cases, follow the codes for your location.

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Install an Electric Water Heater - Lowe's

JACKSON, MS (WLOX) -

As Mississippians brace for freezing temperatures, State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney wants to remind everyone using a fireplace, gas heater, or wood burning stove for warmth to use extreme caution. Chaney warns it could literally mean the difference between life and death.

"I want to repeat the message that space heating poses a significantly greater risk of fire, death and injury than central heating," Chaney said.

More than half of the heating fire deaths in the nation from 2003-2007 involved stationary or portable space heaters.

"If you have to use a wood burning or other type of fueled heating device, that is the time to be most cautious. Also, anyone using a generator needs to make sure it is in a well-ventilated area, away from their home."

"Every home should have a working smoke alarm. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of people dying in home fires in half."

The State Fire Marshal's Office offers these space heater safety tips:

-If you are using a generator, keep it away from the house in a well-ventilated area. Do not put it on a back porch or carport.

-Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.

-Supervise children when a fireplace, fire pit, or other space heater is being used. Use a sturdy, metal screen to prevent contact burns, which are even more common than flame burns.

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Experts: Use extreme caution with space heaters

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Southerners just aren't as prepared for the sort of cold this weekend will usher in.

The first thing you can do is prepare your home.

If you plan to use a fireplace or wood stove for emergency heating, have your chimney or flue inspected each year. Ask your local fire department to recommend an inspector or find one in the yellow pages of your telephone directory under "chimney cleaning."

Also, if youll be using a fireplace, wood stove, or kerosene heater, install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Test them monthly and replace batteries twice a year. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside.

Insulate any water lines that run along exterior walls so your water supply will be less likely to freeze. To the extent possible, weatherproof your home by adding weather-stripping, insulation, insulated doors, and storm windows or thermal-pane windows.

If you have pets, bring them indoors. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they have access to unfrozen water.

Prepare Your Car for Winter: Have maintenance service on your vehicle as often as the manufacturer recommends. In addition, every fall, do the following:

Have the radiator system serviced or check the antifreeze level yourself with an antifreeze tester. Add antifreeze as needed.

Replace windshield-wiper fluid with a wintertime mixture.

Replace any worn tires, make sure the tires have adequate tread, and check the air pressure in the tires.

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As Knoxville awaits single digits, here's how to be prepared

How to Install Tankless Water Heater Plumbing- Update
Webstone 44443PR 3/4-Inch IPS Isolator EXP E2 Tankless Water Heater Service Valve Kit - Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/Js9i3O Rheem RTG20220AB Webstone Tankless ...

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How to Install Tankless Water Heater Plumbing- Update - Video

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Larry Parr

Larry Parr has been a full-time professional freelance writer for more than 30 years. For 25 years he wrote cartoons for television, everything from "Smurfs" to "Spider-Man." Today Parr train dogs and write articles on a variety of topics for websites worldwide.

Installing a new hot water heater is generally a much easier job than many homeowners think, especially if the new water heater is of the same type, gas or electric, as the previous heater. If a homeowner is switching from an electric heater to a gas heater or vice versa then electrical or gas lines may need to be installed.

Shut off the water connection to the old hot water heater. This can usually be done by simply shutting off a valve on the water line leading directly to the water heater. Shut off the gas line by turning the knob on the gas line so the knob is perpendicular to the line. Unplug the old heater if it is electrical.

Connect a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the heater and run the hose to an outside location. Open the drain valve on the heater and allow the water to drain out.

Unscrew the water inlet fitting and the water outflow fitting on the top of your heater using your pipe wrench and your crescent wrench. It will take the use of both wrenches to unscrew the fittings. If you are removing a gas water heater you will need to use both wrenches to unscrew the fitting for the gas line as well.

Remove the flue hat on top of your tank so that the tank is no longer connected to the vent pipe.

Remove the old heater and discard properly as per codes and regulations in your area.Set the new heater in place and level it using shims if necessary. Make sure all controls on the new unit are accessible.

Wrap the threads of the water inlet and the outlet fittings on top of the tank with pipe tape and screw on the water inlet line and the outlet line to the top of your new unit using both of your wrenches. Open the water line to fill the tank. Open several water faucets in the house to allow air to bleed out of the tank as it fills with water.

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How to Install a Hot Water Heater | eHow

Expert step-by-step instructions for installing a conventional storage tankstyle water heater

Storage water heater is the most common type. Photo: Whirlpool

For many homeowners, replacing an old water heater is simpler than they imagine, especially if the new unit is similar to the old one. If you want to switch from electric to gas or vice versa, however, discuss the various installation options with a professional.

If your home is in an earthquake zone, you will need to install straps around the new water heater (check with your local building department for exact specifications).

If the new tank is a different height than the old one, use flexible pipe connectors for the water inlet and outlet; they will bend as needed to make the hookup.

If the pipes are not threaded, replace them with threaded nipples, and secure the connectors to the nipples with an adjustable wrench. Install a new temperature and pressure-relief valve on the new tank, and test it by squeezing the lever.

1. After draining the tank, unscrew the inlet and outlet fittings.

1) After shutting off the water and gas or power supply to the tank, connect a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank, open the valve, and run it to a nearby drain or to the outdoors. Use two wrenches to unscrew the inlet and outlet fittings from the top of the tank.

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How to Install a Storage Water Heater | HomeTips

Check the Plumbing Measure the center-to-center dimension between the hot and cold water pipes on the top of the water heater and try to ensure the new heater has the same dimensions. That will make the plumbing job a bit easier. Take a look at the plumbing connecting to the old water heater. Make sure you have a gas union in the gas line if you have a gas water heater, and make sure there is a water shutoff for the cold water inlet pipe and a union connector for the hot water outlet pipe. If you don't have these you're job is a bit harder as you'll have to cut the pipes to remove the old heater, then install the cold water shut off valve, and / or gas union or hot water pipe union. But most plumbers did the right job in the beginning so hopefully everything is in place.

Setting Up Getting the water heater off the truck and down the stairs (if you have a basement installation) is a two person job. I also recommend renting an appliance dolly if possible. For around $20/day it makes bringing the new heater down and the old heater up a lot easier. They are bulky and heavy. Once you have the new heater brought down to the location of the old heater you're ready to go.

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Replacing a Water Heater - Installation Preparation

Heater installed
this is the summit racing heater and duct work installed.

By: Scott T.

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Heater installed - Video

(credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) Before you tear open that December gas bill, prepare yourself. It could be double what it was last month.

With colder weather moving in again, natural gas companies caution it could further increase consumption, which has risen as temperatures have fallen this month.

Consumption is 97 percent higher than last month due to temperatures that have been 36 percent colder than average for the first half of December, said Becca Virden, a spokesperson for CenterPoint Energy. Were letting our customers know ahead of time so they can be prepared.

The change in consumption has pushed bills higher, even as the commodity price of natural gas has stayed steady, rising from $0.65 to $0.66 per therm in the past month, a negligible increase.

Three things impact customers bills: commodity prices, the economy and consumption, Virden said. The only significant one of those factors (that has changed) in the past month is consumption.

CenterPoint Energy is offering customers advice to cut down on their usage, recommending the following tips:

Furnace: A furnace is the largest natural gas consumer, and typically makes up about 70 percent of your natural gas bill.

Lower your thermostat to 68 degrees when youre home and 65 degrees when youre not. By lowering your thermostat 10 15 percent for eight hours a day, you can save up to 10 percent a year on your heating costs. Installing a programmable thermostat can help you automatically control your heat usage. Add on extra layers of clothing to keep warm.

Change your air filters monthly. A dirty filter restricts airflow and can increase the operating cost of your furnace by as much as 10 percent. A good reminder is to change the filter each time you receive your natural gas bill.

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Tips On Keeping Warm Without Paying A Huge Gas Bill