As we head into cooler weather, here are some key tips on how to create a warm, dry home while keeping costs down and caring for the planet.

Reduce your shower time to 4 mins and install an efficient showerhead

Taking a short shower with an efficient showerhead not only conserves water it can save the average Auckland household (with mains pressure hot water) up to $1000/year* on water and power bills. Look for an efficient shower head with a 3-star water rating and choose your favourite 4-minute song to shower to.

Ensure your home is well insulated

Upgrading home insulation will stop heat escaping, keep you warmer and could save up to $400/year on energy bills.

As a simple rule of thumb, if you can see the ceiling joists inside the roof cavity you need to top up your ceiling insulation. Old foil underfloor insulation should be replaced by more effective bulk insulation. You can install some types of insulationyourself, or talk to an expert about what is best for your home.

Find out more on insulating your home at Live Lightly and see if you qualify for an EECA Warmer Kiwi Homes grant here.

Replace your lights with LEDs

LED light bulbs use up to 80 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs, while producing the same amount of light, and last much longer. Over their lifetime, you can save $290 for every standard 100W bulb replaced by an LED. If you have CFL or Halogen bulbs, replacing these with LEDs can also generate good savings.

If you have downlights installed prior to 2012, or if you can replace the bulb in them, change them to modern LED downlight fittings that can have insulation fitted over them. For every 1cm gap in insulation, you can lose up to 30 per cent of insulation performance.

Improve your curtains and blinds

Double-layer floor-length curtains with a close-fitting track can work as effectively as double glazing on your windows to retain heat and reduce your energy bills. Lined and well-fitted roman blinds or honeycomb blinds also keep the heat in well.

To get the most from your curtains/blinds, open them fully during the day and close at dusk. The energy from the sun coming through an average-sized north-facing window is equivalent to running a panel heater in winter.

Stop draughts

Draught stopping is easy to do yourself using various products from hardware stores and can save up to $70/year. V profile or double round draught stopping is good for sealing around windows and doors. For draughts under doors use a brush strip or a door snake.

Make small changes to your laundry routine

Save money on your power bills by washing clothes once you have a full load, in cold water and using the line to dry them. The average New Zealand household could save up to $130/year by taking these actions.

If necessary, finish drying clothes in an externally vented drier for a short time rather than making your home damp by drying clothes on a rack inside. This can mean you wont need to use a dehumidifier for many hours to remove damp remove moisture thats escaped into the room.

Insulate your hot water cylinder and pipes

Hot water cylinders older than 2003 arent insulated very well and should have a cylinder wrap and pipe lagging around the first 1-2m of pipe coming out of the cylinder. Your cupboard will still be warm and dry for storing linen and you could save up to $80/year on your energy bills.

Choose efficient home heating

Heating your home efficiently could save up to $350/year. A heat pump can provide three to four times more heat per unit of electricity compared to a plug-in heater and is a more efficient way to heat living areas. Set your heat pump to 18-21 C, as each degree higher increases energy usage by 10%. Also cleaning your heat-pump filters twice a year avoids filters getting clogged and using more power to run.

Plug-in electric heaters are okay for small rooms that are not occupied for long periods of time, but otherwise can be expensive to run.

The World Health Organisation recommends a daily minimum temperature of 18C (20C for children/elderly) and nightly minimum 16C (18C for children/elderly).

Install an energy-efficient hot water system

You could save upto $500 a year by installing a solar hot water system or hot water heat pump.

A solar hot water system (solar thermal) gives you free hot water in the summer but requires a boost in the winter from electricity, gas or a wetback. Hot water heat pumps deliver energy savings year-round and can be retrofitted to an existing cylinder, or as an all-in-one system.

If you add solar panels to your roof, an electric hot water cylinder or hot water heat pump can act like a battery to store the energy generated in the form of hot water, for later use.

Get personalised home performance advice

Complete your own free Homefit online check to make sure youve covered all bases to create a healthy, safe and efficient home. This includes the optional step of hiring an independent assessor to look over your home and certify if it meets the Homefit standard.

Auckland Council also provides free personalised and impartial home performance advice. Virtual home visits are available during the lockdown period. Our home performance advisor will work with you to find the right options for your home and budget. This advice is free to Auckland residents, whether you are a homeowner, landlord or tenant.Book your session today here.

Inspired to find out more about how you can save money and have a warmer, drier, healthier home? Visit Live Lightly for more ideas and advice.

*Saving estimate based on saving in electricity and water costs for a 3 person household with shower flow rate of 12L/min reducing to 9L/m, and reducing shower time from 10mins to 4min

All other savings are estimates based on a 100m2 Auckland home with average insulation and typical heating patterns, for a 3 person household.

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10 ways to keep warm, save money and care for the planet this winter - OurAuckland

I recently attended the Leap Year birthday party of my great-niece. As I took in all the details of her frog-themed party with all of its adorable, mom-crafted decorations I couldnt help but feel a little surge of pride in my nephew.

I watched as he patiently (and repeatedly) saved his 2-year-old daughter from tipping over her chair, dispensed swamp water (green punch) to the guests and wheeled out the birthday girls crowning gift: a tiny bicycle with a booster seat in the back for Kenzies dolls.

I also marveled over how overwhelmingly feminine his household is, with a wife and two girly daughters. Even the family dog is dainty a tiny, white dog with ribbons in her soft, floppy ears.

I know he loves his family and home more than life itself, but I also wondered if he ever felt outnumbered. After all, this is a guy who loves John Deere, fixing engines and buying anything with wheels, yet his life is spent perching at tiny tables and drinking Lilliputian cups of tea, watching Frozen repeatedly and helping daughters put plastic high heels on their Minnie Mouse dolls.

Maybe thats why he also occasionally bought Tonka earth-moving equipment for his daughters. Or looked so proud when Kenzie corrected her grandma by telling her this new toy was a backhoe, not a tractor.

Such is life for fathers with daughters. Even the most macho of men will soon find himself awash in a sea of estrogen.

I wondered if he ever asked for pointers from my dad, who not only had four daughters, but was raised in a household with three sisters. Just in case he hasnt, it seems like a good time to warn him of what lies ahead. As a daughter, sister, aunt and great-aunt, I feel fully qualified to share what Ive observed.

ARCHIVE: Read more of Tammy Swift's columns

Readers can reach columnist Tammy Swift at tswiftsletten@gmail.com.

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Swift: The things that dads with daughters know - Brainerd Dispatch

When the 12 China-based employees of private-label sock manufacturer PAC-MFG return to their office on Monday after a two-week quarantine of the city of Haining, things will be a little different. Buses and trains are hot spots for transmission of the coronavirus, sothe company has conscripted its in-house driver to pick up car-less workers and ferry staff around the city for quality-control inspections. PAC-MFG also will hand out ear thermometers and require employees toreport their temperatures through a new company social media group. Even the bathroom has changed.Most sinks in China dispense only cold water.PAC-MFG just installed a water heater to amp up the disinfectant power of hand washing.

The coronavirus, which is pummeling stock markets and kinking supply chains worldwide, is particularly dangerous for small-to-midsize businesses, which tend to operate on shorter lead times and have all their manufacturing eggs in the China basket, says Hitendra Chaturvedi, a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University. "I believe if the coronavirus impact goes beyond March, many SMEs will have to shut shop," Chaturvedi says. Even small companies without direct exposure to Asia are threatened as the epidemic rushes west and the potential for employees to get sick increases.So now smart small-and-midsize-company leaders are trying to mitigate the coronavirus risk with a variety of tactics, such as conserving working capital, crafting work-at-home policies, and communicating frequently with vendors and customers.

Some businesses have designated point people--coronavirus czars, in effect--to oversee their efforts. At PAC-MFG, which in addition to its China workforce employs six people at its San Diego headquarters, that person is the assistant to CEO and founder Harold Robison. The CEO's assistant "is looking at anything we can do to reduce exposure that doesn't affect mission-critical work--even if there is a little extra cost," says Robison, who anticipates the epidemic will ding 2020 revenues by about 15 percent. "We are expecting to overreact the first month."

Director of technology Ryan Dolley acts as coronavirus specialist at PMsquare, a 33-employee data and analytics company in Oak Brook, Illinois. Dolley posts updates about the virus's spread on Slack; another employee created a dashboard there tracking such data as rates of infection and mortality, to keep staffers informed.

On Dolley's recommendation, the leadership team recently drew up a list of infectious disease outbreak policies, such as the temperature above which employees must stay home (100.4 degrees) and what to do if someone falls ill while traveling. The team also created an additional benefit allowing for sick days that don't count as paid time off. Employees are required to check off every item on the list to indicate they've reviewed it. "We used CDC's guidelines and customized them for our business," says Dustin Adkison, PMsquare's managing partner. "We've also bought hand sanitizers for the whole office and asked the cleaning crew to begin doing surface area sanitation instead of just wiping things down."

Of course many companies already have work-from-home policies. But those aren't helpful when staffers are too groggy to peck at a laptop. MBX Systems, a 180-employee company in Libertyville, Illinois, which makes hardware for applications ranging from flight simulation to surveillance, got a taste of that months ago during a two-week period when15 engineers succumbed to the flu. Fortunatelythe company has a well-thought-out contingency plan that chief strategy officer Justin Formella says should protect it if the coronavirus breaches its walls.

Leaders at MBX have assessed the minimum staffing levels required for each department and identified employees who have been cross-trained to fill in for those functions.The company also determines what work will be eliminated or deferred if staffing levels drop. "You might decide to cut new initiatives and go into a sustaining posture," Formella says. "It should be automatic that if today we only have five people instead of 10, everyone knows that these are the things we will focus on."

Maintaining supply

Supply chains, which take time to diversify, present a more daunting problem.MBX sources raw materials and components from many vulnerable countries in Asia. Starting in mid-January, the company began rapidlybuilding up inventory and working with customers to do the same,urging them to forecast out to the second quarter and beyond. MBX has also been firm with suppliers about reserving its spot in line to buy new inventory as it is produced. "We have to do this in advance of the shortages, which at this point are anywhere between now and four weeks away," Formella says.

A 25-year-old, $100 million company like MBX has sufficient sway with suppliers to get much of what it needs. A fragile startup with no employees does not. Mike Bradford, founder of Atlanta-based Wonderflle has been producing irons customized to make stuffed waffles out of two factories near Shanghai for less than a year, and selling out each run. He was waiting until March to place his next order and now is not sure whether the manufacturers will accommodate his scant volume.

Bradfordsays he will consider moving operationsshould problems spill into the summer. Fortunately hearranged Chinese production through a contract manufacturing service that has partnerships in India and other countries. That should make any transition easier. "If it looks like there will be significant delays, they will help me as far as moving materials to another location," Bradford says. "But I have spent a year learning how things work in China, and in India I would have to rebuild."

Jennifer Randklev can't afford to wait and see what happens. Randklev is CEO of the second-generation family business Penguin Patch Holiday Shop, a Fort Worth, Texas, company with revenue under $10 million that provides materials for gift-selling events at schools. With 100 percent of revenue dependent on a few weeks in December and 100 percentof products coming from China, the business has no margin for error. Randklev had planned to visit China in February to finalize packaging and approve production samples at many of the 15 factories in Ningbo where she manufactures. But the factories told her not to come. Things were bad.

Production in China typically takes 60 days for a company like Penguin. Randklev anticipates that stretching to 90 days or longer. Worried about future delays and complications, she decided to move her entire production process up six weeks. "I have dropped all other aspects of my business just to work on placing my orders with China" as soon as possible, she says. Those orders are basedin parton Penguin's existing inventory, comprising thousands of items not sold in its holiday shops last year. Normally employees have until the end of March to conduct a count of all those products, but this yearRandklev had to hireadditional workers to get it done faster. With staffing agency fees, the 10 or so extra hands cost her at least $50,000. But they finished the inventory early this week, increasing the odds she'll get the shipments in time for holiday customers.

Keeping customers informed

Anticipating shortages forCool Beauty Consulting, a 22-employee supplier and consultant serving salons and barbershops, founder Bennie Pollard hasbeenpadding his usual 45-day inventory of hair colors, shampoos, and shears to 60 days. His other Louisville, Kentucky-based business,Nova Salons,facesa different problem. "Hairdressing is a very intimate and touchy industry," Pollard says. "So you have to let the customer base know you are very much involved in increased sanitation."

To do that, last Thursday Nova emailed several thousand customers talking up his two salons' existing cleanliness practices, which are being reinforced with beefed-up training, and enhancements like additional hand-sanitation stations. The note includes a list of personal best practices ("Don't share food or drinks. Cough and or sneeze into your elbow") and also politely asks anyone who feels ill to reschedule their appointments, to "protect our staff and all our lovely clients."

"Service businesses already do some preventative measures around things like cleanliness well," Pollard says. "So there is a slight marketing benefit to reminding customers: We care."

Published on: Mar 2, 2020

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The Coronavirus Could Be Devastating to Small Businesses. Here's How Some Companies Are Fighting Back - Inc.com

There's energy efficiency innovation going on right here in Milwaukee. Some of the innovators got to meet potential investors last night. WUWM's Chuck Quirmbach reports.

Some entrepreneurs see profits in renewable energy and energy efficiency products. But early-stage companies often need money to keep innovating. An annual competition held in Milwaukee Tuesday night gave seven firms a chance to show off what they do and meet more potential investors.

The event took place at the Midwest Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC), which is a collaboration of several Wisconsin universities andcompanies. It aims to make the Midwest the leader in energy and the controls needed to use the power more efficiently.

Part of M-WERC's mission is talent development, through its WERCBench Labs Accelerator program that offers young energy firms advice, and lab and testing space. Seven entrepreneurs gave presentations at M-WERC's offices on N. 27th Street on Tuesday.

Joe Bonniwell is of the firm CLOCworks. He touted his company's software, which he says can help businesses optimize energy efficiency.

"An example of a pattern our system might find would be how much energy a site's heating and cooling system would use to keep the indoor temperature of a building at a certain level, given a particular outdoor temperature, Bonniwell said.

Ashray Manur is with Elektrifi Technologies. He promoted his company's small-scale microgrids. Microgridsare electricity networks that serve just a few users and are often powered by renewable energy.

"In the event of an extended blackout, families should be able to produce their own energy," Manur said.

Killian Tobin says his firm, Omega Grid, has software that will help citizens and businesses use less electricity when prices are high and more when prices are low.

"Our system we're working with will work with anything from a campus, all the way down to a smart switch, Tobin said.

A smart switch is a light switch with added features that help automate a home.

Elad Wallach is with the company Steam Energy Labs, which has created a thermostat for electric residential water heaters. He says that can reduce electricity use from power plants.

"Your water heater can help get rid of fossil sources by simply heating water in a smarter way, Wallach said.

But all four of those firms came up short of prizes in the M-WERC competition.

Third place went to Accelerate Wind. Founder Erika Boeing says her company is developing affordable wind turbines for commercial building rooftops.

We've found that wind has the potential to add 30% additional energy generation on top of solar capacity when installed alongside solar," Boeing said.

The second-place finisher was Mesodyne. CEO Veronika Stelmakh says they are making hand-sized generators that can give more power to items like drones.

"Everything is changing thanks to drones, but drones are limited in their flight time," Stelmakh explained.

A panel of judges gave first place to the Milwaukee firm Agricycle, formerly called Blue Mangoes. The company's Claire Friona says they make a dehydrator that reduces food waste.

Our dehydrator is special because they work entirely off the sun, with no electricity involved," Friona said.

All the companies showcased at M-WERC have something in common: they're seeking more investors. But M-WERC CEO Alan Perlstine says almost all of the firms taking part in the five years of WERCBench Labs are still open.

"Win lose or draw, leveraging multiple early-stage startups is one way to rapidly jumpstart and leverage science and technology," Perlstine said, adding that some of these companies may be game-changers.

That's in a world many scientists say needs to become greener,or face more challenges brought by climate change.

Support for Innovation reporting is provided by Dr. Lawrence and Mrs. Hannah Goodman.

Do you have a question about innovation in Wisconsin that you'd like WUWM's Chuck Quirmbach to explore? Submit it below.

_

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Innovative Companies Offer Energy-Saving Products At Milwaukee Competition - WUWM

This contemporary Villa sits on a zero-lot-line in the sought-after gated Silverado Highlands Community. From the aesthetically pleasing modern white kitchen with new quartz counters, new Wolf gas cooktop, built-in refrigerator, and walk-in pantry to a bright spacious living area with built-in desk, cabinets and fireplace, there is plenty of room to enjoy this special haven. Recent updates include freshly painted interior and exterior, new front porch tile, new exterior lights, new glass in all windows for picturesque views, a new sliding door for easy access to the sizable tiled deck, gas BBQ hookup, and panoramic views. A generously sized master suite on the main level includes a fireplace, two vanities with marble counters, a walk-in shower, jetted tub, and walk-in closet. The downstairs offers a private setting, perfect for visiting houseguests, complete with bedrooms and a bath, along with a spacious room suitable as a family room, fitness room, hobby, or wine storage room.

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39 Homes Recently Listed in the Napa Valley | Home and Garden - Napa Valley Register

Wow! Home is situated on double lot overlooking golf course & pond in desirable Aberdeen neighborhood in the gated section. 6-beds, 5-baths and has a 3.5 car garage w/ extra loft storage in garage. Covered porch w/ outdoor kitchen, screened in porch w/ wood burning fireplace, walk-out lower level leads to fire pit w/stream. Walk through the door & you will be in awe of the open-concept great room w/steel/stone fireplace, cathedral ceiling w/beams, wet-bar, & wood floors throughout that opens to the dining & kitchen features wood ceiling, professional appliances, island, granite, walk-in pantry, stone, & barrel brick ceiling. Main level also has finished laundry room, office, main guest/bath. Master suite feat. sitting area, huge walk in closet, en suite bath w/ sauna, whirlpool tub, & walk-in shower. Walk out basement w/12-14ft ceilings, great rm, game rm, grand bar, exercise rm, wine cellar. 3 bedrooms upstairs. Home equipped w/ sprinklers, smart tech, and much more!

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24 of the Most Expensive Homes for Sale in Northwest Indiana - nwitimes.com

Meteorologist Jonathan Cubit has an update on the conditions expected to hit Wyoming, Chautauqua, Allegany, Cattaraugus and southern Erie counties at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The blizzard warning will be in effect until 4 p.m. Friday.

MORE | Blizzard Warning issued for parts of WNY

Driving in Winter Conditions

Blankets or sleeping bags

Rain gear, extra sets of dry clothing,mittens, socks, and wool hats

Newspapers for insulation

Plastic bags for sanitation

Canned fruit, nuts, and high energy snacks(Include a non-electric can opener if necessary)

Warm broth in a thermos and several bottlesof water

Keep a cell phone or two-way radio withyou. Make sure the battery is charged.

Plan to travel during daylight and, ifpossible, take at least one other person with you.

If You Become Stranded

Snowstorms& Extreme Cold

Winterstorms create a higher risk of car accidents, hypothermia, frostbite, carbonmonoxide poisoning, and heart attacks from overexertion. Winter storms andblizzards can bring extreme cold, freezing rain, snow, ice, and high winds. Awinter storm can:

IFYOU ARE UNDER A WINTER STORM WARNING, FIND SHELTER RIGHT AWAY

HOWTO STAY SAFE WHEN A WINTER STORM THREATENS:

Prepare NOW

Survive DURING

RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND

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Blizzard Warning takes effect tonight in southern half of Western New York - WIVB.com - News 4

As an electrician, conduit is going to be a constant companion in your career. But what exactly is electrical conduit and what are the main types of electrical conduit? Well help you answer those questions in this edition of Training the Apprentice.

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In general, conduit is a channel or pathway that can apply to many different areas. Roadways can be traffic conduits, ditches can be conduits for water, websites are a conduit for information.

When were talking about electrical conduit, were talking about the physical pathways you create in order to run wiring in a building. They serve to guide and protect wiring.

There are several different types of conduit you may use over the course of your career, and youll find specific details of how and when to use it in the National Electrical Code and other state and local building codes.

The basic idea is that youll create a logical pathway from the box to every point in the building that requires electricity in a way that is almost completely hidden once the walls and ceilings are in place. There may be some conduit that remains visible on the exterior of buildings, in open ceiling structures, electrical rooms, and others.

Once you install the electrical conduit paths, you pull wire through them to your termination points.

Price: $41.98

Was: $42.98

Youll hear several acronyms tossed around when youre talking about types of electrical conduit along with terms like rigid and flexible. Heres a breakdown of the most common types of electrical conduit.

RMC stands for rigid metal conduit. Its one of the most heavy-duty types of electrical conduit and uses galvanized steel for its construction. As an outdoor-friendly conduit, it provides outstanding protection from environmental and physical damage. Its also capable of providing structural support for boxes, cables, and other electrical equipment.

Intermediate metal conduit (IMC) is a toned-down version of RMC thats thinner and lighter. Even though its not as thick, its typically approved for all of the same applications as RMC. Given the choice between the two, our electricians prefer IMC simply because its lighter weight makes it much easier to deal with.

Around our Pro team, EMT is the most common term thrown around when were talking about types of electrical conduit. Some of the new guys and gals use it as a catch-all term for all metal conduit, but thats not actually correct.

EMT stands for electrical metallic tubing and is a type of rigid metal conduit. You normally see it made from galvanized steel and it also shows up as aluminum in some cases.

As a thinner metal tube, its easy to bend and kink. When youre installing EMT, you use a conduit bender to make your bends without kinking and a compact or 12V reciprocating saw with a high TPI blade is all you need to cut it.

Way back before most of us were born (the early 1900s), Harry Greenfield invented a flexible metal conduit (FMC). Using steel or aluminum for construction, it has a distinct spiral look to it that allows it to flex over short distances much easier than EMT. It has a big advantage when you need to add conduit in tight spaces or around existing equipment.

LFMC, or liquid-tight flexible metal conduit, is similar to FMC but covered in a waterproofing coating. Its useful for outdoor applications and wet interior areas and requires fittings that are also watertight.

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Electrical non-metal tubing (ENT conduit) is different from the other types of electrical conduit weve discussing so far in several ways. Its a flexible PVC tubing that looks a lot like a pool hose.

You can encase it in concrete, run it behind walls and under floors, and use it as a replacement for EMT. The major manufacturer for ENT uses 2-hour fire resistant rated materials. ENT is not UV-resistant, though, so using it where it will be exposed to UV rays is out.

Rigid PVC is a very familiar material to many folks thanks to its similarities to the PVC we use in plumbing and irrigation. Unlike EMT, you cant use a conduit bender to manipulate it. PVC needs to be heated before in order to bend it. Typically that happens using a heater box but you can use a heat gun as an alternative in the field.

As a conduit, rigid PVC shares the same characteristics as water pipe: you glue it together and its water-tight when you install it correctly. That makes it useful for direct burial underground and its allowable in corrosive environments. You can also encase it in concrete, conceal it in walls, or leave it exposed.

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What is Electrical Conduit? | Training the Apprentice - Pro Tool Reviews

The aluminum along the edge of this roof extends up 5 inches under the shingles. A self-regulating heating cable snaps into the edge of the aluminum, delivering heat that extends upwards by conduction. Robert Maxwell photo

Q: What product have you recommended in the past to stop ice from developing on roofs? Several years ago you wrote about an option that doesnt use rooftop cables but I cant find the article now.

A: The product youre remembering is called Edge Cutter and its designed and made by a Canadian company called Heat-Line. The system is based on a 5-inch wide aluminum heating strip that slips underneath the shingles along the edge of the roof. An electric heating cable snaps into this aluminum strip and is completely hidden and protected. Plug in the system when rooftop ice begins to form and it will soon melt as heat from the aluminum warms the shingles above it. Ive installed this system personally and watched it work since 2017. Visit baileylineroad.com/ice-dam-solution/ for a video tour of an ice dam system I installed.

Drying Out a Damp House

Q: How can we reduce the moisture levels inside our rural vacation home? We use the place mostly during winter for skiing trips, but we also rent the house out a lot of the time, too. Is there some sort of small ventilation system that would make our place less moist during winter?

A: Yes, there are several solutions for you. While you could simply open windows a little and use exhaust fans more often, you cant count on diligent management of these things when people are renting your place. This is why a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is a good idea. It will definitely solve your wintertime moisture problems. By exchanging outdoor air for indoor air, youll lower indoor humidity levels a lot. Aim for a 30 per cent to 4 per cent relative humidity during the coldest months, or whatever humidity level is necessary to reduce window condensation to almost nothing. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals are the typical trade workers that install HRVs. Cost is usually about $2,000 to $2,500. If you leave the unit running all the time on a low fan speed it will make the air fresher and drier without complicated operating procedures.

Roof eaves successfully cleared of ice by aluminum heating plates underneath the shingles. Steve Maxwell photojpg, SU

Tankless or Tank-Style Water Heater?

Q: Should I replace my tank-style water heater with a tankless model? Our current heater was new in 2006 and our insurance company demands we change it or theyll suspend coverage.

A: Changing your heater for a new one isnt a bad idea given its age, but youre wise to weigh the pros and cons of the two main options. I recommend tankless water heaters for some situations, but not all. On the plus side, tankless units do use somewhat less energy overall. Thats because they eliminate what is called standby losses as hot water is held in the internal tank, slowly losing heat while it sits there hot. Perhaps the best thing about tankless heaters is that theyre small and mount on a wall. On the downside, tankless heaters are not cheap. They cost $2,500 to $3,000 installed, and theyre more technically complicated than tank-style heaters.

Replacing your old tank-style heater with a new tank-style model would cost only about $1,000. Theres a lot less to go wrong with a tank-style heater than tankless. Also, tankless heaters usually require semi-annual or annual internal flushing of the heat exchanger with vinegar to remove mineral build-up.

Either way, if you dont have access to natural gas, you might be tempted to use propane to run your water heater. Few people realize that propane is sometimes more expensive than electricity considering how much heat you get per dollar. If youre paying 16 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, then any propane price over about 89 cents per litre makes it more expensive than electric power.

Steve Maxwell is always looking for ways to make life more efficient. Visit Steve online at BaileyLineRoad.com for articles, videos and 30,000 people who get his famous Saturday morning email newsletter.

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Maxwell: Heres a good way to stop ice developing on roofs - The Sudbury Star

Photo byKim GiseokonUnsplash

The winter season is upon us, and the snowy and rainy conditions can make for challenging travel as family, friends, food and festive occasions pull Californians all over the state.

As winter settles in, Californians will start to see a whole new set of extreme conditions, said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. Please take care out there on the roads, dont crowd the plows, have patience, give yourself more travel time, and know that were hard at work to clear whatever may be standing in your way.

Below are some recommended actions you can take to reduce the risks to you and your loved ones on the highways. Drivers must use their best judgment in all types of weather.

Know Before You Go:

Before traveling, Caltrans recommends checking weather and road conditions. Caltrans QuickMap is an online resource with real-time traffic flow information, chain control alerts, and closure information. It is available at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or you can download it as an app for your phone from Google and Apple. Motorists can also call 511 or the Caltrans Highway Information Network at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623) for travel information.

Winter Driving Tips:

Chain Control Information:

All vehicles, including those with four-wheel drive or snow tires, should carry chains when traveling in snowy weather. Highway signs and QuickMap will indicate when chains are required, and drivers must stop and install chains. Motorists should pull off the roadway completely to install them. If you need help, chain installers may be available to assist for a fee. Please note, chain installers are not Caltrans employees. They are independent business people who are licensed to install chains. Once chains are installed, obey the speed limit of 25 or 30 miles per hour, posted at various locations.

Chain Control Levels:

R-1: Chains, traction devices or snow tires with proper tread depth of 6/32 are required on the drive axle of all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles.R-2: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels. NOTE: Four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.R-3: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions. NOTE: R-1 and R-2 are the most common chain controls. The highway will usually be closed before an R-3 control is imposed)

For more information on winter driving, chain controls, and additional resources, visit Caltrans Winter Driving Tips page. Please be safe out there California.

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Don't Crowd the Plow and More Winter Travel Tips from Caltrans - A News Cafe