Most of the older homes in Kansas City will have a brick and mason chimney to vent their combustable appliances such as the water heater and furnace. During the last decade, many furnaces have been replaced with high efficiency units which are vented differently than a traditional furnace.
Continue reading
Category Archives: Efficiency
New water heater requirements in Kansas City
As of April 2013, all water heaters installed in new homes throughout Kansas City need to be power vent models. The power vent water heater cost about twice as much as a standard energy saver water heater. Continue reading
Water Heater blanket
Water Heater blankets were first introduced in the 1970’s when the first push towards energy efficiency took place. Water Heaters back then were far less efficient than the water heaters that are manufactured today. Over the last 12 years, water heaters have greatly stepped up the efficiency of a standard unit. One of the ways they have increased the efficiency is by increasing the R-value of the tank itself. Continue reading
Switching from electric to gas water heater
In most cases when we install a water heater we will replace the old unit with the same type of unit that is in need of replacement. There are advantages to both gas and electric water heaters that will vary with the individual needs of each homeowner. While an electric water heater will have a lower initial cost for the tank itself, a gas water heater is going to save you money over time with increased efficiency. Continue reading