Water Heater

QUESTION: We have a 10-year-old electric water heater, and it does not provide enough hot water in the morning. Does it make sense to get a new one and are there any that don't leak after about 10 years? ANSWER: Yes to both of your questions. It makes good economic sense to replace an old inefficient electric water heater. There are several new electric water heaters that have a lifetime never-leak warranty. These never-leak models are also the most efficient.

Demi Moore isn't the first celebrity to be hospitalized with what has been described in numerous media reports as exhaustion, and she won't be the last. But is exhaustion a true medical condition, or a euphemism for something else? It can be the real deal, says Dr. Kent Shoji, an emergency room physician at Marina del Rey Hospital . Think of it as an umbrella condition for a number of possible symptoms that cause the body (and sometimes the mind) to become completely run down, so much so that it requires a trip to the doctor or the ER. "If you look at the body as a system," he says, "any type of stressors that someone has to compensate for can really affect the overall well-being and health of an individual.

A new national safety standard calls for all 30-, 40- and 50-gallon gas storage-type water heaters manufactured after July 1, 2003, to be equipped with a flame arrestor. The arrestor traps and burns gas vapors inside the heater, which keeps vapors from igniting in the room. The new voluntary standard was developed by the manufacturers of water heating and space heating equipment in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

With three active kids and no trust fund, my husband and I are big believers in the vacation rental over the hotel experience. Granted, there is no room service, but frankly, who can afford it for five? Over the years we've rented houses and apartments in many states and countries, and we have never been disappointed, never had a bad experience. Why anyone would want a small hotel room rather than a spacious flat is beyond us ? not only do you have more space, you have a kitchen and, more often than not, laundry facilities that do not require fistfuls of change.

Perhaps the most neglected of all household appliances is the typical gas or electric water heater. Usually it is located in a closet, basement or the garage, and sometimes years can go by before anyone even looks at the heater. But when that hot water stops flowing, suddenly this lowly servant takes on monumental importance. And for some strange reason, this always seems to occur after hours or on a weekend when plumbers' rates are the highest.

Gov. Pete Wilson has signed into law a bill requiring homeowners to strap down their water heaters as one of the first quake-related measures of the 1995-96 legislative session. The bill, carried by state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles), expands existing law by requiring that all water heaters be secured so they won't topple in an earthquake. Under current law, only homeowners with new or replacement water heaters must strap them down.

QUESTION: I don't want to replace my old water heater yet, but I would like to cut my water heating costs. What can I do to make my old water heater more efficient without spending a lot of money on it? ANSWER: Making low-cost improvements to your gas or electric water heater is well worth the expense. A water heater is typically responsible for about 20% of your monthly utility bill. For example, a family of four can spend more than $200 a year to operate an electric water heater.

QUESTION: I am considering buying an older home. The building inspector told me that the water heater in the house I like the best is improperly protected. Does this mean it will blow up or otherwise create a dangerous condition? How do I find out what is wrong with it and what do I do to correct it? ANSWER: One problem building appraisers run into is an improperly protected domestic hot-water heater. Your concern about a water heater explosion is correct.

Question: During a trip to France this summer, I noticed that many of the homes there use small water heaters that heat the water as it flows, which seems much more efficient than our water tanks. After I got home, I found these units for sale here at a couple of hardware stores. How difficult are they to install? G.A.

The city is expanding its Paint-Up and Fix-Up Program, a special service for low-income senior citizens and handicapped homeowners. According to Mayor John Chavez, qualified residents can have insulation blankets and earthquake safety straps installed on their water heaters free of charge. City officials estimate that by wrapping a water heater with an insulated blanket, residents can save about 20% on their water-heating bills.

The California Cash for Appliances rebate program, which has lagged since launching three months ago, is expanding the list of eligible energy-efficient machines in an attempt to boost interest. Starting Thursday, customers who trade in their old electricity-guzzling machines for new eco-friendly ones can start applying for rebates of $50 for freezers, $100 for dishwashers, $100 to $750 for water heaters and $200 to $1,000 for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

I wasn't thinking about tax credits when my 12-year-old water heater went on the fritz last fall. I was thinking about a hot shower. I called the plumber. A few sticky days and $1,000 later, I had hot water. Now, like millions of other consumers, I faced a tax challenge. The federal government decided to reward taxpayers who made their homes more energy efficient in 2009 by creating a series of tax credits for those who replaced furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, insulation, doors, roofs, skylights and windows with more energy-efficient models.

Utility regulators have approved $350 million in rebates to encourage Californians to install water-heating systems powered by solar energy. The state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday established the California Solar Initiative Thermal Program, which will be funded using $250 million to replace natural-gas-powered water heaters, with $25 million set aside for low-income customers. An additional $100.8 million will be used to swap out water heaters powered by electricity. The rebates could reduce the cost of a solar water heater by 15% to 25%, industry experts said.

Question: I bought a newly built, bank-owned, "as-is" property. On the day of the home inspection, there was no hot water because the bank refused to turn on the gas service. Because of this, the home inspector did not discover that the upstairs bathrooms were piped with hot water only. Now I can't use the tubs or showers because the water is scalding. Our plumber says there is a cross-connection of the hot and cold water lines somewhere in the building and it will be difficult to find where the problem is. I can't afford to repipe the house and don't know what to do. What do you advise?

Before her family bought a solar water heater, Liu Yan would bathe the way many working-class Chinese have for generations: boil water, dampen a rag and wipe away the dirt. Today, the 40-year-old mother and her family shower every day and wash their dishes with hot water. The stainless steel heater affixed to her red-tiled roof cost about $220. The device has become a symbol of China's rising standard of living and its leap into the era of clean energy. In the seaside city of 2.8 million where Liu lives in Shandong province, 99% of households use solar water heaters.

Two men were killed and two others injured when an industrial-sized electric water heater exploded in a Rancho Santa Margarita plastics factory. The blast at about 11:40 p.m. Thursday was of such force that it shot the water heater through the roof of the south Orange County facility. It then came crashing down inside the building. Killed were Isidro Echeverria, 34, of Oceanside and Jose Jimenez, 51, of Garden Grove.

QUESTION: I have a gas-fired, tank-type water heater. Lately, it has been making a rumbling noise after the water has been used and the heating starts again. This is the only time it makes that noise. Should it be replaced? ANSWER: The water heater does not have to be replaced. Over the years sediment, scale and mineral deposits accumulate on the bottom of the water heater tank.

It's like something out of an old Rube Goldberg cartoon, a wacky contraption outfitted with various-sized wheels, leather belts and cross-bars, as well as a catcher bin, a trap door and a 1-hp motor. The 100-year-old peanut roaster sits in the backroom of Joe Jost's saloon in Long Beach, where it might be mistaken for nothing more than a colorful piece of decor, except the darn thing still works. It turns out 400 pounds of unsalted goobers a week. "We have people come in for the first time, and they don't know what it is," said owner Ken Buck, grandson of founder Joe Jost.