Best Of
Re: What's your favorite multi-tool? I mean that folding one you keep with you at all times at work.
Looks like Amazon still sells them. Edit: Oh, it says unavailable.
BTW, Tim: Thanks for the tip on using a Sil-Fos stick to clean out Lochinvar HX firetubes. Works great!
Re: I'm getting solar panels. I'll let you know how it goes in this discussion thread.
I have always been curious concerning roof mount panel; do you consider the R&R cost of the panels when you have to re-shingle the roof?
I live where hail storms can happen every few years putting shingles and panels at risk. Are the panels insured with your home policy?
Makes metal roofing look more desirable, if allowed.
JUGHNE
Re: I'm getting solar panels. I'll let you know how it goes in this discussion thread.
I have 6200w installed with a Sunny Boy single inverter. This inverter will supply 2000w in the event of a power outage, but you have to manually switch it
How often do you have a power outage?
Sounds like a good deal from NJ and on the feedback. I need to use my excess feed back or it expires every March
hot_rod
Re: EK System 2000 hot water suddenly too hot?
Well seeing as how the unit didn't shut off the thermostat, and or the wire to it is definitely bad. I would have your tech perform all the steps listed in the document I attached. If he has any questions or trouble he can call the factory at 908-735-2066 and tech support will be happy to help him with any trouble shooting.
Robertw
Re: Recommendation for highly reliable natural gas water heater?...
You kinda just skipped over my point…
The point being, cheaper, with less failure points and less damage to the glass lining.
As far as more to buy parts for…… 99% of people never touch their anode.
ChrisJ
Re: I'm getting solar panels. I'll let you know how it goes in this discussion thread.
Hi @ethicalpaul , Have you done what can be done to make your place efficient before sizing the solar system? Are you looking at backup batteries so you can coast through power outages? And about Teslas, I've learned some older cars have free charging for life. I understand the average gas bill in the US is about $5000 yearly, so free "fuel" could be nice. Still, if you get full credit for power you put into the grid, you would be better off charging at a Tesla supercharger. 🤠
Yours, Larry
Re: I'm getting solar panels. I'll let you know how it goes in this discussion thread.
Good luck to it! We installed a 10KW ground mount system (nothing like being a farm — you have acreage to play with!) about a year ago, and it's working fine. Much the same deal with the power company that you will have.
For the year we have generated very slightly more energy that we have used.
We figure the payback on investment will be around 10 years, although with recent rate increases it may be shorter.
It does use microinverters, and we've had a couple fail — infant mortality — but they were easy to replace.
Next step is going to be seeing about a big battery bank — but at the moment at least it doesn't pay.
Re: I'm getting solar panels. I'll let you know how it goes in this discussion thread.
How many panels are you having installed? How many kw? Do you have an electric car?
We have 17 panels, 5.78 kw and use only half of what we generate since we haven't decided on which electric car to get. Won't get a Tesla.
Re: Weird bathtub trap
According to NJ plumbing code, that looks like a partition trap. Kind of. But not really.
ChrisJ
Re: Recommendation for highly reliable natural gas water heater?...
I went with HTP 11 years ago. I had had an AO Smith Sureshot Direct Vent (DV) since 2000 and it cracked in 2014 despite replacing the anode rod regularly and flushing once or twice a year.
I needed DV because we had eliminated the chimney. In 2014 the tank DV options from AOSmith and BW would have been a lot of extra work due to the the strict requirements for the height of the vent penetration.
After figuring that out the day after failure, I bought the cheapest electric water heater I could find at the big box and set it up temporarily powered via the nearby dryer receptacle.
I ruled out tankless because of 1) the complexity of integrating my recirc system 2) the need to upsize the gas line & meter or regulator based on calculation 3) fill time required for a spa tub.
THE HTP Phoenix 76-50 caught my eye because it was stainless, easily modified to work with recirc, was 76,000 BTU, Just under my load limit for existing piping, and the draft inducer - condensing venting requirements were flexible enough to use the existing penetration.
What I really appreciate with this is that, with almost twice the burner capacity of my old 50-gallon DV, it can run an endless shower and recover very quickly in all our usage circumstances. It is challenged by my wife filling the spa tub at full bore mid-winter, but she is aware of her options and it is her choice to fill fast and have slightly cooler water.
The only maintenance I've had to do besides flushing is rehabbing the condensate rock box which clogged after 10 years.
They sold this unit under the Westinghouse brand for a while in the big boxes, too, but I think they have scaled back. Have not checked lately.
Very happy with it!
Ahoy