Behind space heating, water heating consumes the most energy in our homes, according to Energy.gov. Yet as thermostats get smarter, water heaters remain relatively dumb, beyond some tankless innovations.

A Kickstarter campaign from Sunnovations wants to get in on the smart home game and lower your utility bill all at once. Aquanta is a retrofittable water heater controller that learns homeowners water usage patterns via sensors that measure energy going into the tank, as well as the energy it takes to heat the shower, run the dishwasher, and all the other household tasks requiring hot water. Once your Aquanta figures out you bathe every morning at 7:00, it sync its water-heating to that schedule.

A Wi-Fi-connected control box displays data on a dashboard, which is where you can control your water heater. An app sends maintenance alerts if the device detects a leak and also lets users turn off the water heater when theyll be away from home for a while.

Related: This crowdfunded water heater will annihilate your utility bill

Because the device is retrofittable, it should work with the water heater thats already in your home, provided its not tankless or over 120-gallon capacity. Those with a knack for DIY or handy around the house may be able to install the Aquanta themselves, but a plumber can definitely help the clueless.

Right now, Kickstarter backers can get an Aquanta for the early-bird price of $79, though the quantity is limited.

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Hook this device up to your water heater and watch your utility bill shrink

When I wrote my first column about water heater rentals in 1999, I knew little about the business.

Since then, Ive watched many consumers fooled by fast-talking salespeople into replacing a perfectly good water heater with a slightly newer one that had higher monthly rental fees.

Uniformed representatives would show up at the door, making people believe they were dealing with a current supplier. They talked about benefits of switching such as energy efficiency, safety and government rebates which often turned out to be minor or non-existent.

Rental companies would install water heaters during the 10-day cooling off period and threaten hefty removal fees if clients changed their minds. Older water heaters would be recycled, so that customers could not get them back if they tried to cancel their contracts right away.

But after 15 years of following abusive practices in this industry, I finally see signs of progress.

The federal Competition Bureau reached a deal this week with National Home Services, a subsidiary of Just Energy, to pay a $5 million penalty and $500,000 toward its investigative costs.

The agreement arose from thousands of complaints about NHS sales agents misleading customers about their identity and purpose of their visits. It also requires the payment of $1.5 million to all current customers obtained by National Home Services through door-to-door marketing since July 2008.

Its not every day we get a consent agreement that provides restitution to customers, Competition Bureau spokesman Phil Norris said in an interview.

Here is a recap of the water heater wars for those who didnt have a front-row seat for all the antics.

1999: Ontarios two regulated gas utilities, Enbridge Gas and Union Gas, spin off their water heater operations to deregulated entities they own. This opens the door for independent contractors to sell and service water heaters.

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Water heater wars raged for 15 years: Roseman

(PRWEB) November 24, 2014

As snowstorms and record low temperatures sweep the United States this week, it is more important than ever to take the proper winter precautions. According to CNN, the National Weather Service reported that about 50% of the country had snow on the ground on November 18. Because this is still relatively early and still not officially the winter season U.S. citizens need to be cognizant of the consequences of the upcoming winter.

If this weeks low temperatures and significant snow accumulations are any indication of the winter ahead, homeowners must take the initiative to become educated about the valuable water heating options available. While heating is certainly a costly expense, it is a necessity. A November 13th article published by Eco Seed, an environmental organization, stated, Heating water accounts for around 18% of the average US household's energy use. After climate control, pumping hot water into a home to clean clothes, dishes and ourselves is the largest energy expense of running a modern house, costing a homeowner about $600 annually, and the planet much more.

Pursuing an eco-friendly option for water heating is, perhaps, the most efficient way to save money during the wintertime. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that by utilizing a tankless water heater, also known as an on-demand unit, homeowners can save up to 30% on the cost of heating water when compared to a traditional storage water heater. The five different types of water heaters available include storage water heaters, tankless water heaters, heat pump water heaters, solar water heaters and tankless coil and indirect water heaters. After factoring in price and efficiency levels, storage and tankless water heaters are currently the top choices. However, tankless water heaters have proven to outpace storage water heaters in respects to efficiency, for many reasons.

Because tankless water heaters heat water on demand there is no standby energy loss, thus leading to major energy savings. In addition, tankless water heaters have a life expectancy of 20 years, compared to 8 to 10 for storage units. Tankless units also present less of a risk of flooding because they don't store large volumes of water. Meanwhile, these eco-friendly water heaters can be placed outside, fit on walls, slide into cupboards, and take up significantly less square footage than other models.

Establishing that an eco-friendly water heater will prove to be beneficial is fairly simple. However, finding a reliable and knowledgeable company to install and maintain your system is slightly more complicated. While eco-friendly appliances are a fairly recent trend, it is important to find an honest company that has perfected all facets of tankless water heaters, to ensure the highest quality and value. With many years of experience, 1st Choice Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning has the knowledge to provide homeowners with the insight necessary for an affordable and efficient water heating system.

In addition to unparalleled knowledge and expertise, 1st Choice Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning guarantees homeowners the highest value with eco-friendly water heater financing options. Their Home Climate Card credit card program does not require a down payment or annual fee. In addition, the Home Climate Card helps customers gain credit for future repairs, maintenance and installations. 1st Choice Plumbings water heating financing includes low monthly payments, generous credit lines, competitive interest rates and a straightforward application process.

Brave the cold months ahead with the most environmentally and economically sound option available. By replacing a basic water heater with a tankless water heater homeowners will not only save money, but also conserve energy, allowing for the best of both worlds. For more information about eco-friendly water heaters, call 1st Choice Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning at 201-288-0390 today!

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Turn Your Winter Green with Eco-Friendly Water Heaters

GE Heat Pump Water Heater Install
This video describes the installation of a GE hybrid electric heat pump water heater. I searched for how to videos on this model but couldn #39;t find any so dec...

By: Jeff Bonner

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GE Heat Pump Water Heater Install - Video

For many people with backyard ponds, fountains and other water-garden fixtures, the arrival of cold weather means draining the pipes and pulling the plug.

But water gardens can be attractive winter gardens, too, with the right preparation and landscaping.

Turning off a garden's water fixtures might not be necessary, depending on where you live, said Keith Folsom, president of Springdale Water Gardens in Greenville, Virginia. Their wintertime effect is always different and attractive with the use of landscape lighting and the right plants.

We had an extremely cold winter here last year but it wasn't a problem, he said. Pay attention and know how much water you're using below the ice. You have to keep that flow topped off.

Ensure that water lines and fixtures are drained if you do decide to turn them off so they won't expand with freezing and break, Folsom said. Running water, on the other hand, prevents icing. That's one of the reasons I tell people to keep them running.

Landscaping around water fixtures can mean simply adding a few evergreens for contrast against snow, or stringing some lights around the ice.

Tips for preparing your pond for the winter freeze-up:

Remove debris before it can decompose. That prevents organic rot, loss of oxygen and an accumulation of toxic gases. But the bigger problem comes if you stir it up, Folsom said. That can turn up bacteria that will be harmful to fish in winter.

Use netting. Cover the water with a screen, sweep the surface with a long-handled net or install skimmers like those used to vacuum swimming pools.

Prune. Pinch off aquatic plants as they die. Reposition your hardy potted water lilies into deeper water.

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Keep backyards alive in winter

A truly smart home should not only make your life easier, it should also save you money. And while theres no shortage of smart thermostats, lighting controls, door locks, and even smart irrigation systems, few solutions focus on the activity that consumes the second-highest amount of energy in the home: heating water.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that heating water accounts for 17.7 percent of a typical homes energy consumption (space heating consumes 41.5 percent). Thats because a traditional electric, gas, or propane water heater keeps 30, 40, or more gallons of water hot in a tank all the time. Every time the water heaters thermostat detects a drop in the water temperature below a preset threshold, it fires up its heating element and reheats the water, even though on most days you need hot water only in the mornings and evenings.

One of the best ways to reduce the energy your home uses to heat water is to install an on-demand heater that fires up only when you need hot water. I have one in my house and its fabulous. But these so-called tankless water heaters can be very expensive, especially if you need to hire a pro to install one in place of a conventional water heater (theres both plumbing and electrical work to be done).

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, heating water consumes the second-highest amount of energy in the typical home.

Sunnovations, a company with a background designing and manufacturing solar water-heater monitors, has a better idea: The Aquanta Smart Water Heater Controller. Cool technology for hot water, as the company describes it. We aim to bring this dumb appliance into the connected-home ecosystem, Sunnovations CEO Matt Carlson told me in an interview several weeks ago. The company has launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring its new product to market.

The Aquanta is a box that sits on top of your water heater and is connected to a probe (an enthalpy sensor, to be technical) that dangles inside the tank. The sensor feeds through a fitting that attaches to your water heaters T&P (temperature and pressure) relief valve and measures both the energy going into your tank and the energy consumed as you use hot water. The box connects through your Wi-Fi router to the cloud, which you link to with an app on your smartphone (it could also be integrated into your existing smart-home network).

By heating water only when you need it, it shouldn't take long for you to recoup your investment in an Aquanta water-heater controller.

Having a very finely grained view of your households hot-water usage patterns enables you to cycle the heating element, Carlson said. The Aquanta can learn your hot-water usage patterns, much like the Nest Learning Thermostat monitors your heating and air-conditioning use, and can suggest a water-heating schedule. You can also establish your own schedule for turning the water heater on when its needed and off when you dont expect to be home. Finally, you can turn the heater on and off manually, using the smartphone app. The box can send you text messages when it determines you havent used hot water for a while.

In addition to its energy-savings features, the Aquanta can also alert you to water leaks. A leaking water heater can do tremendous damage because your water heater is usually out of sight, and a leak can go undetected for days or weeks. Sunnovations product roadmap includes the development of a networked valve that can shut off the water supply to the heater in the event of a leak.

The Aquanta app will help you program the controller, remind you about maintenance chores, and alert you to problems such as water leaks.

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The Aquanta smart water-heater controller promises to slash your energy bill

Water Heaters NJ Special: 40 Gallon Rheem Water Heater Installed for Only $750

Rheem Water Heaters have been in business since the 1920s. We recommend them for their quality and value they offer. All Rheem Water heaters meet or exceed industry standards for quality, reliability and efficiency. In the state of New Jersey Rheem Water Heaters is the best deal we can offer you.

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Water Heaters NJ can get you any size you need. General sizes people request are 40 Gallon, 50 Gallon, 65 Gallon, 75 Gallon and 100 Gallon Rheem Water Heaters. If you are not sure what size you have or need please give us a call. We are here to help anywhere in NJ.

We sell and service residential and commercial Rheem Water Heaters. We also offer any size you need. The most common sizes are 40 Gallon Water Heater, 50 Gallon Water Heater, 75 Gallon Water Heater and 100 Gallon Water Heater. If you feel you need a different size than these listed, please call our office to see what options we have available.

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Rheem Water Heaters - Installation and Repair

The Las Cruces Fire Department offers these safety tips for the proper use of gas furnaces, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves:

Fireplaces, wood stoves and gas furnaces should be installed according to manufacturers instructions and in accordance with all building codes.

Have your heating system, water heater, stove and other fuel-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician at least once a year.

Change heating furnace filters often to increase efficiency and avoid overworking the system.

Ensure adequate ventilation for fireplaces and wood stoves.

Use only the fuel thats recommended for the specific fireplace or stove.

Do not burn paper or paper products in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.

Check chimney or stovepipes often for creosote buildup and clean when needed.

Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.

Use a metal container for removing ash and coals.

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Tips for safe use of furnaces, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

By: Dean Fosdick, The Associated Press

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at 8:28 AM | Comments: 0

Enlarge Image

This Nov. 10, 2014 photo shows a fountain that will be shutdown and drained before the cold weather arrives to prevent damage from ice build-ups in Langley, Wash. People living in warm climates generally dont have to drain the pipes or pull the plug on their water fixtures in winter. (AP Photo/Dean Fosdick)

For many people with backyard ponds, fountains and other water-garden fixtures, the arrival of cold weather means draining the pipes and pulling the plug.

But water gardens can be attractive winter gardens, too, with the right preparation and landscaping.

Turning off a garden's water fixtures may not be necessary, depending on where you live, said Keith Folsom, president of Springdale Water Gardens in Greenville, Virginia. "Their wintertime effect is always different and attractive with the use of landscape lighting and the right plants."

"We had an extremely cold winter here last year but it wasn't a problem," he said. "Pay attention and know how much water you're using below the ice. You have to keep that flow topped off."

Ensure that water lines and fixtures are drained if you do decide to turn them off so they won't expand with freezing and break, Folsom said. "Running water, on the other hand, prevents icing. That's one of the reasons I tell people to keep them running."

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Garden water fixtures can be as attractive in winter as they are in summer

Carlsbad Solar panel Reviews 2014 | 888-688-1411 | Home Install Solar Energy Testimonials
888-688-1411 http://www.solarsymphony.com/about-us/mission- To provide the most compelling value in the solar energy in Carlsbad. Value, as defined by our customers, means designing and ...

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Carlsbad Solar panel Reviews 2014 | 888-688-1411 | Home Install Solar Energy Testimonials - Video