Former Lake Geneva resident subject of Masterpiece TV series

The Beacon also at www.readthebeacon.com March 22, 2013 — 15
Tankless water heater saves money
By Angie Hicks
For years, traditional gas-powered
tank water heaters have been one of the
biggest energy hogs in the home. With
tank heaters, you have to pay to heat water
you aren’t even using.
Not so with a tankless water heater.
“It’s truly an on-demand hot water
heater,” said Kyle Whelpley, operations
manager for J.F. Denney Plumbing and
Heating Inc. in Leavenworth, Kan. “It
does nothing until you turn on your hot
water. So, when you’re at work, it simply
hangs on the wall and doesn’t cost you one
penny, compared to a 40- or 50-gallon tank
you pay to heat while you’re away from
the house. Here in the Midwest, a 50-gallon
natural gas water heater’s yearly cost is
about $360. A (comparably-sized gas tankless)
is about $190.”
Tankless water heaters are a fraction of
the size of tank systems – roughly the size
of a circuit breaker box – and mount to a
wall instead of taking up valuable space in
the basement or garage.
“Some people really like the fact they
have their space back, once they get a tankless
installed,” said Rob Evans of Mr.
Rooter of Columbus, Ga.
The most popular benefit of a tankless
water heater, though, is an almost endless
supply of hot water it provides by heating
the water via an internal heat exchanger.
“A tankless water heater is designed so
that, if you wanted to, you could take a
shower from 8 a.m. until midnight at 115
degrees and it won’t move one degree,”
Whelpley said. “It’s truly endless hot
water.”
Though gas tankless water heaters cost
about twice as much as their conventional
predecessors – ranging from $2,500 to
$5,000 on average – they are easily
repairable compared to a tank unit that
usually needs to be replaced when it fails.
Tankless heaters last 20 years on average
and are more energy efficient, making
them more environmentally friendly than
the traditional models. Qualifying tankless
water heaters are eligible for a $300 federal
tax credit. Some utility providers also
offer rebates for qualifying purchases.
“A tank water heater lasts about nine
years on average,” Evans said. “A tankless
generally lasts twice that long. So, even
though the initial upfront costs can be
quite a bit, over the long haul it’s cheaper
Spring Home and Garden
because you don’t have to replace the
water heater nine years down the road.”
Electric tankless heaters are available
as well, but use a lot of power and typically
require the electrical service to be
upgraded. Electric heaters are best for limited
use, such as a small apartment or a
point-of-use application like a dedicated
sink where you need plenty of hot water.
Tankless water heaters require minimal
maintenance, other than periodic
flushing to descale them of mineral
buildup. A plumber can do that service,
typically for around $100 to $150. A handy
homeowner can clean the system with
vinegar if he or she follows the manufacturer’s
recommended guidelines for
descaling. It’s also recommended homeowners
have a water softener to reduce
scale buildup.
“You can tell a difference on ones that
have water softeners and ones that don’t
have water softeners,” Whelpley said.
“When you heat the water that quickly,
you bring the calcium out even quicker.”
Tankless water heaters do require venting
and should be placed close to gas lines
to operate at their highest efficiency. A
licensed plumber who has a good history
of working with tankless heaters can help
ensure it’s installed correctly and is properly
sized to accommodate your family’s
needs.
“The biggest thing is to make sure you
get somebody that knows tankless and
deals with tankless day in and day out,”
Whelpley said. “The biggest thing I see is
people go to (a big box hardware store)
and see a tankless and say, ‘I’ll take that,’
but they don’t know that you have to size
it for the house. How many shower heads
do you have? How many Jacuzzi tubs do
you have? If you go buy one off the shelf
that’s a 5-gallon a minute when you really
need a 9-gallon a minute and you have one
person taking a shower in the master bathroom
and another person goes to take a
shower in the guest bathroom, you won’t
have (enough water pressure).”
Angie Hicks is the founder of Angie’s
List, the nation’s most trusted resource for
local consumer reviews on everything from
home repair to healthcare.
© 2013, http://www.angieslist.com/
Distributed by MCT Information
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Milwaukee County Zoo’s Jaguar cubs are now on exhibit. They were recently
named B’alam and Zean in a contest open to the public. (Photo furnished)
Milwaukee Zoo’s jaguar cubs
are more than just cute babies
By Chuck Quirmbach
Some newly-named jaguar cubs
have brought genetic diversity to the
Milwaukee County Zoo.
The two cubs were born last
November, the first of their species to be
born there in 38 years. The zoo just
announced the new names of the cubs,
based on the results of a contest: B’alam
and Zean.
But scientists at the zoo say these
cubs are more than just a cute tourism
draw. Large mammals curator Tim Wild
says the cubs’ father is a wild-born
jaguar, roughly 14 years old, captured in
Belize after killing some livestock. The
zoo no longer takes in many wild animals,
due to various concerns, including
the difficulty in getting import permits.
Wild says the cubs help bring genetic
diversity to North American zoos.
“All the jaguars in zoos in North
America are managed as a group,” says
Wild. “So anytime you bring new genes
into that population, it adds new bloodlines
and it kind of spreads things out a
little better. It brings inbreeding down.”
Wild says the diversity can help deal
with change.
“With changing environments and
changing habitats with more diversity,
you have animals out there that are
going to be adaptable,” he explains.
“Disease is one of those things. Some
animals might better be able to handle a
disease that runs through a population.”
Wild says the cub’s father is very
healthy, making it unlikely he brought in
any problems or passed them on to his
offspring. Wild also says he hopes the
breeding success in Milwaukee shows
the importance of the wild jaguar population
in Belize, which may discourage
ranchers and farmers there from wanting
to shoot the animals.
Wisconsin Public Radio News
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