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A critical household
appliance is your water heater. Powered by electricity, the water heater
warms cold water and prepares it for use in your showers, baths, washing
machines and dishwashers. If you own a house, chances are you take your
water heater for granted. They sit quietly in your basement and go about
their business of heating water without a lot of fuss.
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HOW DO WATER
HEATER WORKS? |
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Whenever you turn on a
water faucet or have a hot shower, heated waters drawn from the top of
the tank and is replaced by cold water that is carried to the bottom
through the dip tube. When the water temperature drops, a thermostat
activates the heating elements in an electric model. An electric water
heater needs no venting. In both, an anti-corrosion anode attracts that
would otherwise attack the tank's walls. |
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SELECTING A WATER HEATER |
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Most of us don't bother
shopping for a new water heater unit until it's too late. Whether
you're replacing an old water heater or installing one in a new
house, it's important to look at some of the options available.
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TYPE - there are two
main types of water heaters: Instant electric water heaters &
Storage type electric water heaters. Choosing them depends on how
much hot water you want to use, how much electricity costs and where
you live. |
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CAPACITY - decide what
size or capacity of water heater you'll need, choose the capacity
based on: the number of users, the number of showers and bathtubs,
and whether or not you have a dishwasher. We have stock models
ranging from 4 to 132 gallons. - try to choose a water heater made
with stainless steel to eliminate corrosion at tank openings. |
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SELF-CLEANING - reduces
lime sediments build-up. |
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RECOVERY SPEED - the
faster a water heater can replace hot water, the more energy it will
use. If you are a constantly in need of a larger supply of hot
water, the better recovery speed should be. |
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FIRST-HOUR RATING - find
out what the first hour rating (FHR) is to get an idea of how much
hot water will be available during consistent use. |
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ENERGY EFFICIENCY - this
is indicated by its Energy Factor (EF). This is based on how much
heat is transferred to the water, standby heat loss in an hour.
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TOTAL COST - Try to
estimate how much a heater will cost over its lifetime. For
instance, what is initial investment cost, running or operation
costs and maintenance costs if there are any. |
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SIZING A WATER HEATER
To determine how big a storage
water heater you need: Estimate what time of the day (morning or
evening) your family is likely require the greatest amount of hot water.
Calculate the maximum expected hot water demand for the peak hour.
Select a water heater with a "first-hour rating" (FHR) that is nearly
equal to your estimated peak-hour usage. Since the first-hour rating
includes the recovery rate, a smaller unit with a good recovery rate
outperform a larger unit with a lower recovery unit. |
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HOT BATH, GOOD
FOR THE HEART |
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In addition to making you feel
clean and refreshed, a steamy hot bath may be good for the heart,
according to a new study from Japan. Researchers found that warmth
baths improved exercise endurance in the elderly, regardless of
their heart condition. |
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They studied 16 elderly
Japanese men and women and found out that just ten minutes of
soaking in a hot bath (41-degrees Farenheit) boosted performance on
a treadmill and reduced fatigue and leg pain. |
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In fact, according to Dr.
Tanaka, warm baths seem not only safe for the heart, but they also
appear to dilate blood vessels and thus allow more blood (and
oxygen) to get the heart muscle |
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