From a Realtor’s perspective…

The last time you explored a house on the market, did you ever hear the seller’s agent touting a 50-gallon water heater as a feature? Probably not. That’s like saying, “Notice that each room is already furnished with electricity. And look, the kitchen includes a sink!”

One of the other trends I see in my non-stop flow of Google Alerts is an increase in online real estate postings that mention when a home includes a tankless water heater. Sure, it’s the “green” thing to do, but as Houston Realtors Emily and John Horne recently pointed out on their blog, these gizmos not only deliver a tsunami of hot water, they pay for themselves rather quickly.

A selling feature, indeed!

Hot water is a hot topic

I subscribe to Google Alerts so I can keep my ear to the ground for ‘net rumblings about things that I’m interested in — like my friends, my company, tankless water heaters, and Alton Brown (because I’m a diehard fan). Every day, Google emails me a list of links to stories and blog postings on whatever keywords I’m watching.

There’s an awful lot of buzz about tankless water heaters! I get more alerts with longer lists of links on that topic than all of the other alerts I get combined. Who knew?

Some point to short comments on somebody’s personal blog. Others to an active discussion about going tankless, like this one sparked by an LA Times journalist. Then there are always a few well-intentioned references out there that I wave in front of my favorite Hot Water Guy, Tom, thinking we could feature it here or on the HWG website… but after reviewing many of them, Tom tells me a lot of information in them is just plain wrong.

Don’t be afraid to read up on tankless on the Web. But my advice is to double-check the facts with Tom and Kenny if you’re thinking of going tankless yourself! Nuff said.

Shelley
The HWG Communications Chick

Nice to meet you!

Hi, I’m Tom the HotWaterGuy. Hot Water is a company in Houston, Texas, specializing in tankless water heating. That means we know more than your average bear about tankless water heating… but we’re still learning because the tankless industry is continuing to change. In fact, there are some exciting new developments afoot.

One thing coming is a hybrid tank / tankless machine. It’s supposed to combine the benefits of a traditional tank heater and a tankless water heater. You will be able to use it with a re-circulating hot water system without the need for an external tank. It also is supposed to be a direct replacement for a tank heater using the same “B” type vent material as a tank. And the cost of the machine and installation are supposed to be cheaper than a tankless water heater.

Another thing on the horizon is a 95% efficient tankless water heater that we can vent with PVC plastic pipe. It will be more expensive a machine but you will save on the price of the stainless steel vent piping. I’m guessing the cost will be somewhat more than a regular tankless, but the 95% efficiency will be the deciding factor for some people.

Anyway, stay tuned to our blog for more developments. And please ask questions or post comments here whenever you like. I’d love to get a conversation started.

Why are we doing a blog?

You might think there’s not a lot to say about tankless water heaters.  But we can’t help noticing how often this subject comes up in mainstream media.

For instance, in a December interview with NBC’s Today Show (launch the video), Brad Pitt said he was buying his dad a tankless water heater for Christmas!  That same month,  The Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters turned a traditional tank heater into a high-altitude rocket.  (More on that later!)

We’ll be using our blog space to share news and thoughts on hot water.  It’s what Hot Water Guys should be doing, after all!