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Why Tankless Water Heaters Are Probably Your Best Choice

Plumbing Repair

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There are definitely more benefits to a tankless water heater than any potential disadvantages, so I’ll get the two cons out of the way. First and foremost, if your residence doesn’t have either natural gas or LP gas, and electricity is all that’s available, you can take tankless water heaters off of the table (unless you’ve already decided to add gas to your home). This can definitely be a frustration point when choosing a new water heater. Tankless water heaters that use natural gas or LP gas are the only effective option. Unless it’s a secondary getaway cabin that doesn’t get much use, we do not recommend electric tankless water heaters.

The other con is the sheer upfront cost of a tankless water heater. Of course, you’ll get a lot of benefits by investing in a tankless water heater, but it’s going to be one of the most expensive options. You’d have to factor in what you’re actually getting for what you’re spending upfront in order to justify the cost. With those two potential cons out of the way, let’s get into all the benefits you’ll experience by deciding to get a tankless system.

The small size of the system is one of the first benefits that comes to mind. A tankless water heater hangs on the wall, which frees up the space where a larger tank system would be. This is especially useful in an apartment or smaller residence where space is at a premium. (Some tank water heaters can be unusually large in size, too.) In the right situation, like in a closet, it can really make a big difference.

Next, the lifespan of a tankless water heater is nearly twice that of a tank water heater. Yes, it’s much more of an upfront cost, but it starts to pose a very attractive cost of ownership over its lifespan. Going from a 50 gallon electric water heater to a gas tankless water heater can actually save 70% on your electric bill. If running your tankless water heater would cost about $180 a year, an electric tank water heater would have definitely exceeded $600 a year (or more, based on age). It’s a big overall cost savings when you combine the total cost of ownership and overall efficiency.

One of the coolest benefits of a tankless water heater pertains to something we’ve all experienced at least once. Think back to the last time the hot water ran out and you had to take a cold shower. A tankless water heater provides endless hot water as long as you provide some kind of fuel and power. You can fill up a large soaking tub in one go, take a long shower, or let several family members take consecutive showers without running out of hot water. Those things might not have been practical with a tank water heater. It’s really great when you don’t have to wonder if you’re going to have to take another cold shower.

If you have any questions about tankless water heaters, or you’re trying to decide which is best for your home, contact us today or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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Plumbing failures are definitely not fun. We depend on our toilets, showers, kitchen sinks, and laundry so much every day, but we tend to take them for granted. It’s complete havoc if they stop working, but it’s probably even more catastrophic if the plumbing in a home ruptures or breaks completely. (Parts of your home are generally made out of materials like wood and paper, and contact with water can lead to mold or other serious issues.) Now that winter is coming up, here are a few easy things you can do to make sure your home is prepared.

An Ounce of Prevention

We see outside hose connections that have frozen and burst more frequently than any other kind of plumbing failure during the wintertime. Generally speaking, what happens is people leave their hoses hooked up to the hose bib. Any water in the hose bib will freeze and expand, causing it to burst. Of course, you can prevent this from ever happening by simply disconnecting the hose. But someone might decide to use the water hose on a day when it’s not very cold (maybe to wash the car). A couple of days later, freezing temperatures come and you realize that the hose is still connected. Just try to be extra diligent throughout the winter to keep those hoses unhooked, because it’s an easy way to prevent major damage. (If you just have a hose bib, you’ll also need to find its shutoff valve and turn it off. For frost-free wall hydrants, on the other hand, you can generally just disconnect the hose.)

Winterize

Some homes have plumbing like an outdoor kitchen or outdoor shower. Maybe it’s a dock down at the lake with freshwater. These fixtures need to be properly winterized—just turning the water off isn’t good enough. The pipe can burst if it hasn’t been drained completely. (Air is sometimes used to blow any water out of the faucet.) Ice makers, refrigerators, or other similar appliances might also be on the outside patio. They need to be blown out so that they don’t freeze.

Close off the Airflow

One area that easily gets skipped over is the crawlspace. When a weeklong cold spell arrives with below-freezing weather and wind, it’s very common for all the plumbing inside a crawlspace to get frozen solid. You can prevent that by simply making sure the crawlspace door and vents are all shut securely. Heat from the house will be able to keep the space conditioned enough that the plumbing won’t freeze.

Check You Insulation

In more rural communities we regularly see wellheads, well houses, and well pits where the insulation was wet, unmaintained, or removed during the summer while maintenance was being performed. You’ll need to check the insulation in all of these areas to make sure it’s properly installed and doing its job.

Don’t Forget the HVAC

People with lake houses often turn the heat down low enough to still keep the space conditioned. In that case, it might be a good idea to make sure the HVAC system is working properly. Otherwise, we do offer a winterization service that’s only a call away. If you have any questions about preparing your home for the upcoming winter, contact us today or give us a call at

540-483-9382.

 

 

 

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Most of us probably don’t think about routine maintenance very often. We wouldn’t want to either, because maintenance can be a pain. It costs money and it takes time out of our schedule. But I think we’d all agree that if we didn’t change our car’s oil, we’d have to buy a new one much sooner. Maintenance isn’t very fun, but it’s even less fun to buy an expensive replacement earlier than we’d have to otherwise. So do people really need to maintain their plumbing systems and heating and air systems? It’s absolutely in everyone’s best interest, just like maintaining the yard, painting the walls, or changing a car’s oil.

Sometimes it’s harder to see the benefits of HVAC or plumbing maintenance because it’s not tangible or immediately visible to our eyes. The quality of the air we breathe inside our homes is invisible but incredibly important. All the air in our home travels through the HVAC system’s heat exchanger or condenser. If the system isn’t maintained, the air is going to pick up contaminants, dust particles, and allergens and get dispersed throughout the home. There are very real health benefits to maintaining your water source, too, primarily because our drinking water often comes from the plumbing system. How well it’s maintained (especially the water heater or well) will determine the level of contaminants in your water.

Maintenance also allows systems to reach their full potential. Just like you’ll get more mileage out of a car if you perform regular oil changes, your HVAC and plumbing systems will last much longer with regular maintenance. You can do some of the maintenance yourself, like changing the air filter or connecting a hose to the bottom of the water heater to flush it out. But other maintenance requires a professional, like cleaning the internal parts of the HVAC system or changing the anode rod in the water heater’s tank. Anything you do in terms of maintenance will increase the potential lifespan of that particular system.

One of the things that nobody ever likes is overpayment. Whenever a heating & air system or water heater isn’t maintained, I can almost guarantee that it’s causing you overpayment when it comes to the electric or gas bill. In this sense, HVAC and plumbing maintenance has a return on investment because the increased efficiency will reduce your utility payments every month. Yes, it might be a little costly to have that maintenance done upfront, but it’ll definitely pay you back dividends.

Wisler Plumbing & Air doesn’t change the oil in people’s cars, sadly. But the good news is that we have an awesome program called the Diamond Club. Included in the club is plumbing maintenance, water heater flushing, and water heater inspection once per year. It also includes two yearly heating & air visits: one for the hot season and one for the cool season. During these visits, we check the system to make sure it’s working properly. (Cleaning, part replacement, or component maintenance isn’t included.) For one reasonable price, we get all of this done as part of the Diamond Club program. If you have questions, just contact us today or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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We’re Facing a People Deficit

In any business, they say the hardest challenge is finding good help. The trades are one area where this is most prevalent. It’s relatively well-known that there’s a lack of skilled tradespeople right now. Although there are probably slightly more people now than five years ago, we’re definitely still in a significant deficit. There just hasn’t been an influx of young people for quite some time. The trades are dying skills, there’s plenty of work out there, and there’s a shortage of people able to do that work competently. Our organization is working hard to introduce people to our trade and communicate some of the associated benefits. A college/white collar job isn’t for everybody—those kinds of jobs are needed, but sometimes a person is better suited for a different path.

 

R-22 Is on Its Way Out

There’s a refrigerant that used to be prevalent in the HVAC industry called R-22, which is currently being phased out due to its harmful effects on the ozone and our environment. Although R-22 is quickly becoming obsolete, there are many systems still running on this refrigerant (like old car air conditioners). Because R-22 is becoming expensive and difficult to find, it’s going to be challenging to repair/replace older systems as they fail.

 

Tankless Is on the Way Up

The switch from tank water heaters to tankless water heaters has become a pretty heavy trend over the last several years. We’ve been putting in tankless systems since around 2008, but they’ve steadily been becoming more and more mainstream. They have a track record of dependability after being on the market for all this time, and I think they’re going to continue to be on the upswing when it comes to what kind of water heater people choose for their home.

 

Training & Opportunities Are Available

Right now we’re experiencing a changing job market and a deficit in our trade. People seeking a new opportunity might not even be aware that Wisler Plumbing & Air has several different programs available. By and large, we’re looking for people who don’t have experience—not because we mind hiring an experienced person, but simply because they are so few and far between. We had to create a system around providing training and schooling for people coming into the trade. The good news is that somebody can work full-time, learn the trade, and earn a living at the same time (which might be a better option for someone considering the financial implications of college.)

For anyone interested in working at Wisler Plumbing & Air, the process is simple: visit WislerJobs.com and apply online. Maryanne will receive your application and work with you to figure out the next steps. (She’s usually able to get things going fairly quickly.) For service-related questions, reach out to us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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There are times when you need to call a plumber and discuss what’s wrong with your plumbing.  That discussion may include terms specific to the plumbing trade and those terms can be confusing if you have never heard them before. The trades use very technical language, and plumbing in particular has a lot of weird names for things. Here are some of the most common terms that you might not already know.

 

Stop valve – You’ll find these under the cabinets or under the toilet. Right where water comes out of the wall or floor, there’s a little valve you can use to turn the water on or off before it gets to the fixture. Anytime someone mentions a ‘stop’, ‘stop valve’, ‘emergency shutoff valve’, or ‘emergency stop’, they are referring to this shutoff valve located right at the fixture.

 

P-trap – This is generally found underneath the sink (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, etc.). It’s the funny looking pipe segment right under the drain. Plumbers will say something like, “I need to take the p-trap off to get the object that got stuck in there.” It gets its name because it looks like a P if you take it apart and stand it up on its end. The p-trap’s job is to hold water in order to prevent sewer gas from coming back into your home.

 

Drain cleaning – This is a term that’s frequently taken for granted. Drain cleaning is not simply unstopping a drain. If you have a stopped-up drain, yes, putting a cable down will unstop it. However, as the name indicates, drain cleaning is where the pipe or drain is actually cleaned. This can be done with a cable or with high-pressure jetting. Remember, when a plumber references drain cleaning, they’re actually referring to something other than just unstopping the drain.

 

Ball valve – A ball valve is generally a shutoff valve. It has a lever, and is frequently found where the main water comes into your home. When someone refers to the ball valve, they may be talking about that main water shutoff—but not necessarily.

 

Gate valve – You can differentiate a gate valve from a ball valve by checking whether it uses a lever or a round handle. A ball valve uses a lever, whereas a gate valve will have a round handle.

 

Fill valve – A fill valve is a component in the back of the toilet tank. The water connects to it, and it’s what fills up the toilet tank so you can flush it.

 

Flapper – Most people probably know what a flapper is, but there are some who don’t. A flapper is a component located in the back of the toilet tank. When you push down on the toilet handle, the flapper lifts up to allow water to flush the toilet. Sometimes you’ll hear a plumber say, “The flapper is leaking,” or “The flapper went bad.” That means the rubber component in the toilet tank needs to be replaced.

 

Wall hydrant, hose bib – These devices are located on the outside of your home (generally speaking), where a hose is attached. A wall hydrant is different from a hose bib, because wall hydrants are designed to be frost-free or freezeproof. In other words, they don’t need to be winterized. Wall hydrants go into the home and the water is shut off, preventing ice that would cause the pipe to burst. Hose bibs are much simpler devices that do need to be winterized.

 

Supply line – A supply line is the water tube that goes from the stop valve at a fixture up to the actual faucet, toilet, or even washing machine. (The lines that go to washing machines are often just called washer hoses.)

 

Cleanout – This is basically an access point to your drains. Sometimes you might see a plug or cap that can be unscrewed somewhere in your basement, or maybe a crawlspace under your sink. The cleanout is used to allow cables or cameras down the drain.

 

Water meter – Normally located on the street, a water meter is what the municipality uses to measure how much water you use during a curtain period of time in order to regulate your water bill.

 

Now that you know these commonly-used plumbing terms, you’ll be able to decipher the Greek language that plumbers use. Hopefully this knowledge comes in handy next time you’re getting service or talking about what’s going on in your home. If you have any questions, contact us or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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There are definitely both pros and cons for one-truck plumbers and larger plumbing companies. At one point in time, I was a one-truck company as well. (Everyone has to get started somewhere.) I think most people initially consider how much it will cost to hire a one-truck plumber versus a larger plumbing company. It is true that larger plumbing companies have higher overhead. Therefore, their rates are going to be higher than a one-truck company. But what does that overhead cover, and what does it provide to homeowners? That will come into play as we review the differences between these two company types.

Availability

First, and foremost, is availability to provide service. When homeowners have a plumbing problem, they usually want it to get taken care of very quickly. Unfortunately, a one-truck company’s lack of resources means they can only be one place at any given time. Although their rates might be lower, it could take them weeks to make the visit. That’s something you might want to consider if you’re thinking about who to choose.

Training

Another difference I think worth mentioning is whether the employees receive ongoing training. A company with one to three employees is often going to be tied up with taking care of daily work. Since they have to wear multiple different hats, they aren’t going to be able to focus on perfecting their craft or keeping current with the times as new products come out. It can be very challenging for a smaller company to have the resources to train on installing, diagnosing, or repairing newly released products. This doesn’t have to be the case with a larger company. We’re very committed to continuing education for all of our technicians. My brother, Brian’s full-time job is to train incoming technicians as well as tenure technicians.

Options

When a technician from a one-truck plumber visits someone’s home—even if they’ve been in the plumbing trade for many years—they might not be trained on how to work with something like a new tankless water heater. If you wanted a tankless system put in your home, they wouldn’t know how to size it properly or install it properly without that training. They probably wouldn’t even suggest it to you as a potential option. Instead, they might say something like, “Well, tankless water heaters don’t work well and they aren’t worth the money,” when that may not actually be the case. (Of course, there are situations where tankless heaters aren’t the best solution, but sometimes they’re a no-brainer.)

Warranty and Service

Another thing to consider is that smaller one-truck operations tend to be priced more economically because they usually base their prices on the volume of work they need to do in a week or a month. (This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it’s usually how one-truck companies operate.) Therefore, they really don’t have the availability to go back for a return visit that won’t pay them any money—after all, they have bills to pay. If you pay an economical price, you’re probably not going to get a warranty, and if you do call the company, it’s probably not going to go well. Everyone should be aware of this added risk as a consumer. Although the price might be less expensive up front, what’s the total cost moving forward?

We’re priced to make a profit so that we can stay in business. That’s important for the security of our employees, but most importantly, it allows us to give warranties for every water heater, faucet, or toilet we put in a client’s home. Clients know they can call us back 8 years in the future if anything goes wrong. It’s well-known that most small businesses fail within the first 5 years, so if a company doesn’t properly set their prices to sustain them well into the future, they might not be around to service the product they installed. The cheapest price isn’t always the best in the long run.

We aren’t everyone’s plumber, and we obviously aren’t the largest plumbing company either. If someone can find a one-truck company that works really well with them, I tip my hat and wish them good luck. Regardless of your choice of a one-truck company or a larger company, it’s a matter of weighing the pros and cons to choose the best option for your needs.

 

If you want to find out whether Wisler Plumbing & Air is the right fit for your home, contact us today or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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