When the time comes to install a new water heater, it may at first seem like it’s going to be a simple job for the layperson, but when it comes right down to it, there’s a lot more to installing a water heater than meets the eye. Having been in business for more than 20 years, I can say without hesitation that calling in a professional is critically important to getting the job done right. And although some people believe they are pretty handy when it comes to installing appliances, installing a water heater can be extremely challenging.
What are some of the pitfalls about installing a water heater for someone with little experience? To begin with there is the potential of damaging delicate parts, cross threading gas connections, forgetting to elevate the water heater or failing to remember to use earthquake strapping where necessary. These critical elements are all addressed when a professional installs your water heater. In addition, not only are you given all the right options, but a professional will not sway you in a direction you don’t need to go. Instead, the professional will explain any improved features and higher operating efficiencies in the latest water heaters. Plain and simple, when you hire a professional to install a water heater, you’re assured of the proper handling of your new water heater, in addition to proper installation which covers safety features and compliance to state and federal laws.
A non-professional can overlook many steps when installing a water heater, which is why the following are the top 12 reasons why you should always hire a professional.
Read more…
When we contemplate air pollution, most of us think that the air is okay. That is, if we don’t see a colored haze hanging above our heads or black particles raining on our towns. But poor air quality, like a virus, can’t always appear to the naked eye. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a sort of measuring stick used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and it has proven this fact.
There are many types of pollution hogging our air space; these thieves silently enter our bodies and cause disease over time, illnesses such as bronchitis, lung cancer and heart defects. Additionally, pollution threatens plants and trees, destroy animals and takes over water streams where fish get contaminated.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a compound that comes from volcanoes, which we may have very little control over. It is also created by varying industrial processes, such as coal and petroleum. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) comes out when a mixture of air and fuel becomes hot as is found in the emissions from internal combustion engines of our cars and SUVs and industrial equipment. In low doses, these two compounds have a small effect but in cities with many factories and loads of cars, the results can become overwhelming to our air.
28 eastern US states have been found to hold high amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in their air because of the heavy industry in this area. So, in 2005, the EPA came up with a new rule, the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which is to reduce sulfur dioxide by 70% and all nitrogen oxides by 60% by 2015. Apparently this would reduce health costs by a couple billion dollars and maybe help prevent premature death.
Read more…