Ask This Old House

Installing an instantaneous water heater
Richard visits a homeowner in Atlanta whose natural gas bills have increased dramatically in recent months. Richard suggests installing an instantaneous water heater. This type of unit does not have a storage tank and only burns gas when hot water is needed. Richard, with the help of a local contractor, begins the installation by determining where to locate the unit. This type of water heater is designed to mount on an exterior wall and vent combustion gases directly to the outside. Once the location is determined, the crew cuts a hole in the wall for the vent pipe. The unit is then bolted to the wall and the vent is connected. The crew then runs new gas and water pipes to the unit. Finally, the electrical connections are made and the installation is complete.

Where to Find It
Richard installed an instantaneous water heater manufactured by:
Rinnai Corp. (model#2532FFU)
866-746-6241

Installation contractor:
Shumate Mechanical
800-840-3816

Additional assistance provided by:
Fulton Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
404-352-3478

In the loft, Richard also showed an instantaneous water heater that uses a standing pilot light.
Bosch AquaStar (model#250SX)
Manufacturer: Bosch Water Heating
800-503-5028

Planting trees to save energy
Roger shows Kevin how planting certain types of trees around a house can result in lower heating and cooling costs. Roger recommends planting a screen of evergreens on the north side of a house to prevent cold, winter winds from blowing against it. On the south side of the house, Roger recommends planting trees that will block the sun during the summer months and lose their leaves in the fall, allowing sunlight to warm the house in winter.

Where to Find It
More information on energy-saving landscaping can be found at the U.S. Department of Energy's website.

Additional energy saving tips can be found at:
www.nrel.gov/docs/fy03osti/34430.pdf
www.energysavers.gov

Installing cellulose insulation
Tom helps a pair of homeowners who are worried about rising fuel costs and want to insulate the walls of their 1870 Mansard Victorian using blown-in cellulose. Tom begins by locating the studs inside an exterior wall and drills two holes in the center of a stud bay. One hole is about halfway up the wall and the other is near the top. These holes will accept a hose that is connected to an insulation-blowing machine. Tom inserts the hose into the lower hole and turns on the machine. After a few seconds of operation the machine starts to whine, indicating that the lower part of the stud bay is fully insulated. Tom then plugs the lower hole and inserts the hose into the upper hole. He then fills the upper part of the stud bay with cellulose using the same method. The process is repeated for each of the remaining stud bays.

Where to Find It
Insulation blowers can be rented at your local home center to tool rental center.

Tom's machine was manufactured by:
AccuOne Industries, Inc. (model#9218)
800-438-2776

Additional assistance provided by:
Great Point, Inc.
Bob Hanks
P.O. Box 857
East Greenwich, RI 02818
401-884-8858

More information on cellulose insulation can be found at the following web site:
cellulose.org

Both cellulose and fiberglass insulation can be purchased at your local home center.