________________________________
From: "eric@megageek.com" <eric@megageek.com>
To: shop-talk@Autox.Team.Net
Sent: Sun, June 5, 2011 7:25:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] anode rods-- was the air saga continues
Ben writes...
>> It takes about an hour to replace it and the last
>>one I bought was under $300.
>My motivation for just replacing the unit every ten or fifteen years or so
>is that the technology to make them more efficiency is also increasing
>with each replacement. Sure, the old ones are built like tanks, but the
>new ones use a fraction of the energy. That is a net gain in my book.
Although there is some increasing efficiency for water heaters (flue capture,
better insulation, etc.), it is not huge. Gas water heaters are a mature
technology and have been regulated/mandated for sometime. You also need to
think
about the energy/materials/landfill required to create, transport and dispose
of
the replacement tank.
>BTW, I'm also in the process of installing a total house solar system.
>Should be done this week. Once I gauge how well it works, I'm going to
>convert my two gas water heaters to electric (maybe.) I'd love to get rid
>of the gas systems on my outbuildings (one for the guest house and one for
>another building.)
>We'll see how it goes.
I converted my house to photovoltaic (6kWh array) a little over five years ago
and we now generate a surplus (Edison now sends us checks). You would be
further
ahead to continue to use gas to heat water rather than use PV to do it (I still
have a gas fired water heater and furnace even though I run a surplus on
electricity). Using electricity to create heat generally will be more expensive
than using gas to generate heat regardless of the source of the electricity.
best,
doug
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