Quick basic advice on a dripping gas 40-gal hot-water heater

Yes, they weren't valid - the numbers they gave were to low - my mileage was always better than the EPA estimates.

Reply to
Lou
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Somewhere I saw the cost as 10 dollars at Home Depot for removal of the old heater. That's of course if you pay the 400 dollars for installation in the first place. Otherwise, the cost is to leave it outside for a week until someone with a pickup takes it to the recyclers for you.

Reply to
58plumbers

20 degrees F cold? It is high time that automotive design and testing accommodate the northern climates where cars last about as long as a snowflake on a hot radiator. Test in International Falls in February on a track laden with salt and urea at minus 20 degrees F.

Michael

Reply to
msg

Well, they got farther from your experience. They now say your highway mileage is even lower.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

BTW, I found that the Impala never came with a 3.1. It's a 3.4 or 3.8.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

All depends on locale. I replaced mine last year and the old one was gone in a couple hours. Night before garbage pickup the scavengers tour this area. My Corsica sedan isn't much bigger than your car, and I tied the new one to the roof to get it home, saving 50 bucks delivery. I use blankets on the roof and lots of rope sideways and fore and aft when I do that, so it's a bit of a hassle. But I don't want another vehicle for hauling, since I seldom do it. Don't have space for a trailer. If I lived where I had to haul away the old tank, I might just pay for the install and avoid the hassle.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

Duh, brain fart on my part. It is indeed a 3.4, which is a 2.8/3.1 based engine. Same basic engine, but larger displacement.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Wholly agree! my principal motor is an '02 Ford Focus 1.8 diesel - yes, I know you don't have that across The Pond. It has just turned 125k miles today and during that time has done 43.3 miles to the US gallon - close to the brochure figure though I can't remember the exact number at this moment. It's been a cracking good motor with little to complain about. If it lives up to the performance of the two Fiesta diesels I've had, it should be good for 250k before I either send it to its maker in the sky or sell it for peanuts.

I gather from recent press comments here in Europe that you are about to be exposed to high quality diesel motors from Europe soon. They are good and do not have the air quality problems that you might associate with diesel trucks. Have you noticed the tightening emission standards for them - both in the US and Europe? Done me proud with shares in Johnson Matthey!

Diesel needs less refining than gas and therefore less energy in production, emits less CO2 per gallon and has higher mpg, plus in real life has more grunt than petrol (gas) units. Go for it!

They also display less variation in mpg between the urban and long distance figures. In case you think I'm grossly biased, I also run a Peugeot 306 petrol and an 07 Peugeot 206cc diesel - now that's a little monster in sheep's clothing - either 115 or 125 bhp in a shopping trolley. Great fun and approx. 45 mp USg. Little too early to call having only done less than

3000 miles as yet.

PS I log all fuel and average over the entire life of the unit.

Reply to
Clot

Agreed, like installing a gearbox that suits the test conditions rather than every day use.

Reply to
Clot

on hot water tanks, in pennsylvania theres no sales tax on a installed tank, but 7% if you take home and install yourself.

$28 on a 400 buck tank. that taken off install price can make doing it yourself not worth the effort.

sales tax has lots of wierd rules

Reply to
hallerb

Yup, sure does. Even here in the UK, we have problems fathoming out Value Added Tax (VAT) rules. However, I'm sure you didn't mean to respond to my post! :)

Reply to
Clot

I was thinking about an Impala as my next used car, but have to check out the 3.4 first. Might go for a Malibu which I can get with a 3.1. In 2005 I rented a Malibu with 2.2 for a Florida trip and got 34mpg highway. Seemed less thirsty in the city than a six, and had plenty of power for me. I was surprised when I checked the oil before the trip, and found it was a 2.2. A lot different than the 2.2 I have in the '90 Corsica. Much quieter and more powerful.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

Valid in the manner they were tested. A real auto enthusiast knew they were not real life accurate but they were consistent. If Brand A said 25 mpg and brand B was rated at 30 mpg, you knew brand A was a realistic 21 mpg and the other was a realistic 25. The trouble comes from the people that actually believed the numbers and were disappointed when they could not achieve them.

A for getting them changed, it was a lose/win situation. Marketing would lose because they could not brag about the high mileage cars they sold, but the dealer would have to win with fewer complaints about not getting what the sticker said they'd get.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

But the state got their tax from the installer when he bought it to resell to you.

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Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

no when a business buys something for resale theres no sales tax,

in pennsylvania theres no tax on clothes, cold food no tax, hot food taxable......

Reply to
hallerb

Not true. I had a business in PA and when I bought material to install it, I had to pay the tax. I did not have to charge the customer tax on either the merchandise or my labor.

In my other business, I was a reseller and charged the tax I would then file a tax exemption and not pay to my supplier, but I had to collect and forward the tax to the state.

If you look at the tax exemption form, certain items are exempt, such as material used in manufacturing. Office supplies are taxable, as are computers, etc. If sales tax is not due, use tax is. Businesses are audited on a regular basis. As a consumer, you may avoid the tax on mail order buys, but a business will be caught faster than the home consumer.

PA Form 1220 spells out the exemptions. Manufacturing, mining, farming, shipbuilding, and specificaly points out no exemption for property used in contructing, repairing, remodeling.

The differentiantion is not hot or cold, it is ingredient versus prepared foods, be they hot or cold. That cold sandwich is still taxable.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I think it's the assumed amount of BTUs an "average" household uses in a day.

I'm sure there are math majors out there in the crowd who could tell us if that assumption is true given the formulas previously provided.

Sears 33154 (marketed as Kenmore but made by AO Smith) FHR=97 EF=0.63 (41,045 btu/0.63)($1.21106/therm * 1 therm/100,000 btu) x 365 = $288/year

CHOICE B: Home Depot 183-717 (marketed as GE but made by Rheem) FHR=80 EF=0.58 (41,045 btu/0.58)($1.21106/therm * 1 therm/100,000 btu) x 365 = $313/year

Are any mathematicians out there who can tell us the units on the 41,045?

Reply to
Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coo

I've learned that I agree with you. The warranty is for the fire-and-forget type of homeowner. The one who doesn't flush twice yearly, who doesn't add the second anode, who doesn't replace the anode after a few years, who doesn't add the ball valve, etc.

Even then, the owner with the warranty has to bring the soaking wet heater in the back of their car in to the manufacturer after their 1-year is up on their supposed 12-year warranty - or else pay as much for the plumber to visit ($400) as the heater cost in the first place ($400) to obtain the 'free' heater.

Some deal, that 12-year warranty!

Or am I reading it wrong?

Reply to
Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coo

I'm guessing it's the number of BTUs used in a day for the average household.

(41,045 btu/0.63)($1.21106/therm * 1 therm/100,000 btu) x 365 = $288/year

If my assumption is correct, you can better estimate YOUR usage simply by using the number of BTUs you normally use in a day.

Does that work out?

That is, do most people use up about 41,045 BTUs a day on their water heater?

Reply to
Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coo

Home depot hauls away the old water heater as part of the cost of the installation.

Reply to
Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coo

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