Domestic Hot Water

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  Venting Gas Appliances (Subscriber content)

  Supply plenty of combustion air, keep the flue warm and dry, and don't restrict the flow of exhaust in the flue.

   

• Q&A: Electric Radiant Heat for a Small Space

  Q. I'm considering using electric radiant heating panels in the ceiling of a small superinsulated apartment, but I hear a lot of bias against electric heat. Can it be cost effective in this case?

   
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  Focus On Energy: Shedding Light on Radiant Heat (Subscriber content)

  Shedding light on radiant heat

   

• Q&A: Shower Pipe Knocking

  Q. I am having a problem with a shower valve in a bathroom remodeling project. When you turn the water all the way to hot and then back off to around the middle of the temperature range, you get a pulsating water flow from the shower head and severe, loud knocking from the shower pipes in the wall...

   

• Indirect-Fired Water Heaters (Subscriber content)

  In homes heated with a boiler, an indirect-fired tank can provide domestic hot water reliably and efficiently. A pair of industry experts explain what to look for.

   

• Q&A: Excavating in Frozen Ground

  Q. What’s the most cost-effective way to thaw a site for excavation? We are building a 16x24-foot addition with a crawlspace underneath, and the frost is already 12 inches deep.

   
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  Q&A: What’s the Dewpoint?

  Q: When people refer to the dewpoint in a wall assembly, are they talking about a location or a temperature? How is the dewpoint calculated?

   

• Q&A: Fuel Cost Comparison

  Q: A customer asked me how to compare the cost of different heating fuels (natural gas, propane, oil, and electricity). Can you provide a chart with this information?

   

• Backfill: One More Reason to Quit Smoking

  Beware gas buildup in water heaters

   

• Resources

  Hydronic heating guide, basic engineering text, more