Running out of hot water while you shower can occur any time of year, but it’s most common in the winter when Western Michigan temperatures plummet. If you’ve recently suffered from no hot water while taking a shower, try these simple water heater troubleshooting tips before you call in the pros.

• Assess the water heater’s surroundings: Perhaps the reason your water heater is having a hard time is because of its surroundings. Is it located in a cold room? Is there a draft? See if you can perform maintenance around the area, such as caulking the windows and sealing other air leaks.
• Add insulation: Water heater insulation, sometimes called a “jacket,” can be installed to help reduce standby heat loss. It’s also wise to wrap foam insulation around any length of accessible piping. These efforts keep water hotter for longer and with less energy consumption to prevent the unpleasantness of no hot water in the shower. Insulation may also allow you to turn down the temperature, saving you money without decreasing the hot water supply.
• Replace the dip tube: This plastic tube runs incoming cold water to the bottom of the tank. That way, it doesn’t disturb the heated water near the top. If this tube is damaged, cold water can leak into the heated section of the tank and cool off the water there. The dip tube is an inexpensive part and can be easily replaced by a heating and cooling technician.

If you don’t see enough of an improvement after completing these water heater troubleshooting tips, call in the pros. After all, these efforts can improve the rate of hot-water delivery, but they can’t reverse serious problems. Have a technician inspect the heating element or pilot light, depending on your water heater’s fuel source, along with the temperature gauge. Any of these could be causing the issue of no hot water in the winter.

For more information, or to learn more about operating your hot water heater efficiently, please contact Mast Heating & Cooling today. We serve residents of Holland, Zeeland and the surrounding areas in Western Michigan.

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Home maintenance tasks like a furnace inspection ensure that you and your family have access to a reliable, efficient heating source over the winter. Your home maintenance checklist should include your plumbing system, too.

To perform a do-it-yourself inspection of your home's plumbing components, here's what to do:

• Look for any obvious damage to pipes such as a crack, bulge or dent. Make sure the pipes are free of corrosion. Copper pipes should look like a clean penny, not one that has been left outside. 
• Check the drain, which should have a smooth, steady flow of water -- without bubbling. Slow drains are often a sign of a blockage, and bubbling can also indicate a leak where air is seeping into the line.
• Inspect toilets by flushing them. While the tank is refilling with water, open the lid and check for any obviously damaged internal parts. Once the tank fills back up with water, if the toilet runs water, it may have a slow leak. 
• Maintain the water heater.  First, drain the unit to flush sediment from the bottom of the tank. If the unit is powered by gas and utilizes a pilot light, check the flame: It should be blue. A yellow flame indicates problems. Finally, check the burner assembly for rust. Consider adding insulation to an (older) water heater to further improve its efficiency.

If you have any concerns or want detailed answers to heating questions, contact the pros in the Holland and Zeeland area at Mast Heating & Cooling today.

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Since water-heating costs represent upwards of 20 percent of the average home’s energy expenses, getting a handle on those costs is paramount. Lowering costs centers on three basic issues: Using less water, using water that’s less hot and keeping more heat inside the system.

Here are more tips to help reduce water-heating costs:

1. If your existing water heater is 15 years old, it probably has an efficiency of less than 50 percent. Today’s high-efficiency heaters improve upon that number by as much as 40 percent. Consider an upgrade if your unit is approaching the end of its service life.
2. Utilize low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Newly engineered low-flow showerheads reduce hot water usage by about 50 percent while still providing a comfortably hot shower. Faucet aerators cost a dollar or so but pay for themselves quickly in energy savings.
3. Fix dripping faucets quickly. Even a small leak wastes large amounts of water.
4. Set the water heater's thermostat no higher than 120 degrees. Every 10-degree reduction may save up to 5 percent in energy costs. And 120 degrees is adequate for comfort and has the additional benefit of reducing scalding risks.
5. Install an insulation blanket on the heater. On a gas or oil-fired heater, be sure not to cover the top or bottom of the heater, or obstruct the thermostat or burner opening. 
6. Use warm or cold water for clothes washing and set the dishwasher on light wash when appropriate. When it's time to upgrade, purchase a high-efficiency dishwasher and clothes washer that consume less energy. 
7. Have heat traps installed in the hot and cold water pipes at the water heater to prevent water circulation when the heater is off. 
8. Drain sediment from the water heater every three months.  
9. Install pipe-wrap insulation on the first 6 feet of hot water and cold water pipes at the heater.

Since 1956, Mast Heating & Cooling has been the comfort specialist serving Holland, Zeeland and the surrounding areas in western Michigan. Contact us today for still more ideas to reduce water-heating costs.

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Conventional water heaters offer the convenience of having a ready reservoir of hot water at your fingertips, and advancements in water-heating technologies have made new systems more efficient, remedying past problems common with these types of systems.

If you’re ready to replace your water heater, you’ll want to pay close attention to efficiency ratings to maximize your investment, and advance energy savings, as well as looking at a few other factors to boost your overall return on investment.

Water heaters use an efficiency rating called an Energy Factor (EF). The EF rating will show you a particular unit’s overall efficiency performance, and it’s based on how much hot water the unit can generate over an average day. To calculate the EF, manufacturers take three factors into account:

• Recovery efficiency – This factor assesses how well the unit will use heat from the fuel source to transfer that energy to the water itself.
• Standby losses – This factor determines how much energy is lost every hour as the unit holds stored water warm, compared to the actual heat in the water itself.
• Cycling losses – The final component will determine how much heat is lost as water circulates in the entire system, including the pipes that allow water to enter and exit the system.

It’s important to work with your HVAC contractor when selecting and installing a water heater, as multiple other factors besides the EF rating will dictate the system's final efficiency and performance. For instance, sizing the system is critical to ensuring efficiency, as a system that’s too small will work overtime to produce hot water, and a system that’s too large will waste energy keeping too much water at the ready.  Other important factors to consider include the best, lowest-cost type of fuel and installation procedures.

Make the most of your investment in a new water heater, and use EF ratings to comparison shop, and ultimately select the best option to suit your needs and fit your budget. Need expert help? Contact Mast Heating & Cooling today. We have been serving homeowners in the Holland and Zeeland areas of western Michigan since 1956.

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The more hot water your household uses, the more energy your water heater must consume to supply it. While conserving water is always helpful to save energy, here are three additional ways to improve your water heater efficiency -- saving you money on your utility bill and helping to protect your equipment:

• Turn down the temperature. Most residential water heaters can be turned up to about 160 degrees. But for most households, water that hot just boosts the risk that someone will get scalded and needlessly pumps up your energy use. The typical home can get by with the water heater's thermostat set no higher than 120 degrees. Reducing the temperature also slows down mineral buildup and corrosion of both your appliance and your water pipes.
• Insulate the tank. Most of the heat lost in the transfer of hot water from the tank to your faucet is in the first 6 feet of pipe leaving the tank. By insulating at least 3 feet of this pipe with foam pipe wrap, you can significantly reduce this energy loss. During the winter months, consider putting an insulating blanket on the tank. This ensures that the water in the tank remains hot. To determine if your unit would benefit from an insulating jacket, touch the tank. If it is warm, it is losing heat. If it is cool, then you probably don’t need to insulate.
• Clean it out. By cleaning the tank out every three months, you help prevent sediment buildup. You also prolong the service life of your water heater. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, your HVAC technician can clean your hot water tank during your heating and cooling system’s regular preventive maintenance visit.

If you live in Western Michigan and would like more advice on making your water heater more efficient, contact Mast Heating & Cooling today. Serving customers throughout the Holland and Zeeland area, we're always happy to answer questions.

Our goal at Mast Heating & Cooling is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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If achieving energy efficiency in your home and saving money are important, take advantage of federal and state tax credits before they expire. In addition to saving energy with a new, efficient water heater, you’ll be able to put the saved tax dollars toward this important home investment.

Water heaters can account for 14 percent to 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the average home, according to Energy Star. A quick method to see if your water heater is operating efficiently is to place your hand on it. If it’s warm to the touch, your system is losing energy. To grasp the amount of energy you can save with energy-efficient water heaters, consider that standby heat transference on inefficient water heaters can be cut by as much as 45 percent – significantly reducing your total water-heating costs.

If these percentages come as a surprise, contact a heating and cooling professional to have your water heater evaluated. If you decide to upgrade, tax credits can significantly reduce your upfront costs. You can claim a credit of as much as $300 on your 2011 federal taxes for a gas, oil or propane water heater or an electric heat pump water heater. But the federal tax credit expires Dec. 31.

In addition, you can apply for a Michigan state tax credit of up to 10 percent of your installed costs, up to a limit, for an efficient water heater.

Follow these steps for claiming your federal and state tax credits:

• Work with a heating and cooling professional to make sure you select a heater that meets the government's efficiency requirements.
• Make copies of your receipts.
• Save the Manufacturer Certification Statement for your records.
• For federal tax credit, fill out IRS Form 5695. For Michigan state tax credit, fill out Form 4764.
• Water heater tax credits can only be claimed once and may only be filed for the year purchased.
• Water heater purchase must be before Jan. 1, 2012.
• Submit tax form 5695 or 4764 with your federal or state tax filings.

For more information, contact Mast Heating & Cooling.

Our goal at Mast Heating & Cooling is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about tax credits and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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As we talk with our customers, we're finding that many are unaware of this year's federal tax credits for energy-efficient HVAC equipment and home improvements. Lots of people have the mistaken idea that the credits all ended last year. Not so. Many 2011 federal credits are available to homeowners.

Any homeowner out there who is planning to purchase a new home comfort system or an upgrade this year can take advantage of the credits. Here's a summary of eligible products, minimum efficiency rating requirements and associated federal tax credits:

• Advanced main air circulating fans:  $50 credit, or take 30 percent of the fan's cost, provided the fan uses 2 percent or less of furnace energy.
• Central A/C, including installation costs: $300 for equipment with a minimum efficiency rating (SEER) of 14 and rated at least 16 for split systems.
• Heat pumps (electric), including installation: $300 credit if the unit is rated at least 14 (or 15 for split systems).
• Furnaces/boilers, including installation: $150 credit for equipment with a minimum rating (AFUE) of 90 or at rated least 95 for gas or propane units.
• Geothermal heat pumps and solar energy systems : Credit for 30 percent of the cost, with no limit.

Credits may also be taken for certain water heaters, biomass heating stoves, insulation and more. Some credits are for primary residences only and most have additional requirements. The U.S. Department of Energy lists the details on its Energy Savers website, or you can talk to your local HVAC contractor who can walk you through your options.

If wading through all the complicated rules for federal HVAC-related tax credits gets confusing, feel free to consult your local experts at Mast Heating & Cooling. We'll be glad to explain all your options and answer any questions.

Our goal at Mast Heating & Cooling is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about tax credits and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Mast Heating & Cooling services the Zeeland, Michigan and Holland, Michigan areas.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.