LESLIE: Louise in Georgia is looking to get a tankless water heater. What can we do for you?
LOUISE: I am interested in having one but I am skeptical because of all the things I’ve heard: that they’re very expensive and also you have to have a specialist install them.
TOM: Well, first of all, they’re going to be more expensive than a standard tank water heater because they last a lot longer, plus they’re far more efficient. And yes, by all means, there are hundreds and hundreds of qualified installers; even thousands across the country. You will find, occasionally, a plumber who’s not familiar with them and never took the time to learn how to install a tankless water heater. Let’s face it, the water heaters are getting more complex and they’re getting more efficient and that’s a good thing, because that means that they’re more efficient.
Now, if you install a tankless water heater right now – I mean before the end of the year; you don’t have a lot of time left – but if you do it right now, you can actually earn up to a $1,500 federal tax credit by purchasing a high-efficiency unit, because that tax credit program runs out at the end of the year. But if you do it now, you can actually reduce the cost of the unit by a substantial amount.
LOUISE: Is that on any brand?
TOM: No. It has to be a qualifying unit and most quality manufacturers have units that qualify. A good website for you to start with is Rheem – R-h-e-e-m – .com and right there on their home page, there’s information on the energy-efficient tax credits as well as tankless water heaters.
LOUISE: OK.
TOM: And I think there’s a dealer locater there, too, so you could certainly find an installer that way.
LOUISE: OK. So Rheem is really a brand name, isn’t it?
TOM: It is. R-h-e-e-m.com. It’s an excellent brand.
LOUISE: OK. Very good. Can you give me an approximate decent price?
TOM: There’s going to be a measuring tool that you can use. It really depends on how many bathrooms that you have, in terms of which model that you might need. But you want to buy one that’s just the right size for the number of bathrooms. It usually starts with one to two bathrooms and goes up to two to three and then three full baths and more.
LOUISE: Very good. I really trust what you folks say, because I’ve been listening to you and enjoy your show. So I will go with that; I will go with that room and see if I can work something out there.
TOM: Alright. You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. And the website, again, is Rheem – R-h-e-e-m – .com.
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