Raleigh Plumber Installs New Black Rheem Electric Water Heater!

May 8, 2012

You know, it might not sound very exciting to the average person that a water heater is being made in a new color, but to a plumber who has been installing the same beige or gray water heaters in Raleigh for years, it was quite interesting. It does not matter whether you prefer State, Ruud, Rheem or AO Smith water heaters…they have all been the same color scheme. That color scheme would be known as “BLAND”! It has always seemed as if the water heater companies really tried hard to make their products incredibly boring. Well today that trend has been dealt a huge blow by the Rheem water heater company!

We went to Hajoca in Raleigh today to pick up our material before getting to the jobsite, not really expecting anything special. We ordered an 80 gallon electric water heater and thought nothing of it. We have done it hundreds of times before. When we showed up to the jobsite and unpackaged the unit, expecting the normal white and blue heater we got this! Now this is not an electric heater but it is the only picture of the new color of Rheem’s water heaters that I could find. Very different than what we are used to.

The only thing I can compare it to is seeing a sports car that has been painted flat black. It just kind of shocks you. This paint is not glossy or slick, it is just a flat black paint job with a red sticker and that is really what sets it apart. For so long we have dragged white water heaters under muddy crawlspaces and I have wondered why. They get all that red Carolina clay on them and just look horrible. The finish on this water heater is easily cleaned and dirt and dust will just blend into the unit. Rheem has really made a great decision with this color change.

Thanks for reading, and as always, stay dry.

Raleigh Plumber Reviews American Standard H2Options Dual Flush Toilets

March 31, 2012

Dual flush toilets have come a long way in quality and ease of installation since I started installing them in the Triangle a few years ago. Quite honestly, when dual flush toilets came out I really was not impressed on some of the flush mechanisms and the overall look of the toilets themselves. As with most things in life, after time and trial and error, toilet manufacturers have refined their designs and come up with some improvements over their initial offerings. One of my favorite toilet manufacturers is American Standard, and like all the other’s they have been upping their game with new designs in dual flush toilets. Their H2Options series of dual flush toilets is getting great reviews, so let’s take a look at a few of the members of this series.

The Basic Round Front Toilet- As with most lines of toilets, the cheapest and most basic of American Standards dual flush H2Options toilets is the round front model. This is your traditional toilet that most people get with new home under $300,000 in the Triangle area. In fact most Triangle plumbers try to stick to buying these round front models because the are the cheapest to be found. Take a look at this particular model. Anyhow, this is the basic model in the line and it gives you some nice features. The tank is much smaller and more sculpted than most older toilets, so it looks really nice in any bathroom. The real purpose of a round front toilet is to give you more room in a smaller bathroom or to make sure the door does not hit the front of the toilet. To be honest, most people that build nicer homes look at round front toilets as being of “lesser”" quality, but that is not the case. It is more of a stylistic thing, but high-end plumbing showrooms have convinced people to purchase elongated toilets by saying that they are for more upscale homes. Well lets take a look at the elongated version as well.

The Elongated Front Toilet – The main benefit of an elongated toilet is that you get a little more real estate to park yourself on when spending time in the loo! Okay, that’s a bit cheeky! Seriously, you get some more room with a slightly larger toilet, which can give you a more comfortable experience. The elongated model is 2″ longer at 29 3/4″ from wall to front of toilet. That being said, I have always thought that round front toilet flushed better, with the round front lending itself better to the cyclonic action than the oblong design in the elongated toilets. Last but not least is the “comfort height” model.

Comfort Height Dual Flush Toilets – Offered in both round front and elongated front, American Standard has included the Comfort Height toilet in it’s line up with taller people in mind. With an industry standard of 14-15 inches for the height of the toilet bowl, some individuals with longer legs or above average height can experience some discomfort going to the bathroom. This toilet has a rim height of 16 1/2″, giving much more support for those individuals. This does not quite qualify it as ADA approved. After viewing this unit we will talk about the benefits of all the models in the H2Options series.

Here are some of the features of the American Standard H2Options Dual Flush Toilet lineup:

- Water Sense Rating from the EPA

-Rebates in Raleigh, Cary and Durham – http://www.americanstandard-us.com/Microsite/WaterEfficiency/rebatelocator.aspx

- First Ever Jetted Bowl Cleaner in Dual Flush Toilets

- Everclean Anti Bacterial Bowl Surface

- Saves 1,400 Gallons of Water Per Year

Guys, take a look at this toilet and next time you are in need of a replacement, go ahead and order one and if you are in the Raleigh, Durham or Triangle area and you need a plumber, let us install it for you. Give us a call at 919-397-5777! Till next time, stay dry. Pat

Noritz NR-71 Is Best Tankless Water Heater Under $850 Says Raleigh Plumber

March 28, 2012

A while back I did an article giving our customers and readers some tips about buying tankless water heaters. Today I wanted to focus on one of the tips I gave back then, recommending that people check out smaller tankless heaters as an alternative to the very expensive larger ones. After a lot of research and actual real world installations I have fallen in love with the Noritz NR71. This little unit is perfect for 2 and 2.5 bath houses. Let’s go over some of the benefits of the NR-71.

Simple and Easy – the Noritz NR71 is really popular with many Triangle plumbers for many reasons, chief among them is simplicity. Most tankless heaters have complex vent kits, digital controls and alot of options. Not so with the NR71. This unit is really made for quick and easy installation. There is not digital temperature control and no vent kit if you get the outdoor model. The temperature is controlled by a simple little plug that you install inside the unit. You can set if for 120, 130 or 140 degrees based on what plug you use, and that is it…done. The vent is built into the front of the unit so you do not have to mount one on the top of the unit. Now you can get one that is made for indoor use and Noritz does sell a vent kit to go with it, but I prefer outdoor installations for the fact that you get more space back in your home with the unit outdoors.

Just Enough Flow – One of the main reasons that alot of my Raleigh plumbing buddies always use more expensive tankless water heaters is GPM or Gallons Per Minute. Admittedly the more GPM that a unit is rated at, the more showers or faucets that can be run at the same time. But, is that really that important? Let’s think about it. These days most shower heads only put out 2.5 gallons per minute, and some put out 2 gallons per minute. Well, if you have two bathrooms and both showers are being used at the same time, that is 5 gallons per minute total. You still have about 1.5 gpm left over to play with. Well, a kitchen faucet is rated at a maximum of 1.5 gpm. Bingo! Most houses in the triangle are covered quite well by that amount of water flow. The point is that you do not need a 9 or 11 GPM unit that costs $1400! The value here is unquestionable.

Well, it’s time to get back to work! I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about the Noritz NR71. Now remember, if you want a great price and you don’t mind ordering online you can get one of these units on Amazon.com, but if you want to buy local you can also go to Wilkinson Supply Company in Raleigh, Carrboro or Durham . What you really need to remember is to call us to install it. Give us a ring at 919-397-5777 and we will get it all set up for you! Later folks and remember to stay dry!

Pat

Raleigh Plumber Endorses Delta Touch2O Kitchen Faucets Faucets

March 26, 2012

I have never really been the type of plumber to recommend specific models of faucets to my plumbing customers. That has especially been the case with Delta’s line of faucets with the Touch2O Technology. Back a few years ago when they first came out, I was not really impressed with the way they worked . In fact I had installed two of them, one for a client in Crowsdaile Farms in Durham and the other in Brier Creek in Raleigh and both of them malfunctioned. The grounding mechanisms seemed to malfunction and they both performed quite poorly. You literally had to wrap your hand around the faucet to get it to turn on. Since then I have told people not to by these faucets…until now. Recently I have installed a few different models of Delta Touch2O Kitchen faucets and I am please to say that these faucets are now working as advertised. Below I will let you see a few of the models that I have installed and even give you the links to go check them out on Amazon.

The Delta Addison line is a very attractive series of faucets and the Addison Kitchen faucet is no exception. I installed this faucet over in Cary when I was asked to come reconnect the plumbing for a customer who had granite installed in her kitchen. The Addison line of kitchen faucets comes with the option of a soap dispenser or without one. The Addison line really looks at home in some of the craftsman style homes in Holly Springs and Cary, with its sleek lines yet traditional detailing.

The Delta Pilar series of faucets is the other model of faucet that I have installed recently from the Touch2O line. This series of faucets if really appealing. I was installing this unit in a really upscale condo in downtown Raleigh and it just fit in with the whole atmosphere. The faucet was in stainless steel, it felt very young and modern, just like downtown Raleigh. It suited the condo completely in it’s minimalist look. Very quality feel and an easy install.

If you would like to check these faucets on online, Amazon has both available with plenty of consumer reviews to read and get more information from. I have no compunctions in recommending these faucets as I have installed both and can readily recommend them. Stay tuned for more reviews in the future and if you would like help with the installation of a kitchen faucet just call Raleigh Plumbing HQ at 919-397-5777!

Pat

Raleigh Plumbers Review of Rinnai R75e Tankless Water Heater

March 24, 2012

A while ago I reviewd the Noritz NR71 natural gas tankless water heater, after having installed quite a few of them. I claimed it the “best tankless under $800″! Well this week I installed a Rinnai R75e for the first time and I was acutually quite impressed. Noritz and Rinnai are direct competitors in the tankless water heater marketplace , and the competition is very fierce. Truth be told, I can’t really tell that much difference between the two as far as performance but I will tell you a few things about the Rinnai R75e that will make you consider both units before you purchase them.

Digital Control – Rinnai includes a digital controller with the R75e for close to the same price as the Noritz NR71. Now for me, I enjoy the simplicity of the NR71, not having a digital controller. It keeps the homeowner from messing around with the water heater itself. What, a triangle plumbing customer messes around with their water heater? Happens all the time, and while some raleigh plumbing customers can get it right, most just make the problem worse. With the Rinnai, at least you do have the advantage of providing the ability for the customer to get a digital display if they want one, for no extra cost.

Install Kit – Rinnai has really out done themselves by including the installation kit with the tankless heater. You get the brass shutoff valves and flush connections as well as a temperature and pressure relief (T&P) valve. This saves you $65 at your local supply house. I have not seen another company include the installation kit with the tankless water heater. Not Takagi, Navien or Noritz. Very helpful to customers and plumbers on a budget.

Cost Comparison – At around $800 for a Noritz NR71 and around $900 for a Rinnai R75e, there is not much difference to the casual observer. However, to my customer that I installed this unit for in Holly Springs plumbing in the Rinnai was the obvious choice. You get a flow rate of 7.5 gallons per minute with the Rinnai. Almost half a gallon more than the Noritz. My Holly Springs customer wanted that digital display for the safety of her kids and the ability to turn the water up some if she wanted to use her whirlpool tub. The digital control makes that easy. Finally, when you add in the install kit, she actually got a better bargain with the Rinnai. To the customer, $100 dollars did not matter much, better value did.

Now, I still love the Noritz, but if you are in Raleigh and need to get a tankless water heater do some research and get what You want, either unit will make you happy in the end. Also if you need a licensed Raleigh plumber to install a tankless heater for you, give me a call at 919-397-5777 and we will make that happen for you.