The first clear sign the replacement or repair of a water heater is on the horizon is when orange water is coming out of the water spout. A full flush and drain can be performed if it’s repair that you need instead of full replacement. But replacement may be your only option if you have not properly maintained it over time.

Until a person’s bathed in orange water and emerged from the tub feeling scummy, not clean, or until ruining a load of whites washing them in rust-colored water, chances are a homeowner may procrastinate when it comes to preventive water heater inspections. It’s easy to dismiss the bottom of a rusted one crashing through the floor as the hot water fills up the basement or streams through floorboards until it happens to you.

Before there were tankless water heaters, the traditional operated off of an anode rod. This aluminum or magnesium cast around a steel core wire with a hex head is usually 3/4ths inches in size in residential water heaters—the part may be small in size, but it’s contribution to the operating of heating your water is major. Whether it lives or dies largely relies on this rod. Called a sacrificial anode, it protects the tank from rusting over time.

Generally speaking, a six-year-warranty residential tank will have one anode rod, while a 12-year-warranty tank will have two. Commercial size tanks have from one to five. The anode rod works through using electrolysis, meaning when two metals are connected in water, the anode is consumed: one metal will corrode to protect the other.

A sacrificial anode’s life expectancy depends on the quality of the water, the amount of use the tank gets, the water temperature, and the quality of the tank. Water softeners add salt to the water which corrodes the anodes faster.

One of the dead giveaways that corrosion is present is rusty water underneath it.

Annual water heater inspections including draining and flushing can double its life expectancy. Hot water heaters last an average of 8 years. The attentiveness and a yearly investment of only 0 alone can lead to getting another 7-8 out of it.

Besides rusty water, the efficiency of a hot water heater can diminish over time, costing a homeowner more in energy costs than replacement. If the amount of hot water generated by a formerly well-performing hot water heater seems to be less by the day, it’s time to get a water heater check-up.

A professional plumber will examine the burner components of the water heater when performing a routine inspection. Remove the front cover of the hot water heater to get to clogged and rusty burners.

Today’s energy-smart consumers are replacing traditional water heaters with tankless water heaters that heat the water instantly upon demand vs. the traditional water heater keeps the water constantly heated and ready to be used. For a busy family or couple, that’s a lot of time spent waiting (while using costly energy).

According to Energystar, considering the energy savings (normally heating water accounts for about 15 percent of a house’s energy use) the cost of replacing your old water heater with a tankless one can be recovered in one year.gov) and the energy tax rebates now available. It’s enough of an incentive, says this master plumber, to inspire some homeowners to replace their water heater even though it’s not yet broken.

For the typical working or middle class household, the debate regarding if, when and the severity of any recession carries little meaning and is often cast aside as an intellectual exercise for the wealthy.  Reliance on the technical definition of a recession (two consecutive quarters of negative growth) grossly understates the severity of the current economic downturn, in that it relies on national averages and does not fairly gauge the economic well being of the average American household. It’s a recession if you are reading about it. It’s a depression if you are living under the twin evils of reduced household income and double digit inflation for the core basket of household necessities (food, gas, healthcare, utilities, college tuition, etc…).

The stated objective of the monetary and fiscal actions that have been taken so far is to provide stimulus to consumer spending – a primary driver of economic growth. Just as flawed blueprints ultimately cause delay and added expense to the construction of a new building, a misguided objective in treating the ills impacting the economy will similarly add delay and expense, while still proving ineffective in the end.

In the current economic downturn, the actual and projected decline in consumer spending is merely a symptom of the much greater disease – the collapse of the U.S housing and related capital markets. Absent this crisis and the spillover to other asset classes, declines in consumer spending would not be on the front burner. Uncoordinated and offsetting dosages of tax rebates, interest rate cuts and unsettling regulatory proposals are being administered on pure speculation that discretionary resources will be created and immediately elevate consumer spending levels. It is not surprising the market response is less than enthusiastic, as evidenced by widening spreads, continuing illiquidity, and increasing inflationary pressures.

There are no easy or perfect remedies. However, a fair assessment of the factors that continue to plague the housing sector and the dim prospects of a quick economic recovery suggest a cohesive prescription can be fashioned. This plan can support the improved promise of curing the patient without squandering taxpayer dollars and unnecessarily prolonging a painful process that is unavoidable given the proverbial hole we are already in. The basic tenets of this prescription are fourfold:

Focus on liquidity, not interest rates
Support the demographics that comprised core housing demand prior to the real estate bubble
Utilize HUD and the existing distribution system for housing finance to disburse needed remedial resources, as they will prove to be far more cost effective than the alternatives
Allow the unavoidable and inevitable pain to run its course as quickly as possible.

With these guiding principles in mind, consider the following:

I.   The Impact of Interest Rate Cuts  

The actions of the Federal Reserve in cutting short term rates have done little to provide relief to deteriorating economic conditions. To the contrary, the 300 basis points of rate cuts over the last six months have been counterproductive in addressing the disease infecting the economy.

The proof in the pudding is that the rate for fixed rate mortgages is higher today than at the beginning of the year, and slightly higher than one year ago. Thus, the Fed’s actions have not assisted in increasing the purchasing power of potential homebuyers or reducing the carrying costs of existing homeowners through mortgage refinancing. One exception is any cost savings realized by homeowners with extended home equity lines of credit.

Any perception that significant rate cuts could mitigate future defaults relating to adjustable rate non-prime loans and negative amortization ARMs (often referred to as option ARMs) is clearly misguided. For the most part, rate adjustments relating to the toxic sub-prime and Alt A mortgages dominating the headlines are tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), an index that the Fed has little direct influence over. Option ARMS are tied to the moving 12 month average of the 1 year treasury, a lagging index that considerably dilutes the near term benefits of rate cuts.  Here again, the Fed’s actions are virtually impotent in addressing a key concern weighing heavily on the prospects of an expedient economic recovery.

On the other hand, the Fed’s actions relative to rate cuts have spawned inflationary pressures evident in the considerable increases in oil prices, food and other commodities. Has there been a fundamental shift in our dependence on foreign investment in our debt instruments (which includes the considerable financing needs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac)?  Of course not.

With the Federal Reserve telegraphing a willingness to accommodate sizeable future rate cuts while most other central banks have stated intentions to stand pat or increase rates, the risk of continuing devaluation of the dollar against other currencies is considerable. It’s no wonder foreign investors require a premium to cover the anticipated slide in the currency to maintain the level of demand for dollar denominated debt. The same holds true for goods purchased with dollars, driving up the cost of imports, most significantly, oil.

Finally, a considerable demographic component of the consumer spending equation is retirees and seniors dependent on fixed incomes. While least accountable for the excesses of the recent past, the spending power of these consumers are being hit hard in terms of higher costs for their necessities, and lower rates on their savings.

In short, any potential benefits of pronounced cuts in short term rates have been largely diluted or eliminated by offsetting reductions in consumer spending power.

If you’ve been following the news, you are likely familiar with the federal government’s 0-900 billion stimulus package designed to boost the economy by creating new jobs, providing mortgage assistance, educational grants, and a suite of other incentives.  A key part of this package is the first time home buyer stimulus program aimed at reviving the ailing housing market by assisting first time home buyers and buyers who haven’t purchased a home in the last three years.  The incentives for those qualifying under this program are such that even those previously opposed to buying a home in this market are now changing their minds.

The main reason the first time home buyer stimulus package is so attractive is that it directly addresses the concerns that most people have about buying a new home.  The first concern that most people have is how they will come up with the down payment.  After all, you must have a considerable sum of money saved away in order to come up with a ten percent down payment.  Thanks to the stimulus package, however, the federal government will help first time buyers by paying a percentage of the down payment.  In other words, you do not have to come up with the full amount on your own.  The second worry is the dreaded interest that accompanies monthly mortgage payments.  There is good news here as well as the federal government has cut interest rates.  Thirdly, those qualifying as first time home buyers can apply for refundable tax credit of ten percent of the purchase price of their homes (up to ,000) if they enter into a binding agreement by April 30th of next year.  This is practically money in your pocket which you do not have to pay back unless you decide to sell or move out of your home within the first three years.

With all these benefits, no wonder more and more people are getting exciting about buying a new home in these tough economic times.  These incentives will not last forever so if you have a steady source of income and are serious about owning your own home, now is the time to act.

This is incredible news from Fannie Mae

“News Release

January 28, 2010

Fannie Mae Announces 3.5 Percent Seller Assistance on HomePath® Properties

Incentive Part of Ongoing Effort to Stabilize Neighborhoods

WASHINGTON, DC — Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE) announced today that people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath® property will receive up to 3.5 percent of the final sales price to be used toward closing cost assistance or their choice of appliances. The offer is available to any owner-occupant who closes on the purchase of a property listed on HomePath.com before May 1, 2010.

“Attracting qualified buyers to the market and reducing the inventory of vacant homes is critical to stabilizing neighborhoods and helping the market recover. Many families are taking advantage of the federal homebuyer tax credit to buy a new home so this is a great time for Fannie Mae to offer some additional help,” said Terry Edwards, Executive Vice President of Credit Portfolio Management. “Homebuyers have the option to choose between financial assistance toward closing costs or new appliances for their home.”

Properties eligible for this incentive are listed on HomePath.com and most listings include detailed property descriptions, photographs, community and school information and more. In addition, many Fannie Mae-owned properties are eligible for special HomePath Mortgage and HomePath Renovation Mortgage financing which offers homebuyers an opportunity to purchase with as little as 3 percent down.

Fannie Mae exists to expand affordable housing and bring global capital to local communities in order to serve the U.S. housing market. Fannie Mae has a federal charter and operates in America’s secondary mortgage market to enhance the liquidity of the mortgage market by providing funds to mortgage bankers and other lenders so that they may lend to home buyers. Our job is to help those who house America. ”

Please go to www.HomePath.com for a list of qualified homes in your preferred area.  For more detailed information contact GA Loan Pro at 706-215-1894 or georgialoanpro@gmail.com.

Global warming and ever increasing population has led to the depletion of our non renewable source of energy. This has made us think about our future. Will there be any future generation? How will they survive? Countries are allotting a considerable part of their fund on the development of renewable source of energy. Solar energy is one such source of renewable energy. Solar Shingles is one form of energy considered to replace traditional fossil fuel power plants.

Solar Energy and Solar Shingles
Solar energy is basically the energy derived from the sun. The radiant heat and light from the sun is the main source of solar energy. Solar shingles which is also referred as photovoltaic shingles is a device that converts sunlight directly into electricity. This basically resembles traditional roofing shingles. There are different varieties of solar shingles now available in the market. This includes single sized solid panels, semi rigid design containing several silicon solar cells and thin film solar cells.

Installation, Importance and Use
A photovoltaic shingled roof is basically dark in color and therefore looks similar to other roofs. Older forms of Solar Shingles took lot of time to install. But newer forms like the thin film solar cells just take a few hours to install. There are some basic criteria to be taken into account before installing solar shingles. We need to find out whether the building has any sunlight obstructions and does it have sufficient space on the roof to install which may cater the electricity demand of your house.

Solar shingles can be installed either by you or by professionals. Even though you can install it yourself it is always advised to take professional help as it may help in completing the work quickly and nicely. The most inexpensive way to install solar shingles is to use the grid as the backup source of energy instead of a battery. Using battery as the backup storage is both expensive and adds complexity to the installation of the same.

Nowadays some builders are using solar shingles on their new projects, thus taking a step towards the concept of going green. Despite the early expenses that one has to incur at the time of installation, Solar Shingles gives us long term benefits. It drastically reduces our electricity bill and helps us to contribute something to our mother nature. Many countries have come out with legislations that gives tax rebates to those who makes use of renewable sources of energy. This helps in making people aware of the importance of renewable energy and motivates them to make it a part of their life

Solar energy or the energy that we receive from the sun is absolutely free and abundant. The only expense that we incur is when we convert sunlight into electricity. Life without electricity is unimaginable. Instead of depleting our fossil fuels for the production of electricity, we should make use of Solar Shingles. Thus, we welcome our next generation to a green and energy rich world.