Tankless Water Heaters do not use a storage tank, they heat water directly instead. For this reason, they avoid the standby heat losses associated with water heaters that do use a storage tank. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric Tankless Water Heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired Tankless Water Heater a gas burner heats the water. Therefore, Tankless Water Heaters provide a never ending supply of hot water. Tankless water heater are very convenient because you don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water. Usually, Tankless Water Heaters produce hot water at a rate of 2 – 5 gallons (7.6 – 15.2 liters) per minute. Most of the time, gas-fired Tankless Water Heaters will produce higher flow rates than electric Tankless Water Heaters. A few smaller Tankless Water Heaters, however, cannot provide enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in larger homes. For example, having the dishwasher running and taking a bath at the same time can make a Tankless Water Heater work to its limit. To solve this problem, you can install a “whole house” type Tankless Water Heater or install more than one Tankless Water Heaters, parallel connected for demands of hot water happening at the same time. You may also install separate Tankless Water Heaters for certain household appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwater—that use vast amount of hot water in your home.
Other popular uses for Tankless Water Heaters include the following:

• Outdoor sink
• Hot tubs
• To serve as a booster, eliminating long pipe runs, for solar water heating systems, dishwashers and sanitation.

For households that use less than 41 gallons of hot water, Tankless Water Heaters can be 24% – 34% more energy efficient than conventional water heaters that use a storage tank. They can be 8% – 14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water, roughly around 86 gallons of hot water per day. You can achieve an even bigger energy savings of 27% – 50% if you install a Tankless Water Heater to each hot water outlet.

Correct installation and regular check up and  maintenance of your Tankless Water Heater can optimize its energy efficiency.

Correct installation depends on many factors. Some major factors  are climate and local building code requirements. You should hire a qualified, licensed heating contractor install your Tankless Water Heater.

Make sure you do the following when looking for a good Portland Heating and Cooling Contractor:

• Ask for  cost estimates in writing
• Get references
• Check the company with your local Better Business Bureau
• Make sure the company will obtain a local permit, if necessary, and understands local building codes

Be sure you contractor first takes a look at  the manufacturer’s installation and instruction materials. Manufacturers most of the time provide the necessary installation and instruction manuals with the product. Your heating and cooling contractor should also contact your city for information about acquiring a permit, if necessary, and about local water heater installation codes.

Many Tankless Water Heaters have a common life span of more than 20 years. They also have easily replaceable parts that allow the tankless water heater to have a longer life span. In the other hand, storage water heaters only last about 10 – 15 years.

It is always a good idea to check your water heater manufacturer’s website or manual, for detailed warranty information.

Regular water heater maintenance can considerably prolong your Portland Tankless Water heater’s life and reduce loss of efficiency.

If you are in need of a Portland Tankless Water Heater please call Sunset Heating and Cooling at 503.234.0611.

Why is this Nest thermostat different than the rest in the market?

The Nest is really unlike any other thermostat in the market today. You just set it at whatever temperature is most comfortable for you via a very simple dial and color-screen interface and the device adapts to your schedule, just like that. Within a week, it starts tuning your home’s temperature on its own. The Nest also has several sensors that determine if you are in the house and active; if you’re not, then it will automatically switch to Auto-Away or the nighttime mode.

The Nest  has a proximity sensor, so its screen lights up only when you are near by—a clever energy saver. And when you do interact with the Nest thermometer, it gives you very useful and helpful feedback. For example, when you decide to adjust the system, it will estimate the required time to reach the specified temperature. The Nest can also be connected to your Wi-Fi router and can be accessed via a Web portal or on iOS and Android devices, so you can keep an eye on the temperature or change the temperature in your home from afar.

If you would like to read some reviews about this thermostat please click here

The Portland Nest thermostat specialist can help you install your brand new thermostat

Sunset Heating and Cooling specializes in Nest thermostats, so you can be confident that your new and beautiful thermostat will be installed only by qualified Portland Nest thermostat specialists, and your installation will be done with the highest quality available in town.

Simply give us a call at 503.234.0611 and a Portland Nest thermostat specialist will be on the way to install your brand new thermostat.

Making the best decision for you and your finances

When your air conditioning or heating system needs repair, the financial status of the problem become apparent. At a first glance, it seems a better option to replace the unit than to fix it, but how do you know when the time is right? There are various important factors to take into account:

• The expense of the repair versus the expense of replacing it with a new unit
• The time it will take you to recover the expense of the difference between repair and replacement due to energy savings.
• Whether the repair will allow the unit to keep running for a long time before it breaks down again, or if the repair will only extend the unit’s life for a short amount of time before it needs repair or replacement
• How well the unit will work after the unit has been repaired
• The pros and cons of replacing your old furnace with a new one
• The new unit features you will enjoy if you do decide to replace your furnace or air conditioning system
• The amount of time repair parts will be available for if you do decide to keep and repair your old furnace

The decision of repairing or replacing your furnace or air conditioning system requires asking the heating contractor in Portland, OR many more questions than just how much the new furnace or air conditioning system will cost.

Analyze pros and cons of replacing or repairing your old unit

When your old air conditioning or heating unit stops working properly, it’s time to decide if a repair or a replacement is needed. The heating contractor in Portland, OR may be able to complete a high quality repair that will get your furnace or air conditioning system up and working again for a long period of time. It will be very important also to make an assessment and ask yourself if the energy savings provided by the newer  Energy Star units will make the unit more affordable.
Asking a Portland Heating and Cooling contractor if your unit can be repaired is naturally the first question. Once the question is asked, there should be a deep conversation with the contractor about the condition of the existing unit, repair costs,and what the repair gains you over the long term.

The very last thing you would like to do would be to purchase an expensive new unit when your old system can provide you with many more years of high quality service. It is also very important to consider that you also don’t want to put a lot of money into repairs that will only last a short period of time or do not allow the unit to works at its best.

An honest heating contractor in Portland, OR will give you honest answers. That what you want…honest answers to serious questions!

If you are interested to know something more about Portland Heating and Cooling and heating contractor Portland, OR then please visit our website www.sunsethc.com

Well, a Portland NIST Thermometer is a  certified thermometer against standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The test certificate is issued with each calibrated temperature and corresponding correction factors to the nearest tenth of one scale division. The test number and identification number of the NIST standards are provided with all the pertinent information and test conditions.

Some of the functions of a certified Portland NIST Thermometer would be the following:

• Perform In-House Calibrations
• NIST-certified thermometers are used to verify and calibrate routinely used temperature equipment
• Certified at critical temperatures with correction factors

Sunset Heating and Cooling only uses Portland NIST-certfied thermometers for testing so you can be sure your reading is accurate and reliable.

Why is it importlant to use only Portland NIST Certfied Thermometers?

It can be expensive to get NIST certification, and products that are NIST certified can be several hundred dollars more than the exact same product without the certification. However, there are some advantages to hiring  a certified specialist. An NIST certified product is guaranteed to have been specially tested to ensure its accuracy. The NIST specifically designs the service of calibration to help achieve the highest possible level of measurement quality, accuracy and productivity for precision instruments.

There are some industries that must follow the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). There are also some organizations that voluntarily follow the requirements of the ISO so that they can claim their product is ISO compliant. This compliance is usually seen as an indication of an organizations excellence in service or quality. ISO requirements often demand that all testing equipment is NIST certified.

If you or anyone you know need a Portland NIST-Certified Thermometer Specialist please give Sunset Heating and Cooling a call at 503.234.0611.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

**VIDEO**

A seven-year-old Oregon City girl is getting national attention after health inspectors shut down her lemonade stand because she did not have a food handler’s license. It was either buy the $120 license, or face a $500 fine.

After hearing the story, Radio DJs Nelson and Terry from “The Buzz” organized an event to help Julie sell as much as possible, with the hopes of making her dream trip to Disneyland, a reality.

David Vernon, the owner of Sunset Heating & Cooling, saw an opportunity to help! As a very active member of the East Portland Rotary Club and the director of East Portland Rotary’s Fostering Kid’s Hope Program, donating to Julie and her lemonade stand was a no brainer! The office staff at Sunset contributed and David topped it off with a donation from Sunset Heating & Cooling.

Multnomah County has since personally apologized, and as of today, Julie has raised over $1,800!

Remember…anything unattempted is impossible – WAY TO GO JULIE!

Luckily there are a few new laws that are effective now, and next year, that will help protect your renters, your family, and yourself…

As of July 1, 2010, Oregon law requires on all new rental agreements; landlords must provide properly functioning carbon monoxide alarms for rental dwelling units with, or within a structure containing a carbon monoxide source.

As of April 1, 2011, there are a few new laws that will take effect:

• Landlords must provide properly functioning carbon monoxide alarms for all rental dwelling units with, or within a structure containing a carbon monoxide source.
• Home sellers of one-and two family dwellings, manufactured dwellings, or multifamily housing units containing a carbon monoxide source must have one or more properly functioning carbon monoxide alarms before conveying fee title or transferring possession of a dwelling.
• All new construction of one-and two family dwellings manufactured dwellings, or multifamily housing units containing a carbon monoxide source must have one or more properly functioning carbon monoxide alarms before conveying fee title or transferring possession of a dwelling.

The carbon monoxide alarm must be able to detect carbon monoxide, produce a distinctive audible alert when carbon monoxide is detected, and must comply with ANSI/UL 2034 or 2075 or other nationally recognized testing laboratory; it may be a separate stand alone unit or part of a detection and alarm system.

More than 15,000 people are treated annually in hospital emergency rooms for exposure to carbon monoxide, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. About 500 people a year die from carbon monoxide which makes it the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the country.

Initial symptoms are similar to the flu but without the fever:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Skin may turn bright red

Severe symptoms include:

• Mental confusion
• Vomiting
• Loss of muscular coordination
• Loss of consciousness
• Ultimately death

The first step is detection.

**VIDEO**

Let Sunset tune-up your furnace – properly tuned equipment can operate as much as 30% more efficient – and it’s a great way to save on energy costs and make your equipment last longer! Check out our specials and give us a call to schedule!

This graphic is a perfect example of running an efficient unit in your home. It clearly shows you that if you purchase an 80% efficient unit, only 80% is heating your home…and the other 20% is being exhausted. Whereas running a higher efficient unit, means that 98% is heating your home and only 2% is being exhausted. You are definitely getting more bang for your buck when you purchase a higher efficient unit – and there are still incentives available! Call Sunset today, and we would be happy to come out and give you a free estimate!