Most of the Mansfield toilets in service today utilize a unique flush tower design that many people just look at and cannot quite figure out how to work on. There are four basic designs but, all are very similar and just two easily identifiable seals are used on the model 208, 209, 210, and 211 flush valves. The Mansfield flush valves all are secured through the tank with a nut and rubber seal holding it in place. There is a horn shaped tower that has the bell of the horn on top of one of the two seals, the narrow part of the horn goes up above the water line and is held in place by a guide rod with a stop bumper on the top. The tank lever causes the toilet to flush by either going through a loop on the upper end of the horn or, a chain that runs from the bell end of the horn up to the handle. Ether way the tank lever lifts the horn up against the stop bumper, allowing water to flow under the bell end into the toilet bowl, causing the toilet to flush. After flushing, the horn drops back down in place with the bell again sealing against the base of the valve stopping the water flow into the bowl. While the tank is refilling a tube from the fill valve secured into the center of the stop bumper runs water down through the center of the horn into the bowl to refill the bowl to the proper level.

Identifying Which Mansfield Flush Valve Seal To Use

Identifying which seal is use is simple there are only two to pick from.

• Toilets that have the Mansfield 208 and 209 flush valves use a black rubber seal that secures to the bell und of the horn and the seal raise and lower with the horn when the toilet flushes. Toilets that use the Mansfield 208 and 209 flush valve use the Mansfield # 630-4837 flush valve seal but you may also use a Korky # 426BP flush valve seal. This seal snaps in place over the bell end of the horn similar to putting the lid on a Tupperware container.

• Toilets that have the Mansfield 210 and 211 flush valves use a rubber seal that is usually but not always red in color and secures in a groove located on the stationary base of the flush valve on the section that doesn’t move up and down with the horn when the toilet flushes. The bell end rises off the seal when the toilet flushes and comes back down on it on the completion of the flush. Toilets that use the Mansfield 210 and 211 flush valves use the Mansfield # 630-0030 flush valve seal but you may also use the Korky # 427BP flush valve seal.

Replacing Mansfield Flush Valve Seal

The replacement of the Mansfield flush valve seal is very similar on all four of the flush valve models. When replacing the black rubber flush valve seal I encourage you to wear latex or, nitrile gloves as the deteriorating black rubber will stain your hands badly and once it is removed I usually hold it in my palm and pull the glove off from the wrist bagging the old seal in the glove. Turn off the water supply to the toilet usually at the stop valve under the left side of the tank. Remove the tank lid and place it on the floor out of the way, placing the lid on the floor is something you should do to prevent the lid from getting broken. (Buying a replacement tank lid can be quite expensive costing up to $150 plus shipping.) Flush the toilet and verify the water is off, then pull the bowl refill tube out of the stop bumper on the on the top of the flush valve. Unscrew the stop bumper of the top of the flush tower and set the stop bumper aside. Raise the horn straight up off the guide rod, turning the loop off the tank lever as you raise it if that is type of valve you have. The chain type just lifts off and the chain does not have to be unfastened. Once the horn is off the procedure varies.

• If you have the Mansfield 208 or, 209 flush valve with the Mansfield # 630-4837 flush valve seal make sure you use gloves like I stated earlier. Peel the seal off the bottom of the horn and palm it while wrapping it in the glove as you take off the glove to avoid messes. Then take the new Mansfield # 630-4837 or, Korky # 426BP flush valve seal and place the tube in the center of the horn through the hole in the center of the flush valve seal while snapping the outside of it over the bell. Make sure that the seal is flat and not rippled anywhere or, cocked on the center hole. You are now ready for reassembly.

• If you have the Mansfield 210 or, 211 flush valve with the Mansfield # 630-0030 flush valve seal set the horn aside. The seal fits into a groove on the flush valve, simply grab the seal and pull it outwards stretching the seal out of the groove somewhat like undoing a button and remove the old seal. Take the new Mansfield # 630-0030 or, Korky # 427BP flush valve seal and place it in the thin upper groove on the flush valve working around the entire valve then stretch it getting it into the groove on the last section. Inspect it making sure it is in the upper thin groove all the way around. The seal is thin and probably rippled from not seating correctly. Take the seal and rotate it around in the seal and back and forth. The seal will seat properly and rest flat. You are now ready for reassembly.

Reassembly of the Mansfield Flush Valve

Place the horn bell end down over the guide rod sliding it down into the position rotating the tank lever into the loop as you guide it down if that is the type you have. Lower the horn to the closed position, then screw the stop bumper back on. Place the bowl refill tube all the way back into the center of the stop bumper. You are now ready to turn the water supply back on and test the operation of the toilet. Your Mansfield toilet should flush properly and not leak water from the tank into the bowl. Replace to tank lid and cleanup you have replaced the flush valve seal.

The Kohler Ingenium is Kohler’s fancy wording for a completely normal flushing system that uses a regular sized flapper and a float to suspend the flapper allowing it to close when 1.6 gallons of water has been delivered from the tank to the bowl. The flapper you will find can either be a hard plastic with a softer rubber seal on the underside or, a molded rubber flapper. In either case the flapper is secured in place by snapping the plastic flapper hinges in place over two hooks on the flush valve or, with the molded rubber flapper placing the hinge loops over the two hooks on the flush valve. The chain then runs up to the flush lever where it is held in place with a clip. The float on the chain is adjustable with a lock on the top and bottom of the float. The height of the float on the chain controls the closing of the flapper, by holding it open until the water level in the tank allows the flapper to close. I commonly flush the toilet then mark the tank at the water level where the flapper closes. This allows me to adjust the new flapper to match the original setting. Of course if there are flushing issues such as a poor flush I would add water to the flush or, if there was a double flush I would take water away from the flush.

The Kohler Ingenium Flushing System is used on many Kohler toilets such as the Folio, Couture, Wellworth, Highline, Memoirs, Serif, Devonshire, Pinoir, Kathryn, Leighton, and Portrait toilet models depending on when they were manufactured. Kohler has been upgrading the flush system used on some of these models.

Flapper Replacement Options

The options for the replacement of either the hard plastic flapper (Kohler P/N 1006958) or the molded rubber flapper (Kohler P/N 85160) is now limited to Kohler P/N 85160 when it comes to OEM parts. Korky has two options, which can be used as replacement flappers on the Kohler Ingenium flushing system toilets.

• The Korky P/N 2004BP flapper with its adjustable float is a close match that works well in many cases. To use the 2004BP flapper you must cut off the ring and use only the hinge loops to hold the flapper in place. If you use both the ring and the hinge loops the flapper will not stay open and you will have to hold the handle to allow the toilet to flush. You must also slide the float up or down the chain until the proper amount of water is used to flush the toilet.
• The Korky P/N 16BP flapper is the one I prefer best in this application. The Korky 16BP has a hard plastic cone on the underside of the flap with holes in the bottom and on the side of the cone. This hard plastic cone rotates and the positioning of the hole on the side of the cone controls the rate at which the cone fills with water and allows the flapper to close. When it is positioned to the side it closes slower and when it is positioned to the front it closes faster. My reason for liking the Korky 16BP over the 2004BP is that the float tends to ad buoyancy to the flapper and in my opinion the Korky 16BP closes harder and seals better.

A common problem that many toilets using the Ingenium Flushing System have is the rubber gasket under the flush valve deteriorates. The gasket probably from a reaction with chemicals used to sanitize the water ripples and in some cases may raise enough that it prevents the flapper from sealing properly against the flush valve. This may allow water to leak slowly into the bowl causing what we plumbers refer to as a “Ghost Flush” where the fill valve turns on periodically to refill the tank without anyone using the toilet. In many cases the rippling of the flush valves rubber gasket can be trimmed away with a razor knife allowing the flapper to close and seal properly. In the worst cases the gasket may need to be replaced. Replacing the gasket is a much larger job that requires the tank to be removed from the bowl and the replacement of other parts as well.

Replacing the flapper on your Kohler Toilet with the Ingenium Flushing System is a quick and easy task that can often save 200 gallons of water per day when your toilet has a leaking flapper.

In the past waste systems that could not drain by gravity were limited to ejector pits where the installation involved cutting the concrete floor, installing and ejector pit and pump in the ground below the floor and trenching the associated drain pipes below the floor to the pit. The ejector pit and pump remains the most desirable method and provides the highest value but there are many circumstances where tanks below grade become to expensive or risky to install such as high groundwater where compromising the floor makes a flooding risk or, ledge below the foundation makes excavation for a pit impossible or, expensive.

Several manufacturers offered systems with a plastic tank and pump that could be mounted on top of the floor without breaking open the concrete. An example of this type system would be the Zoeller Qwik Jon models 100, 101, & 102 and the Liberty LowPro41LP system. With this type of system a standard toilet is mounted on the top of the tank with a raised floor framed with 2 X 6’s for the toilet and any tub or shower installed to allow drainage to the tank. Many people objected to this step up bathroom or, did not have the necessary ceiling height in a basement for this type of installation.

The introduction of macerating toilets and pump systems removed the requirement for the entire bathroom floor to be raised. However, standard toilets could no longer be used, as the systems were developed to use proprietary rear outlet toilets to mate to the tank and macerating pump. Early systems had a tank that mounted behind the toilet, between the toilet and the wall, with later tanks that could be mounted inside or behind a wall. With the macerating toilet and pump systems the installation of a shower or, tub would still require a raised floor of at least 2 X 6’s to allow the drain piping for the shower or, tub. In a macerating pump blades are used to chop up solid waste such as toilet paper and feces to liquefy the waste being discharged. This macerating process or, liquefying allows waste to be discharge through a discharge pipe as small as ¾” diameter. These pumps are actually quite powerful in terms of pumping capability and some can lift in the area of 20’ and have a horizontal discharge run in the area of 150’, you should check the specifications for the unit you are considering.

SaniFlo was one of the earliest to offer the macerating toilet and pump system and they offer three options for a half bath with a toilet and lavatory sink. The have the SaniTop, which is a pump mounted directly behind a toilet and has three toilets that can be used with it. The SaniCompact is a floor mounted toilet that flushes entirely using 1.1 gallons per flush with the pump enclosed in the toilet base and a lavatory sink can drain to the toilet. The SaniStar is a wall mount toilet that operates like the SaniCompact.

SaniFlo offers three units, which can handle a full bath with a raised tub or, shower. The SaniBest and SaniPlus are very similar in that they can mount either directly behind the toilet or, on the other side of the wall when an extension tube from the toilet is used. The SaniPlus offers a higher capacity pump, which can handle the flows from a washing machine. The SaniBest and SaniPlus also must be used with one of three SaniFlo toilets. The SaniPack Is similar but is mounted inside the wall cavity and uses a standard wall mounted toilet plumbed to the tank. SaniFlo also offers the SaniGrind system which can be used with a conventional floor mounted toilet but requires the toilet to be mounted on a minimum of a 2 X 6 framed raised floor.

Zoeller recently entered the Macerating toilet and pump system manufacturers when they introduced the Zoeller Qwik Jon Ultima model 202 & 203. The Zoeller Qwik Jon Ultima model 202 can be installed either free standing behind the toilet or, in the wall behind the toilet. The Ultima 202 uses a rear discharge toilet supplied by Zoeller as part of the kit. The Zoeller Qwik Jon Ultima model 203 is essentially the same as the 202 and does not come with the toilet but uses a rear discharge toilet, which is available from some toilet manufacturers. The Zoeller Qwik Jon Ultima can also be used to drain a lavatory sink and tub or, shower but the tub or, shower would have to be raised to accommodate the drain.

Liberty Pumps also recently entered the Macerating toilet and pump system manufacturers when they introduced the Liberty Ascent Macerating Toilet System. The tank and pump for the Liberty Ascent model ASC-1 can be mounted free standing behind the toilet or, behind the wall when used with the extension tube. Liberty has one toilet, comprised of the model ASC-2 tank and the ASC-3 bowl available in elongated white only, which can be used with the system. The Liberty Ascent model ASC-1 can also provide drainage for the lavatory sink and a tub or, shower with the shower being on a raised platform to accommodate the drain.

While gravity drainage from a bathroom offers the lowest cost and highest reliability, and most cases being required by code if at all possible. The Macerating Toilet system are an excellent choice for a bathroom requiring pumping up to a drain when you do not want to break the concrete slab to install piping and an ejector pit.

When getting ready for the heating season you should inspect the EdenPure Heater to make sure that it is ready for use. Make sure that the EdenPure Heater hasn’t been damaged while being stored in the off-season. Inspect the power cord and plug making sure that if hasn’t been damaged and is ready for use. Check the cabinet and control panel for and signs of damage. Make sure the remote control has fresh batteries installed and ready for use. Finally plug in the heater and test its operation and all the control settings for proper operation.

It is very important that you perform these checks early enough that you have time for needed repairs to be done before you need the heater to heat your home. If you are handy and want to make repairs on the EdenPure Heater yourself you can simply buy the parts you need through the EdenPure Heater Store. They sell all the commonly needed parts such as sets of bulbs, fans, and sensors.

If you are not the repair it yourself type you can always send it in to the EdenPure Heater Store for service. The EdenPure Heater Repair Facility is located at Affordable Heat, LLC. Service Center 1139 Treat St. Adrian, MI. 49221 just north of Rt. 223. They have several different repair options available for you to choose from.

• The lowest cost repair has a charge of $64.95 for labor, shipping & handling, and upon receiving the unit the EdenPure Store will call you with the parts prices your unit needs for authorization before proceeding. After repairs are completed the EdenPure Heater will be returned to you with a 30-Day Warranty.
• The next level of service goes for $119.95, which includes labor, shipping & handling, all expired parts, and a 90-Day Warranty.
• The highest level of service is the “Complete Revamp Option” goes for $199.95 and they will replace all the parts including a heat sensor, complete set of bulbs, thermostat sensor, fan, fan sensor, control board, filter, and transformer. This will ensure that your EdenPure Heater is “Like New.”
• Of course if your EdenPure Heater is under Warranty you should follow the instructions for your Warranty repairs.

Once your EdenPure Heater has been checked out for proper operation and safe condition you are ready to set up and use the heater. Even though the outside of the EdenPure Heater is cool and won’t burn you the heater should be set up where the air is free to circulate for maximum effectiveness. The EdenPure Heater should also be set up out of the normal traffic patterns in the room to eliminate possible tripping hazards. Make sure that the power cord is routed where the cord will not present a tripping hazard and the cord is not likely to be damaged. Never route the cord through doorways, or under rugs. If you use an extension cord make sure the extension cord has a sufficient gauge for the load of the EdenPure Heater to prevent the cord from overheating and causing a fire. Whenever space heaters are used people should make sure they are used in a safe manner to avoid the possibility of serious injury and even death that could result from unsafe use.

You can’t be blamed in most cases for thinking the water heater has frozen but it probably hasn’t. In most cases just a pipe leading in or out of the water heater will be the problem and not the heater itself. The heater will have heat supplied either by its burner or, elements, which will prevent the tank from freezing. Even if the water heater stopped heating it would take quite a while for the insulated tank to cool down enough to freeze. It might happen after a long power outage or, if the house was vacated in the winter and the utilities were shut off without the home being properly winterized.

While either the pipe going in or, out of the water heater may freeze, especially if it is exposed to a cold draft many times the lines containing heated water may freeze before lines right along side them carrying cold water. This phenomenon is known as the “Mpemba Effect” which was discovered by a Tanzanian high school student Erasto Mpemba in 1963.

When troubleshooting a frozen water heater you will need to trace the pipes in and out of the water heater until you locate the area where it has frozen. Once you locate the frozen area apply heat carefully using a space heater, hair dryer or, heat gun, with a faucet open until the water starts to run again. When water freezes it expands which depending on where it freezes and in what order it freezes can exert a force in the area of 40,000-psi which can split virtually any material used in plumbing if it cannot expand enough to absorb that force without breaking. It is critical that you take action at the first sign of a frozen pipe to have a chance at avoiding damage.

Some of the things you should do when attempting to thaw frozen pipes is to turn up the heat. Many people may have thermostats set at a reduced setting to save energy, or, may have unused rooms turned down low to save energy. When you have frozen pipes it is time to turn up the heat in an effort to get the pipes warm and thawed. Open up areas where pipes run so the heat can get to them. If you have pipes in storerooms, closets, and cabinets, open the doors so the heat can get in there. If you have metal pipes you may be able to find a plumber that has an electric pipe-thawing machine. Electric pipe-thawing machines send a low voltage, high amperage electric current through the metal pipe, which can rapidly thaw the pipe. You don’t even need to know where it is frozen, all you need to do is clamp the cables on the pipe with the frozen spot between the clamps.

Once the pipes have been thawed and the water is flowing again you need to check carefully to make sure that none of the pipes have burst from the freezing and are now leaking. The pipes will not leak while they are frozen but as soon as they thaw will immediately leak if they have burst. Make sure that you know where to shut the water off to stop the flow beforehand.

After successfully thawing the pipes you will want to ensure that the pipes will not freeze again. The best solution really depends on the specifics of where the pipe froze. Sometimes blocking the path of the draft, and insulating will prevent future problems. Other times insulating the pipes will delay the effects of cold from reaching the pipes long enough that they will not freeze. Often electric heat tape such as Frostex can be installed which will keep the pipe warm enough to prevent freezing again.

A frozen water heater is something you want to avoid at any cost but it will only happen in a sustained outage with no heat and no energy supplied to the water heater. If you are experiencing an outage and a sufficient amount of time has gone by that the water heater is in danger of freezing you should shut of the electric and or, gas to the water heater and drain the water heater to prevent the tank from rupturing from the expansion of the water freezing. You should be able to drain the tank by shutting off the water supply to the water heater, opening the drain valve at the bottom of the tank, and then opening a hot faucet or the T&P valve to allow air to enter the tank so the water can flow out of the tank. This down and dirty draining of the water heater will save the water heater but you probably still face damage to the pipes from the effects of freezing. Having the water shut off to the home and opening everything up will possibly save some things from the effects of freezing. In an outage caused by a blizzard or, ice storm there is little chance of a proper winterization being done.

When a property is going to be vacated through the winter season and the utilities are being cut off the best option is to make sure that the property is winterized before the cold season or, as soon as it is vacated before the utilities are cut off. Weatherizing is not a precise science with a home that has not been designed for weatherizing such as a seasonal home. Even weatherized there still may be freeze damage but it should be less then it would be if weatherizing were not done. If you have allowed a frozen water heater to occur the best thing you can do is disconnect the water heater and get it outside before it thaws. This will prevent the ice from thawing in the home and leaking out of a ruptured water heater. There is no way a water heater can freeze and be used to produce hot water again.

The American Water Heaters heat pump water heater uses a heat pump system that is very much like a refrigerator running in reverse to heat the water. The heat pump does not make heat, but instead takes heat from the ambient air in the room and pumps it into the water in the tank. The heat pump’s compressor uses only 850-watts to operate yet can transfer over three times the amount of heat into the water that the 850-watts of energy could make using resistance heating. The heat pump can also aid in cooling and dehumidification of the air in the room in addition to heating the water.

The American Water Heaters residential hybrid electric heat pump model HPE10280H045DV has an 80-gallon tank and has three standard modes of operation.

• The Efficiency Mode uses just the heat pump to heat the water yet if the ambient air temperature or, water temperatures are outside the optimum range for the heat pump will revert to using the resistance heating elements for water heating. In the Efficiency Mode the Energy Factor is 2.3 and a First Hour Delivery of 70-gallons is provided.
• The Hybrid Mode uses a combination of the heat pump and resistance elements heating the water to provide the most economical heating while meeting your needs. In the Hybrid Mode the Energy Factor is 2.3 and the First Hour Delivery is 84-gallons.
• The Standard Mode uses just the resistance elements to heat the water functioning as an ordinary electric water heater and is the least efficient mode of operation.  In the Standard Mode the Energy Factor is .85 and the First Hour Delivery is 76-gallons.

The American HPE10280H045DV has a 4500-watt upper and 2000-watt lower element made of corrosion resistant Incoloy to provide resistance heating when conditions are not optimum for the heat pump or, water usage is higher than the heat pump can meet or, when Standard Mode is selected. There is also a function where you can program a vacation on the control panel. The vacation setting will maintain a 60-degree temperature in the water heater to prevent freeze damage.

The American Water Heaters residential hybrid electric heat pump water heater is an 80-gallon tank that measures 24.5” wide and is 81.5” high, tipping the scales at 410 lbs. The water heater requires a minimum of 240-volts single phase, and a circuit breaker of 25-amps. to provide electrical power for operation. Also required is a minimum room size of 750 cu. ft. for operation of the heat pump, and a condensate drain. The residential hybrid electric heat pump model HPE10280H045DV comes with an electric powered anode to help prevent corrosion of the tank, T&P valve, 2” non-CFC foam insulation, and a brass drain valve. The water heater is also provided with a 10-Year Limited Tank and a 10-Year Limited Parts Warranty

The American Water Heaters Residential Hybrid Electric Heat Pump model HPE10280H045DV has a 3.1 Coefficient of Performance (COP) which makes the unit energy star compliant. This makes people who purchase and install the unit eligible for rebates under the appliance stimulus program, many state rebate programs, and utility rebate programs. A 30% Income Tax Credit up to $1500 is also available for people who purchase and install this water heater.

Hi Redwood,

I have a Sears Bathtub Faucet and I need to repair it. It’s been in there since 1967 and Sears told me they no longer make anything I have in the plumbing of this house. I have attached a picture and the parts diagram.

I can’t get the valve unit assembly out to replace the back O-Rings, part #’s S2497 and S2498 in the parts diagram. I pulled the handles, unscrewed the cap but I am afraid to force the assembly out. It appears to have a notch at the bottom and top of the #15105 housing where the valve unit fits. Should the assembly just pull straight out or is there a tool. My outside shower unit just pulls straight out not sure if this one does because I’m afraid to force it.

If I decide to replace everything with a newer unit can I still use the same housing? Everything is in rough shape.

If you can recommend a replacement and give me advice on getting it out I’d appreciate it.

Thank You,

Roger H.

Answer:

Hi,

Unfortunately the picture of the valve you sent was of too poor a quality to be sure of anything. To me it appears as though the #S2493 cap has not been removed yet, if that is the case it should unscrew and come off allowing the stem to pull straight out. The notch that I see in the picture looks like it is for a spanner socket to be used for unscrewing the cap. I for one do not have such a spanner socket in my tool kit and probably would not bother to buy one. I would simply grasp it with a good pair of curved jaw vice grips on the front section of the cap. The reason I say front section is that further back you would run the risk of squeezing it and the threaded portion of the #15106 body into an egg shape ruining it.

Once you manage to get the stem out you will face another obstacle and that is finding the replacement parts you need. As you noted Sears no longer supports this item but that does not mean it’s the end of getting parts. Sears does not make their own faucets, they buy them from other manufacturers and have their brand label on them. Unfortunately many of them were obscure manufacturers such as Milwaukee Faucet, Federal Huber, Universal Rundle, Elkay, and Bradley some of which no longer exist. You may be able to take the stem you pull out and match it to pictures of stems on on-line faucet parts suppliers such as New York Replacement Parts Corp. or, Alfano Plumbing Parts to find what you need.

You indicate that the trim parts are in bad condition and I doubt that you would be able to find any replacement parts for those items. The trim parts are not generic and only trim parts made specifically for your valve would work. In addition many times in a home there are no shut off valves that isolate just the tub so unless you are able to reassemble this valve and turn the water back on you home will be without water until the parts arrive if they ever do.

What I recommend is simply replacing the valve and staying mainstream with your selection to avoid parts procurement problems in the future. Moen Posi-Temp and the Delta R-10000 valves are a couple of excellent choices that are very popular and parts availability are ensured for long into the future. They also offer pressure balancing, which will ensure that your water temperature remains constant even when the water is used elsewhere in the home. Because your valve is relatively small in size you may even be able to install the new valve and have the trim plate of the new valve cover the existing hole. If the new valve’s trim is not able to completely cover the hole in the wall a Smitty Plate or, “Goof Plate” as they are sometimes called can be used. Most of the time I am able to open a wall on the opposite side of the tub wall and replace the valve from the backside without cutting the tile walls surrounding the tub. Many times it turns out bathroom closet is there.

Whether or not you can do the valve replacement I cannot say. I do not know what your plumbing skills are involving the sweating of copper pipe. The valve will be inside the wall and access will be difficult. The valve will have to be set square and plumb at a fairly precise depth so the trim and knobs will install and operate properly. It is not an easy job for the novice DIYer to take on.

I hope this adequately answers your questions,

Redwood

The State Premier Hybrid Electric Water Heater model EPX-80DHPT has two ways of heating water built into it. The heat pump uses a reverse refrigeration process pulling room air through the evaporator coil drawing heat from the air in the room then sends the R-134a refrigerant into a coil surrounding the tank of the water to dissipate the heat from the refrigerant into the water in the tank heating it for your domestic hot water use. This process only uses a compressor which draws 850-watts to operate. Since heat is not being made but is only being transferred the process has an energy factor of 2.3 and a coefficient of performance of 3.1. The State EPX-80DHPT also has two resistance heating elements for providing heat when the heat pump cannot operate because of improper ambient temperatures or, a large amount of water is drawn and additional capacity is required. The upper element is a 4500-watt incoloy element and the lower element is a 200-watt incoloy element. Incoloy is a metal, which has proven resistance to corrosion and should prove to be a ling lasting element.

The State Premier Hybrid Electric Water Heater model EPX-80DHPT has three operating modes for the user to choose from. The Efficiency Mode is the most efficient and utilizes only the heat pump for heating the water in the tank. If the ambient air temperature goes outside of the efficient operating range for the heat pump the unit will switch over to heating with the resistance heating elements to provide your hot water needs. The Hybrid Mode will utilize both the heat pump and resistance elements to make hot water and the usage of each will be determined by the unit to provide the highest economy while meeting the demand for domestic hot water. The Electric Mode is the least efficient mode of operation and in this mode the water heater operates like a standard water heater with the resistance elements providing all the heating.

The State Premier Hybrid Electric Water Heater model EPX-80DHPT was a user-friendly LCD display where temperature, operating mode, status, and error messages are displayed with back-lighted buttons underneath where the user can select operating modes, temperatures and also a vacation setting where you can preset the dates of your vacation and the unit will only heat to prevent freeze damage yet turn back on and come up to temperature one day before you return from your vacation. The State EPX-80DHPT has an 80-gallon tank with a factory installed T&P valve, brass drain valve, 2” non-CFC foam insulation, and a powered anode rod to provide corrosion protection. The EPX-80DHPT is 81½” high and 25½” wide weighing in at 410 lbs. The EPX-80DHPT provides a first hour delivery of 70 gallons in efficiency mode with an EF of 2.3, 84 gallons in hybrid mode with an EF of 2.3, and 76 gallons in electric mode with an EF of .85. The State EPX-80DHPT because it cools the ambient air passing through it also will generate condensate from cooling the air and provides dehumidification so it requires a drain for condensate. Maintenance is simple with only the evaporator air filter requiring cleaning similar to cleaning the filter on a room air conditioner. The EPX-80DHPT requires a minimum of 1,000 cu ft of air space for sufficient air volume for operation in the heat pump mode.

The State Premier Hybrid Electric Water Heater model EPX-80DHPT is among some of the most efficient water heaters available and according to State Water Heaters can save the average family about $360 per year on their water heating energy costs. This translates to a savings of about $4200 over the expected 12-year service life of the State EPX-80DHPT. Because of this great savings potential the Federal Government offers an Income Tax Credit of 30% of the cost to purchase and install a heat pump water heater up to a maximum of $1500. Also many states and utility companies are offering rebates and other incentives, which can greatly offset the cost of purchase and installation starting your payback much sooner.

The State Premier Hybrid Electric Water Heater model EPX-80DHPT is provided by State Water Heaters with a 10-Year Warranty.

A few years ago running a dishwasher line was a far more difficult task where you had to pick up 3/8” copper tubing, and compression fittings, and then carefully straighten it out taking care not to kink the tubing. If the tubing were to kink the entire line would be no good, as it would end up leaking at the kink. Not long ago braided stainless steel supply lines became widely available and they are by far the best way to connect dishwashers available. They are available in varying lengths and some even come with a variety of adapters for making connections to the solenoid valve on the dishwasher. If you have a 3/8” compression connection already installed on the dishwasher you will not need these adapters but in some cases new dishwashers do not have the adapter installed in which case you will need them. If you do need to install an adapter the ones that use pipe thread, which is a connection that doesn’t seal with a rubber washer will require the use of Teflon tape and Teflon paste on the threaded connection to seal it and prevent leaks.

If there is not a an existing stop valve you will need to shut off the water to your home, Cut the hot supply, and install a tee and a stop valve. Depending on the pipe material there are many options some of them requiring virtually no plumbing skills such as SharkBite tees and valves or, Sioux Chief’s Add-A-Line Full Slip Valve Tee.

Selection of the stainless steel braided connector is pretty easy just measure to make sure that you are buying one long enough to reach. If you require a longer length you can join two together by buying a 3/8” compression union and discard the nuts and ferrules. I advise against using the Watts FloodSafe supply lines but the Watts Quick’N Easy are okay. The Watts FloodSafe supply lines have a valve which is supposed to close preventing floods when the stainless braided hoses burst but has proven to be prone to nuisance trips and some have had connection failures.

To install the dishwasher supply line with the kick plate removed from the bottom of the dishwasher simply feed the supply line through a hole in the side of the cabinet in the rear corner under the sink into the space under the dishwasher. I like to take the new line with the curve of the coil from being rolled up, so the line is directed to the front of the dishwasher and push it through this usually gets the line under the dishwasher where you can reach it. Pull the line to the front left corner of the dishwasher where the inlet valve is located and connect it to the 3/8” compression connection and tighten with the adjustable wrench. No Teflon tape or, paste is needed on this connection because there is a rubber seal in the connector that provides all the sealing needed. After connecting the dishwasher end move back under the sink and route the dishwasher line across the back of the sink cabinet and connect the other to the extra stop valve on the hot supply line leading up to the sink faucet. Again tighten this with the adjustable wrench and no Teflon tape or paste is needed. You are now ready to turn on the valve and check the connections at each end for leaks. Once you are sure that neither connection is leaking you can use the screwdriver to install the dishwasher kick plate and the dishwasher is ready for use.

The Rheem RTG-74DVN Direct Vent Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater is a compact design that measures 25 3/3” high X 14 7/8” wide X 11 1/8” deep and weighs about 55 lbs. The RTG-74DVN meets the stringent SCAQMD rule 1121 requirements for Low NOx emissions. The electronic controls are intelligent controls, which increase efficiency while monitoring safety. The controls also feature self-diagnostics and will display maintenance codes along with temperature settings on the digital display of the remote control panel. There are two remote control panels available for the RTG-74DVN tankless unit, the USC1-117, which is provided with the unit can be set up to 120-degrees F, and the USC-117, which is optional and can be set up to 140-degrees F. The RTG-74DVN has an oxygen depletion sensor, and a film wrap overheat limiter for extra safety. The RTG-74DVN uses category III stainless steel vents for combustion air and exhaust with a built in electric blower, a RTG20002B vent adapter is required for installation. The unit is provided with a power cord and has freeze protection to –30 degrees F. The RTG-74DVN can be linked with another unit using the EZ-Link cable to double the hot water production.

The RTG-74DVN hot water production varies depending on the incoming water temperatures and can produce 7.4 gallons per minute at a 45-degree F temperature rise, 6.7-gpm at 50 degrees F, 5.6-gpm at 60 degrees F, 4.8 at 70 degrees F, 4.2-gpm at 80 degrees F and 3.7-gpm at 90 degrees F. The RTG-74DVN has an energy factor of .82. When the Rheem RTG-74DVN Direct Vent Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater is installed above 3,280’ above sea level a high altitude chips are required that allow operation from 3,280’ – 6,560’ and 6,560’ – 9,840’ elevation.

Rheem RTG-74DVN Direct Vent Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater is provided with a 3-Year Limited Parts Warranty on the entire unit and a 10-Year Limited Warranty on the Heat Exchanger.