It may come across as hyperbole, to say “an inch may as well be a mile”, that is expected, yet it does serve its purpose for this newsletter. As it is the plumbing industry has redesigned the storage tank type water heaters, gas and electric. These tanks are now I to 2 inches higher, and wider. There is more insulation giving them a better energy rating, a good thing, until the new dimensions try to find their way into an old installation area. What? You may say… Can one inch make a difference?

             It certainly can, you see there are many condos and apartments that have such small areas provided for these tanks the new ones simply will not fit. It may seem improbable; however, it is a fact. It is as if they built the room around the installed tank! So what can be done if this is the case? The first course of action would be to downsize. As an example, go from a 40 to a 30 gallon tank; which may cause a delivery problem. Also there is a chance to abandon the storage tank type and install an “on demand” type (which is costly).

             As you can well see, that small little inch, at times, may as well be a mile!

                        Thanks, JJ