http://www.househacker.com/ househacker/tags/water announced that they were close to launching a Microwave based (instant) hot water heater, called the Vulcanus MK IV. There were a fair amount of stories on the net at the time, as it sounded like an interesting idea:

Powered by electricity and unaffected by the volatile gas markets, the Vulcanus MK4 can heat water from 35 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds and can source multiple applications at once: showers, dishwasher, sink usages and more. The Vulcanus MK4 is the size of a stereo speaker with a sleek modern look, making it ideal for condos and apartments, while powerful enough to serve the needs of any size family.

Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper ran the original story about the Vulcanus in November of 2005.

Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's now looking like the product is vaporware. The company's original website, Pulsar-at.com is now just some sort of placeholder site with faux content. The web address the company eventually moved to is also just a spamsite: Pulstech.com.

It's unlikely anyone is too shocked, given the delays and comments like this one from February of last year, where the Pulsar people told an email inquirer that they weren't planning on releasing the product at any point in the year, and this was about 14 months after the Globe and Mail ran the Vulcanus launch story in 2005.
]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Another-Update-on-the-Vulcanus-Microwave-Hot-Water-Heater Google, toilets account for anywhere between 20 to 40 percent of household water consumption. Given that we waste clean, otherwise drinkable water flushing our toilets, it should come as no surprise that many people harvest rainwater for toilets and other household purposes where potable water isn't necessary.

The author of this howto walks us through the setup of a rainwater-to-toilet system, while sharing his reasons for doing so:

While it doesn't come close to making up for our gas-guzzling, high-consuming lifestyles, rain harvesting does have a positive impact on our environment. Domestic potable water collection requires effort, energy, and chemicals for purification and transport...
Your house is an "impermeable surface". Rain would otherwise hit the ground where your house is and soak into the underground water table or enter a natural stream. Instead, rainfall from the roofs of many urban homes is tied into the sewer system. During periods of heavy rain, this storm surge from houses, parking lots, and streets into the sewer system can max out treatment capacity, causing raw sewage to flow out untreated into waterways. Harvesting some of this storm surge can reduce peak demands on our water treatment facilities.
Besides the more important environmental issues, most of us in urban areas pay for domestic potable water. I have calculated that each flush of the rainwater toilet (1.6 gallons) saves me just over 1 cent. Costing less than $100 to install, this system will pay for itself over the years.
Also, I have the satisfaction of a small level of self-sufficiency from an urban lifestyle otherwise dependant on society for survival.
The guide covers the details of rainwater collection, a formula for calculating your harvest potential, detailed pictures of the entire setup (including how to mesh the rainwater system to standard toilet plumbing via selector valve, enabling the toilet to run off of either system) as well as a breakdown of parts and costs for the project.

]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Harvest-Rain-Water-for-Toilet-Water
Sorry.

Hearthfalls manufactures interesting "fireplace waterfalls" that are unlike anything you may have seen before (less, of course, fireplaces and waterfalls). The concept is simple - a waterfall runs within a fireplace immediately in front of the flames to produce a visually interesting piece of art that also offers the soothing sounds of flowing water. Whether or not this will work for people is still to be determined, as the unique design is sure to dichotomize opinion, as any such departure from the traditional would.

Hearthfalls also offers some less expensive "Lightweight " units. The Lightweights are waterfalls made for retrofitting existing fireplaces.

Try to visualize one in your home with the company's interactive fireplace and room designer or just view the existing installations in the gallery here.]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Waterfall-Fireplaces-by-Hearthfalls Pulsar Advanced Technologies, the inventors of the Vulcanus MK4 (now apparently the "Mark 4")microwave based hot water heater, have updated their website, adding some details on the unit:

The Vulcanus Mark 4, is a state of the art microwave hot water delivery system for the 21st Century. It is a containment field otherwise known as a Faraday box, much like the ones used in your microwave oven at home. The unit size is 24x14x7.5 and weighs only 20lbs. It was designed to save on construction costs, as a boiler room is no longer necessary but was made esthetically appealing so that it could fit as a ?stand alone? fixture. Its compact size allows the Contractor, Plumber or Developer the versatility to place the unit as close or as distant to the water outlets as is desirable.

Also, some details from the gas to microwave comparison page:

Electricity used only when required

No storage tank

Can fit on wall or closet

Eliminates possible bacterial growth

Corrosion of elements - nil

Unlimited hot water

Gas infrastructure not required

20 year life span

Weight-20lbs

It looks the company will be showcasing the Mark 4 at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas in May, 2006.]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/More-Info-on-the-Vulcanus-MK4-Microwave-Hot-Water-Heater Doityourself.com has many useful step by step articles for home renovations and repairs, including this one on waterproofing your basement which may be useful to anyone with a leaky basement and looking to save some money by attempting to do the repairs themselves. The site also has a large, active forum with over 40,000 members.]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Basement-Waterproofing-Howto Quooker instant boiling water faucet, as well as the very interesting but not-yet-available Vulcanus MK4 microwave based hot water heater. There is also Chronomite Tankless, as well as Niagara Industries whole house tankless hot water heater. If you're browsing, Froogle produces no shortage.

With ever increasing energy costs, and given that traditional water heaters account for up to 20-30% of a homes energy use, tankless water heaters are becoming more attractive to homeowners.

The US Department of Energy has some information on tankless water heaters, including a section on whether the devices would work in your home. From the site:

For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24%?34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%?14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water?around 86 gallons per day. You can achieve even greater energy savings of 27%?50% if you install a demand water heater at each hot water outlet.

]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Many-Choices-of-Instant-On-Demand-Hot-Water-Heater-Units 03-29-2006 UPDATE: Please note that there appears to be a patent infringement dispute between PowerPipe and GFX Technology. See first comment below for more.
-Sean

The PowerPipe drain water heat recovery system is a unique product that uses the hot water flowing down the drain to preheat the cold water entering the hot water heater. From the site:

Power-PipeTM raises the temperature of incoming cold water by recycling free heat from waste water going down the drain. Approximately 80% to 90% of all hot water energy goes down the drain, allowing the Power-PipeTM to recycle as much as 60% of the wasted heat.

]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/PowerPipe-Drainwater-Heat-Recovery-System original post about the Vulcanus MK4 microwave based water heater, the Pulsar Advanced Technologies website found in the Globe and Mail article turned out to be a work in progress. It looks as though the Pulsar Advanced Technologies people have another website, found here. Website number two has some actual information on the Vulcanus MK4, including a FAQ and a tiny picture, seen here. Apparently PAT, as I call them, are developing two models:

To begin with, we have two models whose function is to deliver two temperatures to several points of use. The first model has the capabilities to go from 35F-140F within seconds and supply multiple outlets concurrently. That is to say that this base model can service a bath/shower, and all other household faucets endlessly. The second model is equally fluid, but through a secondary thermostat control will deliver water at a higher temperature to service dishwashers and washing machines along with the various bathroom and kitchen amenities.

Stay tuned... ]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Update-on-the-Vulcanus-MK4-Microwave-Water-Heater http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Uber-Sleek-Italian-Faucets instant hot water these days. According to Canada's Globe and Mail, a company called Pulsar Advanced Technologies is about to announce a product that uses microwave technology to instantly heat hot water. According to the article, the Vulcanus MK4 "can heat water from 35 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds and can source multiple applications at once: showers, dishwasher, sink usages and more. The Vulcanus MK4 is the size of a stereo speaker with a sleek modern look, making it ideal for condos and apartments, while powerful enough to serve the needs of any size family." This is exciting news for anyone tired of being at the mercy of natural gas prices, not to mention those just looking to reduce their energy footprint.]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/New-Microwave-Based-Water-Heater-Announced Quooker sells a nice looking product that produces instant boiling water, straight from the tap. The faucet draws the boiling water from an insulated tank mounted underneath the counter, where water is heated to 110°C. As the water flows from the faucet, it cools to 100°C. Quooker says that the unit's energy consumption is "next to nothing" in standby mode. I wonder if it would melt one of these.

Caution! The boiling water you are about to enjoy is hot...]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Instant-Boiling-Tap-Water http://www.househacker.com/permanent/DIY-Houseplant-Irrigation-System-for-45-Bucks