Where do I share them? Upload in the Photos section of your Home Profile. Or attach them to an email reply (use "high resolution" or "full size" if given a choice).
- Electrical panel
- Water heater
- Furnace
- Air conditioner or heat pump
- Cooking appliances (stove, oven, etc.)
- Clothes dryer
- Atypical loads/equipment: solar, whole-home battery, pool heater, etc.
- Wider shots showing equipment and the surrounding area provide us more information to work with. Take a step back (literally) and show us the full picture.
- It's not a photography contest, but that doesn't mean you can get away with potato-quality pictures. Blurry = bad. Especially when it comes to small print. (model numbers, serial numbers, electrical details, etc.). Take high resolution, in-focus pictures.
Your main electrical panel is the metal box with circuit breakers inside it. If you have multiple electrical panels, please take photos of all of them.
-
-
Wide-angle: show the panel and surrounding area.
- Close-up #1: show all circuit breakers!
-
-
-
Close-up #2: show the labels that show what each breaker controls. It might be handwritten beside each breaker, or it might be a master list on the inside of the metal door. Double-check to make sure the picture is in-focus, so you can read each label.
-
Close-up #3: show the "service disconnect" or "main disconnect" breaker and then number on that switch (often 100, 125, or 200). In a multi-unit building, you may need to lift/remove a little black cover to take a photo of the main disconnect breaker behind it.
-
SAFETY NOTICE: every electrical panel should have a "dead front" panel that covers wires to protect against accidental electrocution. You can safely swing-open the access door.
Do not remove any panel that expose underlying wires or connections.
.png?width=360&height=269&name=Untitled%20(1).png)
2. Water Heater - 3+ photos
Your water heater (tank or tankless) makes hot water for sinks, showers, and laundry. It's often located in a closet or utility room near the furnace.
-
-
Wide-angle: show the water heater and surrounding area.
-
-
-
Close-up: show the pipes, vents, and connections at the top of the water heater.
- Nameplate sticker: take a picture of the sticker that includes the manufacturer name, model, serial number, and size/capacity. It's usually on the side of the equipment. Note: the nameplate sticker is not the yellow EnerGuide sticker.
-
Measurements! Is your water heater stuffed in a small closet? Well, not every type of replacement water heater will fit, so the size of the closet matters.
Take measurements (width, depth, and height) to show how much space is available. We don't need pictures, but send us measurements!
.jpeg?width=360&height=480&name=image0%20(7).jpeg)
3. Furnace - 2 photos
The furnace heats the house by pushing warm air through ductwork. Not every house has a central ducted furnace, but you'll have a heating system of some kind. If you have a boiler or baseboards, take similar photos to show how your house is heated.-
-
Wide-angle: show the furnace, ductwork, and surrounding area.
- Nameplate sticker: take a picture of the sticker that includes the manufacturer name, model, serial number, and size/capacity. The sticker is usually inside the equipment (on the inside of the front cover, or on the floor/side on the inside of the cabinet). You'll need to remove the front-cover to access it. Note: the nameplate sticker is not the yellow EnerGuide sticker.
-
4. Air conditioner or heat pump - 2 photos
A central AC includes an outdoor unit and an indoor coil (in the ductwork above the furnace). If that describes your system, take pictures of the outdoor box to prove it!-
-
Wide-angle: show the outdoor unit and surrounding area.
- Nameplate sticker: take a picture of the sticker that includes the manufacturer name, model, serial number, and size/capacity. The sticker will be on the side of the equipment. Note: the nameplate sticker is not the yellow EnerGuide sticker.
-
NOTE: if you have a ductless AC or heat pump, take a picture of the indoor unit and its nameplate sticker. Remember, we only know what you tell us!
5. Cooking (stove, oven, etc.) - 2 photos
The kitchen is the heart of the home. And electric kitchens are healthier and easier to clean. Let's take a look at your current setup!
-
-
Wide-angle: to show where you cook (i.e. a picture of your stove, oven, cooktop, wood stove, or Easy-Bake oven.).
- Nameplate photo: look for the nameplate sticker on your oven that includes the manufacturer, model number, etc. It's usually on the inside of the oven door.
-
6. Laundry (Dryer) - 2 photos
This one's simple. The most important thing to confirm is whether your dryer is gas or electric.
-
- Wide-angle: shot showing your washer and dryer
- Close-up or nameplate sticker: if you can find the nameplate sticker that lists the manufacturer and model number, that's perfect! If not, take a picture behind the unit to show how it's connected. Specifically, we're looking for exhaust to confirm it's gas-heated, or a 240V connection to confirm it's electric.
.jpeg?width=360&height=480&name=Laundry%20room%20-%20washer%20and%20dryer%20view%20(1).jpeg)
7. Atypical Loads and "Other" Equipment
-
This is the "what else do you want us to know?" bucket. Is there any special or different about your house? What's in your house that we haven't covered?
Here's a list of common "other" things:- Gas pool heater
- EV charger
- Solar panels
- Whole-home battery
If you have anything like that, send us pictures of it! Remember, we can't help if we don't know about it. Try to take at least 2 pictures of each thing: a wide-angle picture for a context and a close-up or nameplate picture for details.
We only need photos of the appliances you want to replace. Not all the above may apply. Just send what makes sense, and if we need more photos, we'll ask!
Here are a few things we generally don't need to see:
- Dishwasher
- Washing machine
- Fridge / freezer
- Yellow EnerGuide stickers
