Dear Heloise: I am writing in response to your column that appeared in The Washington Post on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, which opened with your advice to readers regarding tankless water heaters. You told only one side, which is a list of the potential positive benefits of this technology. Sadly, that isn’t even half the story.

I was making plans with my HVAC specialist to have a new furnace and air conditioner installed in my home in Maryland. I asked him and my plumber about going to a tankless unit. Their response was a flat, “Don’t do it.”

While a tankless heater appears to provide energy cost savings, they said those savings will never be enough to cover the higher cost of the tankless unit as well as its additional installation cost, and will not add appreciably to the value of my home. — Cynthia A., Suitland, Md.

Cynthia, thanks for the great email. A lot to think about. — Heloise

ORGANIZATION NATION — CHEESE LEADER

Dear Heloise: We love cheese in my family, and fresh-grated is just better, fresher and more flavorful. We use the old-style “knuckle-buster” metal box grater, but we turn it on its side. The grated cheese collects inside the grater and not on the counter. — Harley R. in New Mexico

Move around

Dear Readers: With most of us office workers working from home these days, there’s a condition I’d like to make you aware of. And that is the danger of sitting all day.

When we’re sedentary for long periods per day, experts agree, we run a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and weight accumulation around the waist, among other health dangers.

But the fix is pretty easy. Let’s look into an adjustable desk where we can stand periodically. (Some desks come with treadmills attached to them!) We must take a break every 30 minutes to stretch, go outside during lunch and walk, and arrange a walking phone meeting with colleagues.

One study purports that an hour of physical activity per day can counteract the potential harm that sitting all day can do. Let’s just be aware that moving our bodies every day is critical to our health, especially as we age. — Heloise

COUNTING CRACKERS

Dear Heloise: I have always enjoyed your column. Keep up the good work. Here is my hint: When my daughters were young enough to be excited about their upcoming birthdays, but not old enough to fully understand days and weeks, I took two small bowls and counted out the days till their birthday.

I put that many goldfish crackers in each bowl. We kept the bowls on the kitchen table, and each morning with breakfast they would eat one goldfish and they could “see” how many days left until their birthday. It worked wonderfully. — Terrilynn K., via email

ANYTIME, REALLY

Dear Heloise: For the last little while, I’ve been asking my kids to pick one item per day for donation.

They have fun knowing they are giving of themselves, and they challenge each other to donate the largest, costliest, most sentimental item. I’m teaching them to give back, which I think is critical. — Heather T. in Pennsylvania

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.