New Hot Renovation: The Boiler Room

Do you lug dinner guests to see your new energy-efficient tankless water heater? Watch your power meter like a hawk? Risk life and limb to keep solar panels free of snow? Answer yes to any of these, and you might be a Boiler Room Junkie. See video above for six signs of the affliction.

We put together this video in conjunction with a WSJ story about how the new "hot" room on the house tour is the boiler/mechanical room. As more homeowners add renewable energy and other efficient solutions to their heating and cooling equipment, they are increasingly showcasing the appliances as they might a new stove.

Manufacturers are responding with water heaters, furnaces, and air-conditioners that are fashion-forward and in some cases, inspired by the iPod. Check out the story to see a slideshow of a few.