¤¤ Tankless Water Heaters ¤¤

Are you wondering if a tankless water heater is right for you?

2009-09-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

Tankless Water Heaters or Demand Water Heaters, simply heat water as you use it. They do not store heated water. The main purpose for a tankless water heater is to avoid the cost of maintaining the temperature of the hot water being stored in your regular water heater when you’re not using it. This requires continually reheating the water as the water temperature inside the tank continually drops.

The tankless hot water heater, on the other hand, only heats the water you are using. When your usage stops, the unit shuts off and doesn’t run again until you require more hot water.
Electric tankless heaters can be installed for point of use. In other words, you may want to install a sink in the garage and wish to have hot water there. The electric unit can be installed under the sink in the garage.

This eliminates having to run a “hot” water pipe to the garage from the house or having to install a regular tank type water heater in the garage. Cold water simply runs through the tankless heater and into the sink as you require it.

There are basically two energy supplies for tankless heaters: Electric and Gas.

Electric tankless heaters have the following advantages:

They require less space than gas heaters.
They require no flue.
They can be installed at specific points or use throughout the house for faster hot water supply.

Gas tankless heaters have two main advantages:

They are slightly more efficient than electric .
They will work during a power outage.

Many Tankless Water Heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years. They also have replaceable parts that extend their life by many more years. Conventional water heaters generally last 10 – 15 years

If your home uses 40 to 80 gallons of hot water daily, Tankless Water Heaters can be 10% – 30% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters.

Tankless water heaters can lower bills

2009-09-28T02:44:00.000-07:00

BENTON COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Benton County is home to a green technology company that could save you money on your water bill without forcing you to take cold showers.

EZ Tankless is a company that sells tankless water heaters. EZ Tankless employee Mike Pavuk said the concept and the size of the heater can be intimidating to new customers.

"They look at the unit, and it's so small compaired to a tank water heater, and they can't comprehend that it will produce enough hot water for them to take multiple showers at a time," said Pavuk.

Pavuk is quick to assure us that it can. The heater saves energy by only heating water when it's needed. When a customer turns on the hot water, a sensor is triggered that turns on the burners on the unit. The burners heat the water and hot water then flows continuously until it is shut off.

"When you turn the faucet off, it senses the flow has stopped and turns off the gas. So that's all the energy you're using. It's just that instant you're in the shower," said Pavuk.

A heater which runs only when it's needed is a completely different concept from the water heaters currently in most homes, which heat water continuously and store it until someone turns on a hot water faucet. Pavuk said you won't notice a difference in the bathroom, kitchen, or outdoor spigot: the change comes in your electric bill.

Pavuk said the tankless water heater pays for itself quickly, with some customers saving as much as $200 a year.

The cheapest tankless water heater EZ Tankless offers is the EZ Outdoor, which sells for $175. Their most expensive model at the moment is the EZ Hot Shot, which sells for around $600. The federal government offers a 30% tax credit for people who purchase.

Mike Pavuk said there have been some minor problems for well water users. He said that problem can be fixed with a water pressure regulator.

Pavuk said the tankless technology has been around for 50 years, but it hasn't been widely available in the United States. Pavuk said that this occured to one of the company's founders as he was on vacation. He said that the company found buyers swiftly after they made the heaters available in the United States.

Tankless water heaters – compact and energy efficient

2009-09-28T02:41:00.000-07:00

In the era of ever increasing utility bills and shrinking storage space, tankless water heaters seem to be all the rage. Let’s take a minute to discuss the benefits and disadvantages of going tankless.

Conventional water heaters require a great amount of time and energy to warm. Tankless water heaters provide instant, unlimited access to hot water. In fact, when installed at each hot water faucet, tankless water heaters can be up to 40% more energy efficient than the conventional water heaters and run at 99% efficiency (while brand new conventional heaters are at 80%).

Tankless water heaters also called instantaneous, continuous flow, inline, flash, on-demand or instant-on water heaters have been gaining popularity in recent years. Tankless water heaters do not retain any significant water because they instantly heat water as it flows through the unit. Smaller tankless heaters are usually installed at each point-of-use, while one larger model may provide all the hot water for an entire house. These heaters can be up to 40% more energy efficient than conventional water heaters.

Point-of-use tankless water heaters are installed where the water is being used, so the water is almost instantly hot (ultimately saving water since it is wasted after turning on a faucet while waiting for it to heat. This is due to the fact that the cold water in the pipes between the faucet and the water heater needs to be flushed out first). Additionally, no hot water is left in the pipes after the water is shut off. This ultimately saves more water and energy than centrally installed tankless water heaters.

Historically, point-of-use water heaters were electric, typically more expensive and less efficient than gas. A gas tankless water heater can cut approximately 30% of a homeowner’s energy usage.

Advantages of tankless water heaters:

Since water is heated only when needed, there is no hot water storage. With a tank, water is continuously kept hot even if it never gets used.

Although flow rate determines the amount of hot water generated at one time, an unlimited supply of hot water is available.

There is no stored water, so there is no risk of water damage from a leaking tank.

Most tankless water heaters can be mounted on a wall.

Disadvantages of tankless water heaters:

Installing a tankless system comes at an increased cost ($800 to $1,150 vs. $300 to $500 for conventional heaters), especially when installed in retro-fits.

Practical tankless water heaters are limited to gas and electricity. This disqualifies renewable energy sources such as solar because of the storage tank requirement.

Tankless electric heaters, when installed in a large numbers of homes can create demand management problems for electrical utilities. Because hot water use tends to peak at certain times of the day, they can cause short spikes in electricity demand.

There is a short delay between the time the water begins to flow and when the heater activates the heating elements/gas burner. Turning a hot water faucet on and off repeatedly can result in periods of hot water, then cold.

In a tankless water heater, the faster the flow, the less time the water spends being heated.

Tankless water heaters only heat water on demand; when installed far away from a faucet, the wait time for hot water increases.

Tankless water heaters boast efficiency, save money

2007-06-14T03:19:00.000-07:00

Big, bulky water heaters are no longer the only way to keep the hot water flowing. Now tankless water heaters are the newest trend.

Inside a tankless water heater, an electronic ignition lights a gas flame, which heats water as it passes though the system. A few minutes later and hot water is delivered anywhere in your house.

"I was amazed at the efficiency of the units," says Joe St. Clair. He recently replaced his old water heater with a new tankless one. "Heating water when you need it made a lot more sense than heating water when you didn't need it."

St. Clair first learned about the tankless water heaters while teaching in China where space is limited. Now the units are being installed in the U.S. Besides saving space, the tankless water heaters also save energy.

"The energy efficiency of these units runs anywhere between 85 and 95 percent and from what I understand the efficiency of a standard tank unit runs about 65 percent."

On the downside, it takes awhile before the water runs hot and finding a plumber who knows how to install them can be a challenge. But on the plus side, you never run out of hot water.

"With the unit that we have we can run five faucets and the washing machine and never run out of hot water, because it just keeps producing as you need it," St. Clair said.

Texas Gas Service offers its customers a $300 incentive for installing a tankless water heater.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/060507kvuetankless-cb.1b5aae3b.html

Pros and Cons of Newest Water Heaters

2007-06-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

Q. One of my neighbors just had an instantaneous water heater installed in her house and she loves it. She says the salesman told her that it will save them a lot of money on their energy bills because it is so efficient. Are they that good?

A. The good news is that these appliances are growing in popularity because they are more energy-efficient than a standard home water heater. But the bad news is that they are growing in popularity ...

First, the good. Instantaneous (also called "demand" or "tankless" water heaters) have been around for a long time, especially in hot climates where they work most efficiently, and they do offer some significant advantages over conventional water heaters with tanks.

Their biggest benefit is that they don't heat the water until it is needed, so there are no heat losses from a storage tank (traditional water heaters operate occasionally to maintain the desired temperature level even when you are not turning on the faucet). Even the best water heater tanks lose heat into the air around them and turn on once in a while to reheat cooler water.

Browse through some of the web sites of companies selling these products and you'll see some pretty strong claims for big energy savings, many claiming as much as a 60 percent savings or even more.

Regardless of how much the actual savings are, they have other benefits beyond the economic. The units are fairly small in size so they take up much less room than a water heater and can be installed just about anywhere. They can also be used to resolve some problems homeowners have with traditional water heaters.

For example, you may have a bathroom at one end of your home that is on the other side of the house from the water tank, and the water never seems to get very hot there. You can put one of these units close to that bathroom and you'll have the hot water you want much quicker. And while these units do have some limits as to how much hot water they can provide at one time, you can install two or more together to give enough hot water for showers, dish washing and other uses all at the same time.

They are more expensive than buying a gas or electric water storage tank, but the savings may pay for that increase over time.

But like I said, there's a problem with the growing popularity of the electric units (that doesn't affect the use of gas ones). I talked with some people who work for utility companies and it seemed that the electric tankless water heaters have such a high demand for electricity that rather than being a nice, neat energy-saver, they actually have very large power demands. This can cause some problems for both the homeowner and the utility company.

Homeowners often find right from the start that the wiring in their home isn't suitable to meet the electrical demand when these units are used, a demand that can reach 30,000 watts or even more (compare this to the 4,500-watt demand of a conventional electric water heater). That can mean electrical work to upgrade the electrical circuits in the home, possibly even requiring a separate electrical panel and new wiring, costs that can run into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars and costs that will be borne by the homeowner, not the utility.

But the utility is going to need more heavy-duty wires, meters, transformers and other equipment for the spikes in generation they've got to meet. And at some utilities these costs are going to get paid through increases in all of the electric rates over time. At other utilities, the entire cost of these upgrades is charged directly to the customer who purchases the high demand electric water heater.

So my recommendations are that you learn as much as you can about instantaneous water heaters (there are lots of great web sites and many companies selling them), and think about your home's hot water needs. If you find that this product would work well for you, next contact your local utility before committing to any purchase. And please consider the gas rather than electric units to avoid creating a problem for utilities that will only get worse as more of the units are used.
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070609/NEWS/706090305/1001/BUSINESS

Water Heater Recall a Tankless Job

2007-05-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

Three brands of tankless hot water heaters have been identified as potential sources of deadly carbon monoxide emissions, prompting a voluntary recall of the systems by Rheem Manufacturing, and Paloma Industries Inc. before they make people sick - or worse.

Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning range from flu-like symptoms, to dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, or fainting spells. If you have any, or all of these symptoms, open the windows of your home and seek medical attention immediately.

In February, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission together with CSA International cited three models of the Power Vent Tankless Water Heater because of a defective switch caused by the shifting of components inside the heater when it was moved, likely just before installation. Even if the heater was hooked up by a licensed professional and inspected, a filter door may not work properly, leading to the release of deadly carbon monoxide into the home.

That's exactly what happened to Matt Varble in Clinton, Illinois. When the carbon monoxide detectors went off in his brand-new house on Christmas Day last year, he couldn't trace the source and installed a costly air exchanger to ward off the deadly emissions. It wasn't until later, when he was poking around the Internet and read about the recall on LawyersandSettlements.com.

He realized only then that his expensive tankless water heater, only a few months old, was the likely culprit.

Tankless water heaters were designed to be more efficient and better for the environment than hot water tanks, because they heat water on demand. Instead of the traditional round water tank that's always full and takes energy to keep the water hot - the tankless system is a rectangular box with piping at the top and bottom, and heats only what you need.

The problem has to do with the way a tankless heater works. It requires more air to operate than traditional hot water tanks, and also needs to be properly vented. As well, the air filter door needs to be in just the right spot for the tank to operate safely. Shipping may have affected a switch that controls the positioning of the filter door.

This door is the thing that has everybody worried. If the switch is defective, and the filter door is out of whack, you could wind up with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Affected are three models of the Power Vent 199,990 BTUH Tankless Water Heater under the brands Rheem, Ruud, Richmond, Rheem-Ruud, and Paloma. The recall went into effect on February 21st 2007 and affects $55 million dollars worth of indoor tankless water heaters. In the United States and Canada, the manufacturer will repair the defect for free, although Illinois' Matt Varble would prefer a replacement unit. He paid three times what it would have cost him for a traditional hot water tank, only to be faced with a situation that may put his family at risk.

He's not alone. 42,000 tankless systems were sold to contractors and consumers from May 2004 until December 2006, and all are included in the recall.

Homeowners should be aware of the type of system they have, and if it is tankless - make a note of the model and serial number and contact the manufacturer right away. You'll find the information on the rating plate - which is a small, silver sticker located on the lower, right-hand corner of the front panel.

If the filter door appears to be out of place, or if you have been feeling ill for no apparent reason, DON'T use your hot water and consult your doctor, or go to the hospital for potential C02 poisoning. A blood test will show if you've been exposed to carbon monoxide, which can be deadly.

Like having a smoke detector, it's always good advice to install working CO2 detectors on every level of your home, outside sleeping areas, to protect you from accidental exposure to carbon monoxide, regardless of the source.

As for a defective tankless hot water system, it's the manufacturer's responsibility. If you have fallen ill, or if you have spent your own money on repairs or upgrades where the tankless hot water heater is found to be at fault, you should be compensated.

By Gordon Gibb
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/00794/water-heater-recall.html

'Tankless' water heater saves energy

2007-05-17T04:58:00.000-07:00

It's spendy, but it's efficient, tiny, quiet, green and pays itself off in a few years. It's called the "tankless" or on-demand water heater — and it won't sit there wasting dollars by running hour after hour when you don't need it.

A heated coil — usually by gas or propane (although sometimes electric) — fills with water and gets very hot, very quickly when you turn on the shower, dishwasher or faucet. It continues heating the water as long as you leave that faucet on.

The smaller units, starting at $700 (uninstalled) will meet one demand point — but you can't run the dishwasher and take a shower, says Brian Lambert of Grover Electric in Medford. For about $1,000, you get a larger one that serves both. Prices top out at about $1,500; so, units initially cost two to three times more than the traditional water heater.

On-demand water heaters face a problem as the new kid on the block, but Josh Spoklie of Ferguson Bath & Kitchen Gallery in Medford says he sells 25 or 30 a month. This is about a fifth of the number of traditional water heaters he moves.

The tankless units are little guys — about the size of a small suitcase — and can be hung on the wall of a closet, as long as it's an outside wall, so exhaust gases can be vented. It's safe and silent and has an energy-efficiency quotient of 92 to 98 percent.

Aside from startup and retrofit costs, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy lists drawbacks as:

They won't turn on unless they can supply half to three-quarters of a gallon per minute.
They sometimes won't supply simultaneous uses, especially in winter when incoming water is colder.

The high cost can be retired in about 31/2 to 4 years with reduced energy bills, Spoklie says.

Equally attractive are a slew of rebates and tax credits: $200 from Avista for switching to gas, a $340 tax credit from the state and a $150 tax credit for water heaters with at least 95 percent efficiency. The state tax credits for energy-miser appliances are at www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/CONS/RES/tax/waterheaters.shtml.

If you get a modest on-demand water heater and find you need more heating power, you don't have to upgrade — just get another one and link them in series, says Don Sample of Budge-McHugh Supply in Medford.

If you want a testimonial yourself, ask around at restaurants, where chefs need lots of hot water every moment — they are big buyers of demand water heaters, says Terry Powell of Modern Plumbing in Medford.

"They pay off quick in a restaurant," Powell says. "They will stay up with any demand."

Bruce Fiero of Will Power Electric, a green energy installer in Phoenix, says tankless water heaters run you about $1,000 installed and, because your water heater is not "on" all the time, will definitely make a dent in your heating bill.

John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at jdarling@jeffnet.org.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070510/LIFE/705100308

Green Building Elements: Tankless Water Heaters

2007-05-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

Next to bulding heating and cooling, water heaters are the largest energy consumers in most homes. But, with a conventional water heater, much of the energy is spent on keeping the heated water from cooling off while it sits, waiting to be used. Tankless water heaters don't have these standby losses, and can be a much more efficient choice in some circumstances.

Tankless water heaters have no hot water storage (hence tankless), but can quickly raise water temperature by as much as 50 degrees F (~30 degrees C). They can do this with a flow rate ranging from 4 gallons per minute (GPM) to as much as 9 GPM. Tankless heaters are also much smaller than conventional water tank heaters, which can be a consideration for smaller homes where space is at a premium.

Depending on usage patterns, a tankless water heater can provide hot water much more efficiently than a regular tank heater. One manufacturer's information lists an annual operating cost (based on 2004 prices) of $166 for their tankless heater versus $210 for a conventional natural gas water heater, and propane and electric conventional heaters are even more expensive to operate.

Tankless water heaters can allow "endless showers." Since the water is being heated as it is needeed, there is no concern about running out of hot water, while a conventional tank heater has a capacity, after which the hot water runs out and water that has entered the heater tank needs to be heated

Tankless heaters may not be for everyone, however.

Supply water temperature can be a factor. Regions with cold winter ground temperatures may have incoming water that is 40-50 degrees F, which may not be able to be adequately heated for hot water needs. More temperate locations will likely be better for tankless water heater installations.

Tankless water heaters also have a much larger fuel supply requirement. In order to provide such a drastic temperature change, simple physics dictates that they need to use a lot of energy very quickly. Over the course of its life, the tankless heater doesn't use as much fuel as a conventional water heater, but when it uses fuel, it uses a lot of it very quickly. This can make retrofitting a tankless heater into an existing home difficult, because the gas line to the existing water heater may not be large enough to supply the needed gas for a tankless heater.

Are they right for you? As I'm increasingly fond of saying, it depends. A home for a larger family where multiple water uses (more than one shower at a time, washing clothes or dishes while showering, etc.) may put more demand on the system than it is able to supply hot water for. But a home for a single individual or a couple who are careful about not crossing their water use, they may be a way to have significant energy savings.

29 tips to help you make sensible renovation choices - Part 2

2007-05-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

20. Plant drought-tolerant plants instead of high water consuming grass to make your outdoors a different shade of green.

21. Compost.

22. Use larger windows on the south side of a building for greater heat gain in the winter.

23. Use cellulose insulation because manufacturers add borate or borax to fire proof, insect proof and mould proof your home.

24. Kirei board is an eco-product made from the Sorghum plant in China. It is an engineered panel product used in interior architectural millwork (www.kireiusa.com).

25. Marmoleum flooring is made from cork, limestone and natural resins. It comes in many colours and can add a retro feel to your renovation (www.themarmoleumstore.com).

26. Engineered flooring is 1/4-inch thick hardwood laminated with plywood to create a stable floor that stretches our hardwood resources (www.bhkofamerica.com and www.kahrs.com).

27. Install a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) and increase the air quality in your home.

28. More green home sources: www.ecologicalhomeideas.com, www.greennest.com, www.debraslist.com, www.organicmatressstore.com and www.greenbuildermag.com, a new magazine by Hanely Wood.

29. One of the best and most informative books available for going green is Green Building Products, The GreenSpec Guide to Residential Building Materials. It's edited by Alex Wilson and Mark Piepkorn and contains valuable information on new appliances to smart insulation. It's co-published by Building Green and New Society Publishers.

http://www.canada.com/findit/realestate/story.html?id=1b39e0dc-2469-48d2-8907-cf34d7048be0&k=17112&p=2

29 tips to help you make sensible renovation choices - Part 1

2007-05-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to save energy and live the green life, says Paul Denys, a 23-year veteran of the design and renovation industry, who has won design honours for thoughtful restorations of heritage homes.

Old or new, his 29-point approach to sensible design ranges from scaling down our living spaces to buying the most energy-efficient appliances available.

The owner of Denys Builds Designs volunteered to share the knowledge and sources he's gained during a career of small-scale renovations and restorations.

1. Compact living: Denys' first and most important premise to green living is to downscale your spaces, especially when considering an addition.

2. Light touch: Use fluorescent lights and infra-red motion detector light switches in bathrooms, hallways and storage rooms.

3. Dim down: Check out Lutron Maestro fade dimmers at www.prolighting.com. You'll use less electricity and your light bulbs will last five times longer.

4. Day lighting: Before building or adding to your home, carefully look where you will use energy-efficient windows. Then add more natural light with Solatubes (www.solatube.com), an alternative to skylights and switching on a lamp.

5. Recycle: You don't have to always use new products when renovating. There are great architectural doors, flooring and other materials in shops nationwide.

6. Avoid large use of concrete: It's durable and long-lasting, yet takes a lot of energy to manufacture.

7. Turn to bamboo: It is a fast-growing grass that matures in as little as seven years, grows anywhere without fertilizers or pesticides and releases 35 per cent of oxygen back into the air.

8. Wash time: Commit to smaller, longer-lasting, energy-efficient appliances, including the 18-inch Miele dishwasher. This little baby will hold as many dishes as an American-built, 24- inch dishwasher. Also, consider dishwasher drawers.

9. Low flush: Use low-flow toilets and low-flow showerheads.

10. Instant hot: Tankless water heaters are hot commodities, including the Rinnai tankless water heater (www.rinnai.us).

11. Fire's burning: Consider an alcohol-burning fireplace, forget about the need for a flue and never have to fret about heat escaping up your chimney (www.ecomartfire.com/canada/home.php).

12. Old is sometimes good: Did you know that a 100-year-old-window can be weather-stripped for as little as $250 and it will be as air tight as a new version that can cost as much as $2,500.

13. Fence us in: Look beyond cedar and pine when looking to build a fence. Think of bamboo (www.bamboofencer.com).

14. Fresh air: Use green cleaners, low-VOC paints.

15. Rainy days: Save rain water in a barrel.

16. Donate: Give your old kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity to charity.

17. Test all plaster, insulation and floor material made prior to 1983 for asbestos.

18. If you're stripping old wood work use a steam box or industrial garment steamer.

19. When reproducing a clear finish on interior wood trim, it's best to use a Clear Bull's Eye Shellac, and when staining wood, use a mild solution like vinegar and steel wood to ebonize wood (www.naturalhandyman.com)

Students use solar energy in water heater

2007-05-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

UNC Asheville seniors ran a race of wits with the sun, collecting as much heat as they could to heat two barrels of water on the quad.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people have stopped by and asked, ‘What are you doing?’” said Yusef Fahmy, the director of the engineering department at UNCA.

With the focus on green building and energy efficiency, Fahmy said the engineers should tackle the practical problems of designing and building a solar water heater.

Two teams of seniors in the Mechatronics program competed Monday with two designs for the solar collectors, which were computerized to follow the sun crossing the blue sky and the green quad. Fahmy awarded points for the smaller and more efficient designs as well as for the highest temperature achieved.

The larger device seemed to be ahead with a barrel temperature reaching 81.5 degrees by mid-afternoon. The team had wrestled with both the mechanical and the electronic components, getting the counterweights just right, according to senior Jonathan Crook. The slightest variation of 2 degrees in aligning with the sun could reduce the collector’s efficiency by nearly half.

The second device was focused much tighter on the sun’s rays. The team had designed for a variation of up to 20 degrees, said senior Moises Escobedo.

The team also had rigged the collector for wireless data and a remote control they could control from the classroom inside the science building.

While they had only achieved about 71 degrees in their barrel, the more compact system was about equal in efficiency with the larger one, Escobedo said.

“I had never heard much about solar water heater,” said senior Adam Burdette. “It’s been rewarding to see how much heat you can generate. I hope one day to have a home that could run on solar power, hydroelectric power and possibly wind. It would be nice to have the electric company pay me for power.”

http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770508148&source=rss

Tankless Water Heater Video Buying Guide

2007-05-07T03:17:00.000-07:00

PlumberSurplus.com brings you a video buying guide on Tankless Water Heaters, their variations, uses, and the selection process.

Tips For Buying A Water Heater

2007-05-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

Water heaters generally run on either electricity or gas, depending on what type of fuel source is prevalent in your area. Both versions run similarly and come in sizes from twenty to over one hundred gallons. Before purchasing a new water heater, there are a few things that should be considered.

The type of fuel to be used is a determining factor in which unit to choose. If you already have gas hook ups, a gas generated water heater will be your best bet. These generally save on energy costs. However, electric units can be run anywhere and if this is your primary fuel source, an electric water heater should be purchased. Costs to convert the fuel source from electric to gas may be prohibitive so it is best to use whichever fuel source is already installed.

Before determining the capacity of the water heater, look at your family’s needs. Also, think about the future and whether your family will increase. Purchasing a water heater is an investment and future growth should be looked at to get one that will suit you for many years. Determine how often hot water is used in your home to decide whether you have high or regular demand for hot water. For a family of two, choose a water heater that has at least a thirty gallon capacity or up to a fifty gallon capacity if hot water is used often. Families of up to four should consider a fifty to eighty gallon tank, and families with five or more should start at fifty gallons and may go to one hundred twenty if there is a high demand.

The number of gallons the water heater can heat per hour is called the recovery rate. This is also a consideration in buying a water heater. If you have several people in your home who use hot water at the same time, a higher recovery will be beneficial. However, if you have a more typical hot water use pattern, a lower recover rate can be chosen. Water heaters with lower capacities and lower recovery rates will be less expensive.

Water heaters come in a variety of dimensions. Ensure you have the proper space available to physically install it in the designated area. You will not usually have to sacrifice capacity to get a water heater with smaller dimensions. Every water heater is tagged with an energy efficiency rating. Choose the most efficient rating you can afford as this will help save on energy costs.

Water heaters are not difficult to purchase but there are a few things that need to be considered. Determine the capacity, size, fuel source, and energy efficiency needed for your home. Compare prices to determine the model that will best suit you and your family for years to come.

By: Gray Rollins -
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Tankless or Instantaneous Water Heaters

2007-05-04T01:54:00.000-07:00

Tankless or instantaneous water heaters provide hot water only as it is needed. They don't produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters, which can save you money. Here you'll find basic information about how they work, whether a demand water heater might be right for your home, and what criteria to use when selecting the right model.

How They Work

Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water. As a result, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don't need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water. However, a demand water heater's output limits the flow rate.

Typically, demand water heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2–5 gallons (7.6–15.2 liters) per minute. Gas-fired demand water heaters produce higher flow rates than electric ones. Sometimes, however, even the largest, gas-fired model cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households. For example, taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time can stretch a demand water heater to its limit. To overcome this problem, you can install two or more demand water heaters, connected in parallel for simultaneous demands of hot water. You can also install separate demand water heaters for appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwater—that use a lot of hot water in your home.

Other applications for demand water heaters include the following:

Remote bathrooms or hot tubs
Booster for appliances, such as dishwashers or clothes washers
Booster for a solar water heating system.

Although gas-fired tankless water heaters tend to have higher flow rates than electric ones, they can waste energy if they have a constantly burning pilot light. This can sometimes offset the elimination of standby energy losses when compared to a storage water heater. In a gas-fired storage water heater, the pilot light heats the water in the tank so the energy isn't wasted. The cost of operating a pilot light in a demand water heater varies from model to model. Ask the manufacturer how much gas the pilot light uses for the model you're considering. If you purchase a model that uses a standing pilot light, you can always turn it off when it's not in use to save energy. Also consider models that have an intermittent ignition device (IID) instead of a standing pilot light. This device resembles the spark ignition device on some gas kitchen ranges and ovens.

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.

Selecting a Tankless Water Heater

Demand water heaters cost more than conventional storage water heaters. However, you may find that a demand water heater may have lower operating and energy costs, which could offset its higher purchase price.

Before buying a tankless (demand) water heater, you also need to consider the following:

Size
Fuel type and availability.
Energy efficiency (energy factor)
Estimate costs.

Installation and Maintenance

Proper installation and maintenance of your tankless water heater can optimize its energy efficiency.

Proper installation depends on many factors. These factors include fuel type, climate, local building code requirements, and safety issues, especially concerning the combustion of gas-fired water heaters. Therefore, it's best to have a qualified plumbing and heating contractor install your demand water heater. Do the following when selecting a contractor:

Request cost estimates in writing
Ask for references
Check the company with your local Better Business Bureau
See if the company will obtain a local permit if necessary and understands local building codes, etc.

If you're determined to install your water heater yourself, first consult the manufacturer. Manufacturers usually have the necessary installation and instruction manuals. Also, contact your city or town for information about obtaining a permit, if necessary, and about local water heater installation codes.

Most tankless water heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years. They also have easily replaceable parts that extend their life by many more years. In contrast, storage water heaters last 10–15 years. Periodic water heater maintenance can significantly extend your water heater's life and minimize loss of efficiency. Read your owner's manual for specific maintenance recommendations.

Improving Energy Efficiency

After your demand water heater is properly installed and maintained, try some additional energy-saving strategies to help lower your water heating bills. Some energy-saving devices and systems are more cost-effective to install with the water heater.

Tankless Water Heater A True Marvel

2007-05-04T01:43:00.000-07:00

Who hasn’t experienced the aggravation of running out of hot water halfway through a shower? Maybe the in-laws are in town and using all of your hot water or perhaps you just have a conventional water heater that is about to die. Whatever the cause, a tankless water heater could be the solution you are looking for. Although it may sound like bad science fiction, the truth is that a tankless water heater really works and is far superior to the old-fashioned gas or electric “tank” water heaters.

In a conventional water heater, be it gas or electric, hot water is stored in a tank. While this may keep a ready supply of hot water on hand for immediate use, the fact remains that the hot water just sits around when not being used. In time, the heat will dissipate and the water heater will need to reheat the water. This is a complete waste of energy and it is simply costing you money.

A tankless water heater, however, does not store hot water for later use. Instead, a tankless water heater only produces as much hot water as a person needs. So, when the hot water faucet is turned on, the tankless unit provides as much hot water as necessary until the faucet is turned off. You can literally leave the hot water faucet on for hours and the tankless water heater will continue providing as much hot water as needed. You never need to worry about running out of hot water again during a shower when you install a tankless unit in your home.

One of the biggest problems with conventional “tank” water heaters is that they leak. No matter how great of a unit you buy, the fact remains that they will start leaking water as time goes on. After all, they are constantly filled with water! That water can damage anything in the area and cause you one huge mess. A tankless water heater, on the other hand, does not store water and therefore will not leave you a big mess to clean up one day—because it doesn’t leak!

Another big advantage of a tankless water heater is its size compared to conventional units. A standard “tank” water heater may be several feet tall by 3 or more feet in diameter. But a standard tankless water heater is generally no larger than a standard laptop—although it may be a bit thicker. The point is, however, that it is generally no problem at all to mount a tankless water heater to your wall.

In truth, a tankless water heater will never force you to take a cold shower again because it never runs out of hot water. Plus, tankless units save energy (and money) compared to conventional “tank” water heaters because they don’t have to keep a large tank of water up to temperature all day long—even when not in use! Leak-free and compact, a tankless water heater is even more convenient than traditional units. So if you are tired of running out of hot water and dealing with messes because of leaking water heaters, look into a tankless water heater today and see how this modern marvel can change your life.

By: Jim Kapowski -
Sustainable Living Articles @ http://www.articlegarden.com
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