¤¤ Tankless Water Heaters ¤¤

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.
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Labels: demand water heater, green, tankless water heater, water heater

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.

Labels: demand water heater, green, tankless water heater, water heater, water heaters

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.

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Labels: green, tips

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)

Labels: green, tips