| Storage Tank Water Heater History | | | | is no need for hot water and has no standby |
| The Water heater is one of neglected appliances | | | | heat loss. The showers can now be truly endless |
| in homes, usually tucked away in some corner of | | | | and no worry for the next person wanting to |
| the garage. We don't pay much attention to it | | | | take a shower. The typical shower uses 2.5 |
| until it breaks. It has been around in its current | | | | gallons of water per minute and a mid size |
| form for a long time. It was invented in the 1889 | | | | tankless WH can supply roughly 6 to 7 gallons of |
| by Edwin Ruud and it hasn't changed much since | | | | hot water per minute. Now here 2 persons can |
| then. It consists of a 40 or more gallon cylindrical | | | | take shower simultaneously or at the same time |
| container with a gas burner or sometimes an | | | | and still have enough hot water for the washing |
| electric element. It heats the water slowly and | | | | machine or the kitchen sink. Today's Tankless |
| keeps it hot all the time. | | | | water heaters with best tankless technology are |
| Its burner has a pilot light that is burning gas all | | | | very sophisticated computer controlled appliances. |
| the time and the main burner comes periodically | | | | They control and keep the water temperature to |
| into action to heat the water again because the | | | | preset level regardless of water volume and |
| water in the container has cooled off. Well, that | | | | pressure. |
| goes on day in day out even if the water is | | | | In other words the water temperature at the |
| never used. That is because the water loses its | | | | shower head is the same regardless of how |
| heat to the surrounding. It is like having a kettle | | | | much water is being used, a second shower is |
| full of water on the cook top all the time. The | | | | turned on or third user draws hot water. The gas |
| newer tank water heaters are better insulated | | | | burner or electric heater modulates the energy, |
| than before to reduce the standby heat loss but | | | | gas or electric to the desired level to achieve the |
| never the less they lose heat and the water | | | | set temperature. All this is possible with modern |
| must be constantly reheated. In today's times | | | | electronics and having a closed loop circuit with |
| where energy has become expensive and will | | | | high accuracy. The leading manufacturer of |
| become even more that is a total waste of | | | | tankless water heaters are Noritz, Takagi, Rinnai |
| energy and money. It burdens the environment | | | | and Bosch. Noritz Tankless Water Heaters are |
| even unnecessarily and contributes to earth | | | | among the best on the market. They all have |
| warming and climate change. | | | | refined their products for extreme reliability and |
| The tank water heater is also very inefficient, not | | | | durability. Typical tankless WH lasts 3 times as |
| only loses its heat, standby heat loss, but it also | | | | long as a storage tank WH with no noticeable |
| doesn't do a good job heating the water through | | | | degradation in performance or efficiency over |
| its inherent design. When new they have an | | | | time. Tankless WH models like Noritz 751 or |
| efficiency of about 55%. Depending on the | | | | Takagi TK-3 can supply an entire house with |
| hardness of the water it can rapidly fall to 30 or | | | | continuous hot water and save energy and |
| so percent because of water sediments buildup at | | | | money. |
| the bottom of the tank, just like the kettle in | | | | Tankless Water Heaters are Safe |
| which water sediments build up when water in it is | | | | None of the safety issues of tank WH applies to |
| heated over and over. The tank WH has health | | | | tankless water heaters. Their burners come on |
| issues as well. Bacteria and germs love the | | | | only when hot water is needed, they don't have a |
| standing warm water and grow easily and rapidly | | | | permanent pilot. The gas burner is electronically |
| in that environment. | | | | ignited and if installed outside it constantly |
| The water is usually not hot enough to kill them. | | | | monitors the outside temperature and activates |
| Over time there can also be rust build up in the | | | | its anti freeze circuitry preventing a pipe freeze |
| water tank that reduces the heating efficiency of | | | | when needed. Its electronics also monitors |
| the WH in addition of it being delivered to the | | | | incoming water pressure, flow and regulates |
| bathroom faucets and kitchen sink. Sometimes | | | | outgoing hot water pressure and flow. The highly |
| you can see the rust in the tile grout discoloration. | | | | efficient burner and heat exchanger achieve high |
| Not all of that is unhealthy but a lot of times just | | | | efficiency and save energy. Incoming gas volume |
| undesirable. The tank WH does push out some of | | | | and pressure is also monitored and in case of a |
| these sediments and some of it remains in the | | | | malfunction the unit shuts itself off and provides |
| tank and keeps building up. It is not just in the | | | | diagnostic information. Takagi TK 3 is closely |
| bathrooms we use hot water although the most | | | | related to Noritz 751 and is also able to supply an |
| of it is being used for bathing. We use hot water | | | | entire house with hot water. |
| also to wash dishes sometimes and prepare food. | | | | Another saving aspect of tankless hot WH is that |
| Now if you could see all those microscopic foreign | | | | since you never run out of hot water there is no |
| elements, bacteria and sediments you would think | | | | need to mix the hot water with cold water and |
| again of using it for food or even bathing the kids | | | | therefore the water temperature can be set |
| in tub with that water. | | | | lower. For example the tank water heater is |
| It has happened to all of us that we ran out of | | | | typically set to 160 to 180 degree F even though |
| hot water taking a shower or a bath. And there is | | | | the water temperature used for shower is |
| no quick heat up of the water. The WH is just | | | | roughly 105 degree F. This is done to not use so |
| not designed for that and it takes a lot of energy | | | | much of the hot water in the storage tank and |
| and time again to heat 40 or more gallons of | | | | make the hot water last longer by mixing it with |
| water. A lot of families have to schedule their | | | | cold water at point of use. With tankless water |
| showers because in a household with multiple | | | | heater there is no need for this, there is endless |
| persons you quickly run out of hot water. To | | | | hot water and therefore the temperature can be |
| make that hot water last a bit longer you can run | | | | set to 110 degree F and there is no need to mix |
| the WH at a higher temperature; say 180 degree | | | | in as much cold water. That saves energy too |
| Fahrenheit so that you mix more cold water with | | | | because the water is not heated to the higher |
| the hot water. Running the WH at higher | | | | temperature. Any time cold water is mixed to the |
| temperature wastes even more energy and with | | | | hot water that reduces the efficiency indirectly. |
| it of course money. | | | | Tankless water heaters are green products and |
| Typically people take showers in the morning | | | | help reduce the carbon footprint. |
| before leaving home for work. The WH is not | | | | Government incentives make Tankless WH more |
| intelligent to know that after the shower you all | | | | affordable than ever before |
| leave the house and won't be needing hot water | | | | Thanks to government subsidies, tax credits, tax |
| until later in the afternoon when everybody gets | | | | rebates and sometimes additional local utility |
| home again. So it heats up the water again and | | | | rebates tankless water heaters can compete |
| keeps it hot all day long by heating and heating it | | | | favorably with the old fashion Storage tank water |
| again and again. And of course it doesn't know | | | | heaters. Their initial cost has come down and the |
| that you won't be needing hot water after taking | | | | payback on energy savings can be very |
| shower and going to sleep, so it heats up the | | | | substantial. According to various statistics 30% to |
| water again and keeps it hot during the night. | | | | 40% of the energy cost of a typical home is |
| Storage tank water heater leaks can be | | | | consumed by the water heater. Tankless water |
| expensive. | | | | heaters can reduce that by more than 50%. |
| Well, the other issue with tank WHs is that they | | | | Tankless water heaters are also popular for |
| tend to leak water over time. Sometimes this | | | | commercial and industrial applications. Models like |
| happens for a long time without being noticed. | | | | Noritz 751, Noritz 842 and Noritz 931 can be |
| Since most water heaters are placed in the | | | | installed in series to provide almost boiling water. |
| garage they are usually out of sight and nobody | | | | Restaurants, Hair Salons, Gyms and many other |
| pays attention to them. So water damage | | | | commercial businesses can benefit from the |
| because of a water leak can go on for a very | | | | energy savings of tankless water heaters in |
| long time unnoticed and cause considerable | | | | addition to the space savings. Smaller units like |
| damage to the home and surrounding in addition | | | | Noritz 631 are well suited for smaller applications, |
| to wasting water and energy. Water damage to | | | | like apartments or smaller homes. |
| subfloors or other structures of homes is not | | | | Most units allow you to set the desired |
| uncommon and the repair of it tends to be costly | | | | temperature via a control panel that can be |
| because it wasn't detected early. | | | | conveniently installed in the bathroom or any |
| Earthquake considerations. | | | | other place. This gives you immediate control of |
| In earth quake prone areas water heaters pose a | | | | setting the desired water temperature. There |
| different problem as well. If not properly anchored | | | | may be times that there is a need for higher |
| they can tip over and cause water damage, | | | | temperature of 180 degree F for example, this is |
| physical damage and of course fire. Water | | | | easy to set through the digital control panel. This |
| heaters have fallen on cars parked close to them | | | | is very useful when filling a SPA or filling a large |
| in the garage and considering the weight of a 40 | | | | bath tub. Tankless water heaters are also well |
| or so gallon WH full of water is approx. 330 | | | | suited for vacation homes. Electric Tankless |
| pounds plus approx. 120 pounds for the heater | | | | Water Heaters are also highly efficient and can be |
| itself, so a total of 450 pounds falling let's say on | | | | easily installed where there is enough electrical |
| a car's hood. Now that will do significant damage | | | | power. In most areas electricity tends to be |
| not just to the hood of the car but also to what | | | | expensive compared to natural gas and a natural |
| is underneath it. | | | | gas or liquid propane or LP tankless WH may be |
| And in this case it will also disconnect the gas line | | | | more economical. Today's units are among the |
| and we will have a gas leak as well that can lead | | | | most compact tankless water heaters ever built |
| to fire and more damage. So it is very important | | | | and carry the energy star classification. |
| to make sure that the tank WH is properly | | | | Correct Installation makes the difference |
| anchored to something that can hold the weight | | | | Because tankless water heaters are sophisticated |
| just in case. Bolts and steel straps should be | | | | appliances the more critical is their correct |
| strong enough and anchored to main wood studs | | | | installation. They should be installed by licensed, |
| or masonry walls. | | | | factory certified and experienced professionals. By |
| Pressure relief valve on Tank Water Heaters | | | | far the most installed type of tankless WH is the |
| One other thing to pay attention to is the | | | | one powered by natural gas. Electric models are |
| pressure relief valve. As its name implies it | | | | not very economical because of mostly higher |
| releases the water pressure to the outside by | | | | electric rates and potentially higher installation cost. |
| releasing excess water from the tank to avoid an | | | | Electric tankless water heaters usually have a high |
| explosion of the tank WH. You may be surprised | | | | electric power demand and may need supply |
| to know how often that happens that a small | | | | circuits of 100 A or more amperes. This would |
| pressure valve fails and the water heater literally | | | | require an upgrade to the existing electric system |
| explodes. The excess water from the pressure | | | | of the house that can be costly. Smaller electric |
| valve of course should be routed to the outside | | | | tankless water heaters can be easily used in point |
| or a drain that won't cause water damage. | | | | of use locations, for example for the kitchen sink. |
| In some older homes the WH is located inside the | | | | They require much less power and are very |
| house in a place that looks like a pantry from the | | | | useful. |
| outside. That of course poses even a greater | | | | The most important factor is the location where |
| danger of something catastrophic happening in | | | | the tankless WH is going to be installed. It is crucial |
| case of a failure. The idea of a constantly burning | | | | to be close to the gas meter and the gas line to |
| fire in an appliance is very unsettling to most | | | | be properly sized so it is able to supply the |
| people once they are made aware of it. The | | | | volume of gas needed. Utility gas meters can also |
| water heater burner or its pilot is always burning, | | | | be restrictive and not able to supply enough gas. |
| not just when you use it. | | | | This is usually not a problem, most utility |
| For all the above reasons and more the time of | | | | companies can exchange the meter to a larger |
| the traditional tank water heater has passed long | | | | unit free of charge. Since the tankless WH |
| ago. In other parts of the world, mainly Asia and | | | | modulates its burners it adjusts the gas flow to |
| Europe tank water heaters are hard to be found | | | | the burner for desired temperature. |
| for many decades. There hot water is prepared | | | | Problems usually occur when the unit needs to |
| by something called tankless water heater, | | | | supply greater amount of hot water and is not |
| sometimes referred to as on-demand or instant | | | | able to receive enough gas volume for the |
| water heater or point of use water heater. | | | | burners. The gas supply and volume is very |
| Tankless Water Heater History | | | | important to have a trouble free operation. It is |
| The first tankless WH was invented by an | | | | not that tankless water heaters use more gas; |
| Englishman named Maughan in the 1870s. The idea | | | | they use more of it when heating the water |
| of tankless WH is to heat the water only when | | | | instantaneously versus the tank WH that slowly |
| you need it and almost instantaneously, so no | | | | heats the water. The energy it takes to heat |
| storage tank of hot water. Like many inventions | | | | water to a certain temperature is the same. It is |
| tankless water heaters went through many | | | | important how efficiently that energy is used. A |
| designs over the decades. Most of the tankless | | | | professional installation also tries to minimize the |
| water heaters were designed to be used at point | | | | pipe length from the tankless WH to the next |
| of use. That is that wherever you needed hot | | | | bathroom. This reduces the amount of cold water |
| water you would install an electric or gas powered | | | | that is flushed before the hot water reaches the |
| unit and have hot water at the point you needed. | | | | faucet. |
| This reduced also the plumbing of a house since | | | | There are some pump products on the market |
| you didn't need to run another water pipe for the | | | | that continuously circulate hot water in the pipes |
| hot water. Typically you had a small unit in the | | | | so that hot water is immediately available when |
| kitchen; the unit incorporated the kitchen faucet | | | | you open the hot water faucet. These pumps are |
| and maybe a very small tank of one gallon or so. | | | | very wasteful of energy because in most homes |
| Whenever you turned the hot water faucet open | | | | the hot water pipes are not insulated and made |
| you would get hot water automatically after a | | | | of copper. Copper is a very good heat conductor |
| few seconds. In the bathrooms you had larger | | | | so all the hot water in the pipes are constantly |
| units, mostly gas operated that would do the | | | | radiating heat to the surrounding and cooling off |
| same. No tank and no constantly heating water | | | | quickly. It works sort of like the radiator or the |
| and with excellent efficiency that would remain | | | | heater in a car. Hot water is pumped through it to |
| largely the same. Efficiencies of 80 plus percents | | | | cool. These pumps and the associated valves use |
| were common. Since there isn't a storage tank of | | | | the cold water pipes for the circulation of water, |
| water with its associated standby heat loss the | | | | so the cold water in the pipes become warm as |
| overall efficiency would be much higher. Compared | | | | well. |
| to storage tank WH where you heat the water | | | | This company has come up with an innovative |
| and keep it hot the tankless WH heats the water | | | | solution. A tankless water heater pump or better |
| only once for immediate use with higher | | | | a recirculating pump that is electronically controlled |
| efficiency. This goes for electric tankless water | | | | and turned on when needed. Tankless pumps like |
| heater as well as for gas tankless WH. | | | | these add additional Convenience and prevent |
| Whole House Tankless Water Heater | | | | waste of water. The cooled off water in the hot |
| Later years as the technology advanced came | | | | water pipe is returned to the cold water pipes |
| along the whole house tankless WH or on-demand | | | | instead of being drained. |
| WH as it is called alternatively. Here the idea is to | | | | Because of its compact size the tankless WH can |
| supply the entire house with hot water on a | | | | be installed almost anywhere and not necessarily |
| needed basis only. Large amount of water would | | | | where the old water heater was. It is also |
| be heated as it is needed, be it for a shower or in | | | | important to make sure the water pipes can |
| the kitchen or for the washing machine all at the | | | | carry the volume of water. The tankless WH of |
| same time. And the worries or cold running | | | | course regulates the flow but having not the |
| showers were a thing of the past. Now you could | | | | capacity means the heater can't run at full |
| fill up the bath tub and not worry to have enough | | | | capacity when needed. This means that multiple |
| hot water afterward. | | | | showers may not have enough hot water at the |
| The best tankless WH provides endless hot water | | | | same time. One thing that tankless water heaters |
| as long as there is water and gas or electricity to | | | | require is a minimum flow of water to start |
| heat the water on the go. No storage tank and | | | | heating the water. That is usually around 0.5 |
| therefore no ending hot water, and of course | | | | gallons per minute. This is not a problem except |
| with incredible efficiency of 80 plus percent. The | | | | when you want hot water at or below that flow |
| cutting edge tankless technology leader Noritz | | | | rate. |
| introduced the newest Noritz 842 tankless WH. It | | | | A very low flow rate causes the tankless WH |
| has an unbelievable efficiency of almost 94% | | | | either not to come on at all or to come on and |
| achieved with tankless technology. Its exhaust | | | | turn off again quickly. This can also happen with |
| venting is made of PVC, almost no energy is | | | | newer one handle shower faucets. Here the |
| wasted and therefore no need to exhaust it. You | | | | water mixture for hot and cold water is preset |
| may ask who makes the best Tankless WH and | | | | and the volume is increased or decreased. The |
| the answer would have Noritz at the top of the | | | | mixture ratio of cold and hot water is set |
| list as the largest tankless WH manufacture in the | | | | according to the storage tank water heater |
| world. | | | | temperature which is higher than the tankless WH. |
| Since tankless WH has no storage tank it comes | | | | Here you have potentially a situation that there |
| in a small package, roughly 5 times smaller than | | | | won't be enough flow of hot water to keep the |
| the tank WH. It can be mounted on a wall outside | | | | unit on and the water coming out of the shower |
| of the house and free up valuable space in the | | | | won't be hot enough. It is easy to fix and adjust |
| garage or in some cases turn that look alike | | | | the mixture ratio of the valve to match the |
| pantry where the tank WH was into a real pantry | | | | tankless water heater temperature. This situation |
| inside the house. | | | | of course is not directly related to the tankless |
| No Energy wasted with Tankless Water Heater | | | | water heater but it affects the operation of it. |
| The tankless WH doesn't use energy when there | | | | |