GREEN
FOCUS
Can
a Hot Water Heater be Considered Green?
A Tankless Water Heater Provides Continuous Hot Water
and Saves Energy Too
By Joe
Brewer
Imagine
large buckets of water on your stove with the flame turned to low,
heating water until you need it. Sounds ridiculous, but in America
that is not far from reality. We’ve progressed a little farther
than that now — we use one large bucket and we call it a water
heater, heating water 24 hours a day 365 days a year whether we use
it or not. Our busy schedules and demands for hot water to supply
showers/ baths, laundry, dishwashers, etc. command our water heater
to work all day, every day.
The water
heater in an average American home is one of the top consumers of
energy. Design and development has made some energy improvements in
the last 50 years but the overall concept is still inefficient. The
anticipated life of a conventional water heater is 10 to 13 years,
and over time its efficiency drops due to mineral and rust build-up
in the tank. As all energy costs increase — saving water, gas,
and or electricity can be considered a green thing to do.
So what
is the alternative?
Tankless
water heaters, also known as instantaneous or on-demand water heaters,
have been in use around the world for more than 75 years. This technology
entered the North American market about 25 years ago, but it hasn’t
been until the last five years that high-tech super efficient units
from Japan and Germany were introduced to supply our large American
homes, with cost effective endless hot water.
How
Tankless Water Heaters Work
Think of your hot water faucets as the on and off switch for your
water heater. When you open a valve, water begins to flow through
these units sensing how much water needs to be heated and then delivers
a measured amount of gas to a small stainless steel set of burners,
fired by an electronic ignition (no pilot light) in all copper heat
exchanger. The greater the demand the more gas is delivered. Shut
off the hot water and the unit shuts the gas supply and waits until
hot water is again needed. Saving water, gas, and electricity —
now your hot water needs are starting to become green.
Installation
Tankless water heaters that use a direct vent system such as the Rinnai
2520 can be installed in uncommon areas such as a bedroom closet,
kitchen pantry, attic, etc. They literally hang on the wall using
no floor space.
Saving
Comparison
Tankless
water heaters can save from 30% to 70% over a tank type water heater.
They have an anticipated unit life of 20 to 25 years, almost twice
that of conventional storage tank. Other savings to consider with
a tankless system is the State Tax Credit of $340 and the Energy Trust
of Oregon cash back offer of $25.
New
Construction
If you are planning on building a new residential or commercial application
now is the time to plan a tankless system. Regardless of the size
of the home these units are being installed in all structures that
use hot water — schools, restaurants, hotels, etc. Look for these
units to replace storage tank water heaters in homes over the next
five to seven years.
In Portland, OR
call Columbia Water Service at 503-225-0774 for a free on-site
design consultation.
Tankless
Advantage
1. Uses 50% to 70% less energy.
2. Consumes about 2.2 cu ft of space allowing for installation
in spaces
with limited area.
3. No storage tank so there is no accumulation of deposits
of rust and no
consumption of energy 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
4. With an electronic pilot light, computer modulated burners
use only the
gas needed to supply demand.
5. Capable of water flows ranging from 0.5 to 6 gpm with
heating capabilities
of 20,000 to 185,000 BTU
6. Computer is constantly monitoring internal operations
with system of circuits
and sensors checking for over or under-heating, freeze conditions,
gas levels,
water levels, intake air, and venting conditions. |
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