Hot Water Guy

This blog has moved

2010-03-09T12:46:00.001-08:00

This blog is now located at http://blog.chilipepperapp.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://blog.chilipepperapp.com/atom.xml.

Hot Water Demand Systems & Tankless Water Heaters – Great Home Improvement Products!

2010-02-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for home improvement products, here is a great combination. Tankless hot water is energy efficient but it wastes water. Adding a hot water demand system will make your tankless unit water efficient as well. It will make turn your plumbing system into a green hot water system.

Tankless water heaters are more energy efficient than standard tank type water heaters because they don’t have the standby losses of a big tank of hot water. By eliminating the standby losses associated with storage water heaters they can save about 20 percent of the energy consumed for heating water when compared with storage heaters.

However, the tankless units also take longer to deliver hot water to your fixtures. For the water to be heated to full temperature it must pass completely through the heat exchanger all the way from the inlet to the outlet. The water in the center of the heat exchanger doesn’t ever reach full temperature before it exits the heater.

Thus tankless waters take longer to get hot water to the fixture. A lot more water is being run down the drain while you are waiting. Tankless water heaters really need a hot water demand system to address this problem.

Hot water demand systems typically consist of a pump located at the furthest sink from the water heater and connected to the hot and cold water lines. When hot water is “demanded” at the fixture you activate the system. The demand system speeds the water from the water heater to the fixture at high velocity and shuts off when the hot water reaches the pump.

The cold hot water in the hot water pipes left over from the last use gets sent to the water heater inlet through the cold water pipes. Instant hot water when you turn on the hot water faucet, and no water was wastefully run down the drain.

Traditional hot water recirculation systems with their low powered pumps won’t produce enough water flow in the pipes to turn on a tankless heater. Most tankless water heaters won’t work with traditional circulating systems and can void the warranty of the tankless heaters.

Hot water demand systems are different. Since demand systems are activated only when hot water is used they do not cause the tankless heater to cycle on and off over and over as is the case with traditional recirculation pumps. Demand systems do not affect the warranties for the tankless units.

Not all demand systems are created equal and there are models that don’t have enough power to turn on a tankless water heater. Be sure to find a pump that has the power to you need to send at least the ½ to ¾ gallons per minute normally required to turn on the heater. Longer pipe runs require more horsepower from the pump to produce the required flow, so take that into account as well.

Add a hot water demand system to your water heater and you will conserve energy, water, and money. At the same time you are turning your plumbing system green, and you will be reducing your carbon footprint. You will feel good every time you use hot water.

Finally, water conservation without inconvenience!

Combine Tankless and Demand

Water Conservation - No Waste Reverse Osmosis Water Purification System

2010-02-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

What is a zero waste reverse osmosis system?

Reverse osmosis systems squeeze water through a membrane that lets water through but the contaminants can’t pass through the membrane. The contaminants that are filtered out need to be flushed away from the membrane for the system to work properly. Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems typically flush down the drain 3 to 15 gallons of contaminated water for each gallon of clean water they produce.

From a water conservation point of view this is very inefficient. Watts has come up with a new RO system that recycles the contaminated waste water, eliminating the need to flush contaminated water down the drain.

Watts Premier "Zero Waste" ZRO-4 Reverse Osmosis System

The Watts patented ZRO-4 Reverse Osmosis System is the first system that does not waste water any water. The new Watts RO system simply pumps the contaminated water into your water heater.

The presumption is that it’s ok for the contaminated water is ok to bath in and wash your hands, dishes, and clothes in.

A small pump is connected in series with the membrane unit and they are in turn connected to the cold and hot water supply pipes. When the RO unit is operating the contaminated water from the input side of the membrane is slowly pumped into the water heater through the hot water line.

The instructions say to locate the ZRO-4 RO system at least 25 feet from the water heater. I wish they would tell us why. What happens if it is closer to the water heater? Is it an energy related thing? Is it to keep the contaminated water in the piping, hopefully to be purged when somebody draws hot water and thus not end up stored in a hot tank? I would really like to know.

Does it work with tankless water heaters?

I don’t know. I could not find any information about operation with tankless water heaters, but I presume it would still work. I see no physical reason why there would be a difference. But then there is that 25 foot distance from the heater thing. Does that still apply? Perhaps with tankless hot water you don’t need the 25 foot distance.

Will it work with a Hot Water Recirculation System?

Hot water circulating, often called recirculating systems and or recirc pumps come in several varieties these days. Some are simply hot water circulating systems with dedicated return lines for the hot water circulating loop, and some systems use the cold water return lines for the loop return.

If your hot water system has a recirculation system with a dedicated hot water return line then there should be no problems. However, if you have a system that uses the cold water line as the return then there will be some problems.

The pump for the circulating or demand system causes water to flow through the RO unit as though it were running whether or not it is running at the time, which can slow down the delivery of hot water from a demand hot water system, and can potentially end up putting contaminated cooled off hot water in the cold water lines.

The warm water circulating systems will also end up allowing contaminated water into the cold water piping.

A solenoid valve is incorporated into the retro-fit version of the zero waste system in series with the pump. The valve may prevent the circulating systems from pushing water through the RO system and thus solve the problem but I have not tested it so it’s just a maybe at this point.

What are the contaminants that the Watts ZRO-4 removes?

The Watts ZRO-4 reverse osmosis system reduces Arsenic (V), Cysts, Cyrptosporidium, Giardia, Entamoeba and/or Toxoplasm, Barium, Hexavalent, Chromium, Trivalent Chromium, Copper, Lead, Fluoride, Cadmium, Radium 226/228, Selenium, TDS, and Turbidity.

Hot Water Demand System - Only $179.99 – Make Your Hot Water System Green!

2010-02-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

A hot water demand system will save you time, water, and money!

A hot water demand system is an easy and inexpensive way to save water and have instant hot water (when you turn on the tap). Your hot water is pumped quickly from your water heater to your sinks, and fixtures and no water gets run down the drain. It will turn your hot water plumbing green.

Tired of waiting for slow hot water?

If you have to stand around waiting for your hot water to reach your sink or shower while you run gallons of water right down the drain, then you need a hot water demand system.

Demand systems works with any kind of water heater including solar and tankless; the water heater only needs to have a common cold water connection with the cold water fixtures. It makes no difference how the water actually gets heated.

Old fashioned hot water recirculating pumps raise your energy bills since you must keep your pipes full of hot water. The newer warm water circulating systems such as the Laing Autocirc 1, the RedyTemp, the AstroExpress, Watts Premier, and the Grundfos Comfort System do the same thing. Even the thermo siphon type units such as the Nibco and Hot Water Lobster increase your water heating bill.

Not so with a hot water demand system. It only fills the pipe between the fixture and the water heater with heated water, which you would have to do anyway to get hot water at the fixture. The pump only runs for a few seconds when you want hot water and the cost of running the pump is neglible. A 4 person home would use less than $2.00 a year in electricity.

A hot water demand system mounts under the sink furthest from your water heater. It connects to the hot and cold water supply lines and needs an electrical outlet to plug into. Typically a push button is included and wireless remote switches are available to use from locations other than where the demand system is located.

When you push the start button the pump turns on and when hot water reaches the pump the pump shuts off.

Tankless considerations

Most hot water delivery systems will not work with most tankless water heaters. Most tankless water heaters require from ½ gallon per minute to ¾ gallons per minute to turn the unit on and keep it on. The warm water circulating systems like the Grundfos, Laing Autocirc, and Astro Express don’t have enough flow to turn on the tankless heater. This is also true of all thermo siphon systems like the Hot Water Lobster and the Nibco device.

Not all hot water demand systems produce enough flow either. The Metlund S-50T is not recommended for tankless hot water for that reason, and the Metlund S-70T is only recommended for systems with short piping runs.

Dedicated Return Lines

If your plumbing is equipped with a standard hot water circulating system and has a dedicated return line, then in most cases you can simply replace the standard recirculating pump with a demand pump and start reaping the benefits. You will see a substantial saving on your water heating energy bills.

Map Your Plumbing Layout

If you aren’t sure how your plumbing is configured then there is a straight forward way to find out where to locate your hot water demand system and whether you need more than one pump to cover your entire system.

When your pipes are all cold, like the first thing in the morning, go to the sink that you believe to be the one furthest from your water heater and turn on the hot water faucet. Let it run until the hot water reaches the faucet and then turn it off. Now go to the fixture that is the next furthest from the heater and turn on the hot water faucet. Time how long it takes to get hot water.

If it shares a common hot water feed pipe then it will get hot water faster than usual. You can get a one gallon milk jug and measure how much water gets run down the drain while waiting for hot water.

By repeating the process at multiple fixtures after letting the pipes cool between measurements you can determine where is the most beneficial location for the pump and whether you need more than one pump for your home.

Turn your hot water plumbing system green with a hot water demand system and start saving time water and money!

Related article: Hot water demand systems

Takagi - Noritz - Rinnai - Navien – Comparison of Tankless Water Heaters

2010-02-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

Of the major brands of tankless hot water heaters Noritz, Navien, Takagi, & Rinnai, which brand is best? I recently asked a friend of mine this question. He installs and services tankless water heaters so I figured if anyone would know he would. Here is his reply.

All the major brands of tankless hot water heaters are very similar in construction, operation, and quality. Each brand has claims by the manufacturer that theirs is better, but nothing really stands out in my opinion, to differentiate between the brands.

Noritz advertises its "Dual Burner" technology as a big advantage. Is that a significant advantage over the others? I don’t think so. Since all of the brands modulate the flames I don’t think having two small burners is any better than one larger burner. In fact, if I had to choose I would take the single burner since it is simpler and I think simpler is better.

Rinnai, Noritz, and Takagi are all made in Japan and Noritz and Takagi both share some components, and they have similar warranties. Rinnai uses a different venting system than Noritz and Takagi. Do I think its better? Not really.

I do like the fact that Rinnai tankless water heaters have a built-in condensation trap. Sometimes installers forget or just don't bother to include the condensation trap when installing a tankless water heater because of the additional cost. This can result in a much shorter life expectancy for the heat exchanger. Unless the customer knows something about tankless heater installations he would have no idea that it was missing. Vent condensation is highly corrosive and should not be allowed to drip on parts of your water heater.

Navien tankless water heaters are made in South Korea. Navien is better established in Canada. The Navien units have unique and interesting features, like a built in small buffer tank that lets you obtain low flows of hot water and eliminates cold water sandwiches.

Navien heaters have 98% efficiency while the other major brands have about 94%. Is the 4% difference significant? It would not be enough for you to notice on your utility bill.
Navien, Noritz, Rinnai and Takagi are mechanically very similar. They all deliver roughly the same amount of hot water for the gas or electricity used. The warranties are all pretty much the same.

I personally like Takagi because of their excellent service. They even have a toll free number 24/7 that I can call when there is a problem. When your hot water heater stops working on Friday night, and you can’t get any help until Monday morning you can become quite frustrated.

I feel that the most important thing when buying a tankless water heater is to be sure that heater is installed correctly; it is not like your standard storage type water heater where you connect a couple of pipes up and you are done.

With a tankless hot water heater It is very important to purchase it and have it installed by a plumber that is experienced with tankless water heaters particularly with the brand you are purchasing. If you experience problems in the future, you will be glad you did.

Another tankless water heater comparison article: Compare Bosch, Takagi, Noritz & Rinnai

Best Home Improvements – Home Improvement Idea for Your Kitchen and Bath

2010-02-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

If your home has long hot water pipes then it can take a long time to get hot water, which can be quite annoying. However, an easy, low cost solution to get you your hot water much more quickly is available. It’s a solution that speeds up your hot water, and saves you thousands of gallons of water a year.

A hot water demand system is the answer. Hot water demand systems are small pumps located under a sink furthest from your hot water heater. When you want hot water you just push a button and the system speeds the hot water from your hot water heater to your fixture without running water down the drain.

The water that has cooled off in the hot water pipes, is returned to the water heater through the cold water pipes. When the hot water reaches the the pump at the fixture it stops pumping and no hot water gets into the cold water pipes. Turn on your hot water and you have nearly instant hot water.

Other fixtures that share the same main hot water trunk line will also have faster hot water from the demand system. If your plumbing happens to be looped from fixture to fixture in a daisy chain fashion then all of your sinks will have faster hot water. By placing the system under the sink in a bathroom the shower and tub are also only seconds away from hot water once your demand system has finished its pumping cycle.

Hot water demand systems work fine with tankless water heaters as long as they have enough power to turn on the tankless hot water heater. Tankless heaters need a minimum hot water flow rate to turn on, typically ½ gallon to ¾ gallon per minute. Most recirculating pumps can’t produce a flow rate high enough to turn on tankless heaters.

Tankless water heaters require longer waiting times for hot water since they have to heat the water from scratch unlike storage water heaters. This makes demand systems even more important when you have a tankless water heater.

Solar water heaters work with hot water demand systems as well. Any kind of solar water heater will work with hot water demand pumps. If you are green enough to have a solar water heater on your home then you certainly should have a hot water demand system. In my opinion water savings is just as important as energy savings.

By reducing the amount of water you run down your drain you reduce the amount of sewage that must be processed and treated. That saves you more money and further reduces your carbon footprint.

If you have a septic system it reduces the load on your system saving you potential septic system problems.

This is an easy inexpensive home improvement project that saves you time, water, energy, and money and provides you with the convenience of fast hot water. Not many home improvement products can claim that.

Hot water demand systems for providing your home with instant hot water can be purchased online for less than $200, and some systems can be hooked up to your plumbing system with just supply hoses like the ones already on your fixtures. You don’t even have to turn off the water to your house.

A very easy and inexpensive home improvement project for the do it yourselfer and the novice alike. Possibly one of the best home improvements a homeowner can make.

Best Home Improvements

A Better Tankless Water Heater? Navien Tankless Water Heater – A Product Review

2010-02-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Navien tankless water heaters have a couple of great features that make it an outstanding choice for many homeowners. It appears they have solved several of the problems most tankless water heaters are saddled with.

Tankless water heaters a becoming quite popular, largely to due the perception that tankless water heaters are green and save energy. However, since tankless heaters require longer wait times to get hot water to the fixture, they can end up wasting water. Another problem with them is obtaining a small stream of warm water is very difficult.

Tankless units require a minimum flow rate to turn on, typically requiring ½ gallons per minute to ¾ gallons per minute. To get warm water you end up needing to mix cold water with the hot water and thus you can end up with a minimum flow of over a gallon a minute.

Navien has tankless water heaters with a built-in buffer tank and circulating pump. According to the Navien literature this feature allows you to use as little as .1 to .2 gallons per minute and the water heater will keep putting out hot water. With these models your hot water will reach your fixture more quickly since there is water already hot waiting to be sent to the fixture as soon as you turn on the hot water faucet.

This system also eliminates what is known as the “cold water sandwich” which is a common problem with tankless water heaters.

These tankless heaters can circulate the water internally between the heat exchanger and the buffer tank, or you can even connect them to a traditional dedicated return line and the internal pump will circulate hot water so you have instant hot water at your fixtures.

There are three “A” models, the NR-180A, the NR-210A, and the NR-240A offering a good range of flows for just about any residential application.

From the Navien website it sounds like the heater is well constructed. It has stainless steel heat exchangers and boasts a 98% efficiency, the highest in the industry. The exhaust temperature is low enough to use PVC for the venting, up to 100 feet long.

The three Navien water heaters that have these features are as follows:

NR-240A
Input 17,000~199,000 BTU/h
Thermal Efficiency 98%
Energy Factor 0.95
Flow Rate At 35˚F Rise : 11 GPM
At 45˚F Rise : 8.6 GPM
At 77˚F Rise : 5.1 GPM

NR-210A
Input 17,000~180,000 BTU/h
Thermal Efficiency 98%
Energy Factor 0.94
Flow Rate At 35˚F Rise : 10.0 GPM
At 45˚F Rise : 7.7 GPM
At 77˚F Rise : 4.6 GPM

NR-180A
Input 15,000~150,000 BTU/h
Thermal Efficiency 98%
Energy Factor 0.94
Flow Rate At 35˚F Rise : 8.3 GPM
At 45˚F Rise : 6.5 GPM
At 77˚F Rise : 3.8 GPM

Navien claims its condensing technology uses less gas than standard storage tank type water heaters and that it results in lower CO2 Emissions than other brands.

It’s further disclosed that the Navien heaters dramatically reduce NOx emissions, giving it the lowest emission level in the industry. Interestingly Navien states that its Condensing 98% tankless water heater has become more eco-friendly by dissolving NOx in condensed water to neutralize the alkaline sewage in your house, improving water quality. Interesting concept, but is it anything significant? I don’t know the answer to that.

All Navien heaters will work great with hot water demand systems, and with the A models the low required turn on flow will probably allow it to work with just about any of the hot water circulating systems and demand type systems on the market.

Recent article: Motion Sensing for Residential Hot Water Demand Systems

Plumbing a Bathroom? Go Green with Instant Hot Water

2010-01-30T00:26:00.000-08:00

If you are about to begin plumbing a bathroom you should consider the benefits of instant hot water with a hot water demand pump. Your family can easily save thousands of gallons of water every year and experience the convenience of instant hot water when you turn on the tap or the shower.

There are three basic types of systems to solve slow hot water problems. There is the traditional hot water circulating system, the warm water circulating system, and the demand hot water system. Not all of them are green although they all save water.

Traditional hot water recirculation

Hot water circulating pumps require looped plumbing from fixture to fixture with a dedicated return line at the last fixture. It’s extremely wasteful of energy requiring the water heater to work harder and more often to keep hot water in the lines. They won’t work with most tankless water heaters.

Warm water circulating systems

These systems have a small pump mounted under the bathroom sink that operates much like a temperature controlled traditional hot water circulating system, except the control temperature is set much lower. The result is instant warm water at the fixture.

To get hot you still must purge the warm water from the pipes. It’s faster but by no means instant. These systems also fill the cold water line with warm water so if you want cold water you must purge the warm water which of course wastes water.

Hot water demand pumps

Hot water demand pumps speed hot water from your water heater to your fixture without running any water down the drain. With a demand system when you want hot water you push a button to start the system and when hot water arrives at the pump it shuts off.

No hot water gets into the cold water line and when you turn on the tap you have nearly instant hot water. With the pump located under the sink, all the fixtures in the bathroom plumbing have faster hot water. Demand hot water systems are all green.

The demand pump should be located at the furthest sink from the water heater and will service any sinks or fixtures operating off of the main trunk line serviced by the pump.

How much any branched-off fixtures benefit from the demand pump depends on the specific plumbing layout. Short branches will have fast hot water and longer branches will take longer. Usually the main trunk line is ¾ inch pipe with the branch piping usually ½ inch pipe. The water travels much faster in the branch piping due to its smaller capacity.

When plumbing a bathroom try to loop the plumbing from fixture to fixture with the demand pump at the last fixture. Any fixtures plumbed in this fashion in not only the bathroom but in the whole house will have instant hot water once the pump shuts off.

Demand pumps are very green products, not only saving thousands of gallons of water, but requiring very little energy to operate. Typically a demand pump will consume less than $2.00 per year in electricity.

Hot water demand systems will operate with tankless water heaters as well. If you are going to use a demand pump with a tankless water heater make sure it produces enough flow to turn on the water heater.

Hot water demand systems can be very economical as well. A good hot water demand system can be obtained for under $200.00 and any do it yourselfer can install one in an hour or so. Some models can be installed with just supply hoses like your sink already uses and you don’t even have to shut off the water to the house… just the supply valves under the sink.

If you are plumbing a bathroom you can go green and install a hot water demand system, save time water and money and experience the convenience of instant hot water when you turn on the tap.

Hot Water Heater Problems – Gas Water Heaters

2010-01-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

It’s the forgotten appliance, but when you have gas hot water heater problems it can be very inconvenient. Most water heater problems are pretty easy to fix and some are impossible to fix.

I’m going to stick to tank type storage water heaters for this article because storage water heaters are much easier to trouble shoot and repair than tankless water heaters. They pretty much consist of a tank of water over a burner with a thermostat. They are pretty simple and very reliable.

Tankless water heaters are sophisticated high tech appliances. The tankless units have multiple sensors to monitor things like incoming water temperature, outlet temperature, exhaust temperature, and water flow all feeding information to an internal computer. The computer controls things like modulating gas valves and water flow valves. There are error codes and many models even have remote controls.

Typical problems you may encounter with your water heater are things like the pilot light going out or it won’t re-light, pressure relief valves that leak or drip, broken or damaged dip tubes, worn out anode rods, and leaking tanks.

Pilot light problems

Usually pilot light problems are a result of a bad thermocouple. The thermocouple sits directly in the flame from the pilot light and glows red from the heat. The thermocouple generates a small electric current from the heat and the current keeps the gas valve open.

If the thermocouple goes bad the pilot light will not stay lit. Replacing the thermocouple is relatively easy. Usually it’s held in place by a nut. It’s a small tubular shaped metal object with a small diameter metal tube which ends with a fitting that screws into the gas valve.

If the pilot light stays lit, but the burners won’t come one, check to see if the flame is bright blue. A weak yellow flame may not get the thermocouple hot enough for the gas valve to open.

The flame should hit the thermocouple about 1/2 inch from the end. The flame can be adjusted, usually by a small screw on the gas valve. Refer to the owner’s manual for instructions for your specific heater.

Dip Tube Problems

The dip tube is a plastic tube that fits down inside the water heater inlet. It directs the cold incoming water from the water main to the bottom of the tank to keep it from mixing with the hot water leaving the heater.

If the dip tube breaks, the incoming cold water will mix with the hot as it leaves the heater and you will a much lower temperature hot water. Broken dip tubes usually result in symptoms like running out of hot water very quickly, or the water temperature is too low.

Leaking or dripping TP relief valve.

Storage water heaters have a safety device known as a temperature-pressure relief valve that opens if the temperature gets too high or if the water pressure gets too high. Without the TPR valve, also know as a pop-off valve, the water heater can become a bomb.

I just watched a youtube video by mythbusters showing a water heater blowing up… it was very impressive.

The owner’s manuals usually state that you should test your TP valve at least once a year by lifting the handle and releasing some water. In my experience, after you’ve done that there is a good chance it will drip forever.

The only solution I know of for a leaking TPR valve is to go down to the hardware store and buy a new one.

Thermostat problems

Thermostats rarely break down. If they do you might want to leave it to a professional to replace. Gas leaks can be extremely dangerous.

Symptoms that my present themselves when there is a problem with the gas valve are no hot water, or hot water that is too low in temperature. Most often the symptom will be no hot water which you will discover when you get in the shower in the morning.

Smelly hot water

If your hot water smells like rotten eggs, then there is probably bacteria which consumes the anti-corrosion anode rod and releases the gas that smells like rotten eggs. Usually it’s a magnesium rod. You can get Aluminum rods that the bacteria doesn’t eat, or use bleach to kill the bacteria, but it will probably come back.

The aluminum anode rod is probably the best solution. They are easy to replace. They thread down into an opening in the top of the heater that looks just like the inlet and outlets.

Strange noises

Gas water heaters can create some interesting sound effects. The main culprit is sediment buildup in the bottom of the tank. As the burners heat the bottom of the tank steam bubbles can form, and make poping and other sounds as they escape from under a layer of sediment. To solve this water heater problem you must flush the sediment out of the tank.

Milky whitish appearance

Air can get dissolved into the water, and when you fill a glass of hot water it appears milking in color. This is actually thousands of tiny bubbles. Let the water stand for a while and the bubbles will eventually all go away. It causes no harm, just looks odd.

Leaking water heater tank

This is my favorite way for a water heater to fail. When I see a puddle of water forming under the gas water heater in the garage, I know it’s time to call a plumber and have a new one installed. That way I don’t get inconvenienced for long.

The worst kind of failure is the one that gives you no warning. That’s just my opinion of course.

There is no way to fix a leaking water heater tank, it must be replaced.

Recent Article: Motion Sensing for Residential Hot Water Demand Systems It talks about how to use a motion switch or timer to control your demand system and what kind of things you can expect to happen when you do.

Gas Tankless Water Heater Prices – Include the Cost of Installation

2010-01-26T16:11:00.000-08:00

Include the Installation Price When Getting a Quote!

If you are looking at tankless water heater prices then you might want to consider pricing them at sites that have installation available in your area. Proper installation is critical for tankless water heaters, much more so than standard tank type water heaters.

Even years down the road if the heater breaks down it could be due to improper installation and this can greatly reduce the life of a tankless water heater.

Storage Gas Hot Water Heaters

Good old storage water heaters (gas) are basically a tank with a burner and a thermostat. They are a great do it yourself project. Remove the old heater and put in the new one. Hook up the gas, vent, hot and cold water connections and you are ready to go take your shower.

If the hot water is too hot or not hot enough then adjust the thermostat knob. If you live in an area with particularly hard water you may want to flush your water heater yearly. This will prevent sediment build up.

When gas storage hot water heaters fail it’s usually a leaking tank. The puddle that begins to form is an early warning letting you get your tank replaced without having to do without hot water.

Gas Tankless Hot Water Heaters

Gas tankless water heaters are NOT a simple tank and burner. They are sophisticated appliances with micro computers in them with, sensors, modulating valves, and flow switches. The internal computers monitor variables such as water inlet and outlet temperature, exhaust temperature, gas flow etc.

Tankless hot water heaters require larger venting due to the larger burners, often require stainless steel venting, and larger gas lines to supply the larger burners. Often mounted outside, tankless heaters need freeze protection which is often built into the units. Combine freezing weather and a power outage could be a disaster!

Tankless water heaters are complex in their operation and can often shut down unexpectedly leaving you without hot water. The heater may be working along fine at low flow and when you increase the flow it suddenly shuts off because the exhaust temperature got to high or the gas flow was insufficient. And if it breaks down there is no warning… just no hot water when you turn on the faucet.

Most problems with tankless water heaters turn out to be due to improper installation. Most plumbers are not well versed in troubleshooting modern tankless water heaters, especially any one particular brand.

Because installation is so very important you should have a professional install your tankless heater and a specialist in the brand you are having installed would be a plus.

Electric Tankless Water Heaters

Electric tankless water heaters big enough to supply hot water for a shower typically require a tremendous amount of electricity. The gas heaters require bigger gas lines and the electric tankless water heaters require larger wires. They usually require their own dedicated wires and their own circuit breakers.

In many cases the existing electrical service to the house needs to be upgraded which can be pretty expensive. Be sure to include that kind of cost in your tankless water heater prices if you need to upgrade your electrical service.

You may find that by the time you get the thing installed the price will turn out to be far higher than the cost of the tankless water heater.

Check out my recent article about controlling the Chilipepper with Motion Sensors.

Motion Sensing for Residential Hot Water Demand Systems

2010-01-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

Using a motion detector to start your hot water demand system can have unexpected results.

Demand systems are meant to be activated and then used quickly. Hot water in your piping cools off quite rapidly. Since a demand system shuts off the pump when hot water reaches it, if you don’t use the hot water quickly it will soon become “warm” water and to get hot you will still need to run more water out of the pipes and down the drain.

How the hot water demand system behaves a short while after being used depends mainly on how long since the system was last used. If the water hasn’t cooled to below 96 degrees the pump will be locked out and won’t start until the water in the pump cools to below 96 degrees F. You will be forced to purge the warm water from the pipes to obtain hot water and end up running that water down the drain.

If the water has cooled to just below 96 degrees… say about 90 degrees, then the pump will run again until it sees a sudden increase in temperature or if it senses water hotter than 96 degrees and then shut off again. Now however, there will be 90 degree water filling the cold water line.

If you begin using the hot water mixed with cold, after a short time the warm water will be purged from the cold water line and you may need to re-adjust the temperature to add more hot and less cold water. More details about how the hot water demand system behaves in different situations. It pretty much depends on the water temperatures in the piping.

Using a Motion Sensor

As you can see, any significant wait after you have tripped the motion sensor can cause an inconvenience and or end up wasting water.

Another thing to consider when using motion sensors to control your demand system is what happens when someone enters the bathroom while you are taking a shower? Depending on your plumbing layout and how long since the pump was last run, it could cause a fluctuation in water temperature like flushing a toilet sometimes does.

This is especially true when you have a tankless water heater. Since tankless water heaters take time to heat the water, typically 10 to 20 seconds, if the heater has been off for a few minutes you may experience a brief “cold water sandwich”.

Before you decide you want a motion sensor to activate your demand system you might consider how often you enter your bathroom when you don’t want hot water. Each time the pump runs and you don’t use hot water you are wasting energy and increasing your water heating bill. This is especially true with tankless water heaters. It doesn’t take many firings of the heater to use more energy than a standard tank type water heater loses in standby loss.

The same things hold true when using a timer based system. You can have the demand pump turn on automatically at say 7:30 a.m. every morning, but if you push the snooze button a time or two you are still going to need to run the pump again when you get to the bathroom.

Since the piping is warm you will get hot water faster but you pay the price in extra energy consumption.

For some people motion sensing to control the delivery of hot water is a welcome convenience, but for many others it would just be a wasteful nuisance.

Water Conservation, Low Flow Fixtures, and Tankless Water Heaters

2010-01-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

Low Flow Fixtures

Now days all faucet fixtures for residential plumbing are low flow devices.

While they do aid in water conservation efforts, they can be a bit inconvenient. They don’t save you water if you are filling a pot, getting a glass of water or where a measured volume of water is to be had. They can be a nuisance when you have to wait and wait for the sink to fill with water, or if you are trying to get hot water to the faucet.

Low flow fixtures cause the hot water to flow through the pipes more slowly, and so it takes longer to get your hot water. This can be especially trying when you have long pipe runs, or when your pipe is under a concrete slab and not insulated.

Slow hot water can lead to water wastage. It can take so long to get hot water at a fixture that many hot water users let the hot water run while they do something else before returning to see if it is hot yet. By the time they come back and check they are running hot water down the drain.

At this point energy is being wasted as well as water and the energy to heat the water being run down the drain is substantial… much more expensive than the water being heated.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are not water conservation friendly to begin with. It takes a tankless unit longer to deliver hot water than a storage water heater since it has to heat the water first which can take 10 to 20 seconds longer than a storage water heater would deliver it.

To obtain the hot water temperature you desire you typically mix hot and cold water to get the desired temperature. This works fine with a storage water heater but can be a problem with tankless units when lower flows are used.

To turn on the tankless heater you must draw ½ to ¾ gallons per minute, depending on the water heater model you have. The outlet temperature with a tankless unit does not change as long as you don’t exceed the maximum flow, so the minimum flow of say ½ gallon per minute is at the full outlet temperature.

If you need to mix half cold and half hot to get the desired temperature you are then forced to use 1 gallon per minute which can often be a much larger flow than you need or want. This of course results in wasted water being run down the drain.

Hot Water Demand Systems

Hot water demand systems can overcome the inconvenience of slow hot water caused by low flow fixtures. Hot water demand systems pump the water to your fixture fast without running water down the drain. Your hot water is faster and you save time water and money.

A hot water demand system typically locates a small pump under the sink furthest from the water heater. When hot water is desired the user pushes the start button which activates the pump and speeds hot water to the fixture. The cooled off hot water from the last hot water use is returned to the water heater through the cold water piping so no dedicated return line is needed.

Demand systems are especially nice when used with tankless water heaters since you save both energy, with the tankless heater and water, with the demand system while having the convenience of fast hot water.

Solar with Tankless - Water Heater Guide - Water Conservation

Water Heater Guide - What Kind Of Heater Is Best?

2010-01-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

At first it seems like a simple question. Which water heater is the right one for my application? But after taking a second look, it can become quite complex. There are a number of ways to heat water and a variety of fuels to choose from.

Items you need to consider include the initial cost of the system, cost of operation, maintenance, physical size, fuel type, and the flow rate of hot water needed during peak usage.

Solar Water Heaters

Solar powered water heating can provide you with plenty of hot water if you live where solar radiation is plentiful. Living where freezing temperatures occur complicates systems that are susceptible to freezing.

Solar water heaters can vary in cost from very inexpensive home made batch heaters to sophisticated high tech systems with pumps and solar panels. With the more sophisticated systems maintenance and repair can become an issue.

Solar systems rarely provide a positive return on investment without some form of tax credits or other incentives because of the high initial cost and relatively small savings.

Electric Hot Water Heaters

Electric water heaters are more efficient than gas water heaters, but heating water with electricity is about twice as expensive as heating water with gas. Electricity is the most expensive way to heat water though because electricity is much more expensive than gas. Electric water heaters also take about twice as long to heat water as gas heaters take.

Electric water heaters are pretty simple devices and as a result they are quite reliable. Typically the failure mode is for a tank leak. When the tank begins to leak go find a new water heater.

Heat Pump Hot Water Heaters

Heat pump water heaters use less energy than standard because they don’t produce the heat; they transfer it from the air to the tank. It takes less energy to move the heat than to generate it. Heat pumps can use ground water to obtain heat from the earth instead of the surrounding air in some cases.

Heat pump water heaters are more expensive than traditional gas or electric water heaters, and they take longer to heat the water.

Gas Hot Water Heaters

Gas water heaters are usually the least expensive method of heating water due to the low cost of gas compared to electricity. This applies only if you happen to have access to natural gas though. There isn’t much difference between propane and natural gas water heaters other than the cost of the gas.

Like electrics, gas water heaters are fairly simple and hence very reliable. As with the electrics a tank leak is often the first sign of a problem and water heater replacement the solution.

Electric Tankless Hot Water Heaters

Electric tankless heaters are typically small due to the high amount of energy required to rapidly heat flowing water. Often they are just big enough to supply a single fixture. With electrics you don’t have to worry about venting, indoor pollution, or carbon monoxide poisoning. They are small and silent operating.

With tankless water heaters a minimum flow rate a minimum flow rate must be maintained to keep the heater turned on. You won’t be able to get a trickle of warm water.

Selecting the proper size heater for your application is critical. Too large or too small and you will have problems.

For electrics capable of supplying larger amounts of hot water will probably need their own dedicated 220 volt circuits with larger than normal wiring. You may also need to upgrade your service from your power company.

Gas Tankless Water Heaters

Gas heats water more rapidly electricity providing much larger flow rates. They can supply endless amounts of hot water, they have higher overall efficiencies than tank water heaters because there are no standby losses.

Tankless heaters require a longer delivery time for hot water, increased gas line size in and venting, and potentially higher repair costs. Most gas tankless hot water heaters will not operate during a power outage. Some models generate their own electricity from the flowing water.

Gas tankless hot water heaters are considerably more expensive than traditional storage types and should any thing go wrong they are expensive to repair. It’s also harder to find experienced service people for tankless units.

New links page. Links 5

Solar hot water combined with tankless water heating: Solar and Tankless

Hot Water – Residential Hot Water Conservation Products

2010-01-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hot Water Conservation Is Harder Than Cold Water Conservation

Water conservation products for cold water conservation are prolific. There are low flow fixtures; actually these are now mandatory in most areas, low flow shower heads, water conserving appliances, low flow toilets and other flow restricting devices.

There are also things like dual-flush toilets, toilet dams, drip irrigation systems, and all sorts of other water conservation products.

A lot of these conservation devices do not really provide conservation for those individuals who are already practicing good water habits. For instance, low flow kitchen faucets only save water when someone leaves the water running based on time. Filling the sink takes the same amount of water no mater how slow the flow is. The same is true with filling a pitcher of water.

Water conserving appliances often need the user to use special cycles, which are often not used.

Most of these water conservation products do not address one of the largest wasters of water in the home… the hot water plumbing layout. Long pipe make for long delays in getting hot water. Low flow fixtures make the problem worse by slowing down the hot water.

Slow hot water loses more heat energy to the piping as it moves toward the fixture, thus the wait becomes even longer and more water gets run down the drain. So what can we do?

Water Heater Pumps

There are a class of water heater pumps known as hot water demand pumps. These are small pumps that mount under the sink furthest from your water heater. When you want hot water you demand it by pressing a start button. When you push the button it starts the pump which pumps the hot water from the water heater to your fixture at high speed.

When hot water reaches the pump, an electronic controller shuts the pump off. Now when you turn on the faucet you get instant hot water and no water was run down the drain.

The pump uses the cold water line to return the cooled down hot water that was left in the piping from the last use back to the water heater inlet. They use very little energy to operate since they run for a very short time and only when hot water is demanded by the user. Typically they consume about $2.00 per year in electricity for a family of four.

Solar Water Heaters

Demand hot water systems work fine with all types of solar systems. Some types of solar systems have longer than normal hot water distribution lines and demand hot water systems are particularly good for those types of systems. It’s not what type of fuel you use free or not, it’s how long the distribution piping and how long a wait it is before you get hot water. The longer you have to wait, the more water you are running down the drain.

Tankless Hot Water Heaters

Demand hot water pumps work great with tankless hot water heaters as long as the demand system pump has enough power to turn on the water heater. Tankless water heaters take 10 to 20 seconds longer to get hot water to the fixtures than a tank type water heater. This makes the demand system that much more valuable with tankless units.

Hot water conservation with a demand system not only provides significant water savings, but it does it in a way that adds the convenience of fast hot water. This makes it much more likely that the user will actually use it, and water conservation will actually take place.

Recent Article: Residential Hot Water Conservation

Solar hot water

Tankless water heater Installation

Hot Water Recirculation

Solar Water Heaters Save Energy – Now Add Water Savings

2009-12-31T17:35:00.000-08:00

Instant Hot Water Will Save You Water and Money!

Now that you’ve heated your water for free from the sun, it’s time to address the hot water delivery system. Stop standing there with your hand in the shower stream waiting for the water to get hot! Sending water down the drain while you wait just makes it that much worse. But there is a solution!

Demand Hot Water Pumps Save Water

A demand system pumps the hot water from your water heater to your fixture at fast without running any water down the drain. When hot water reaches the pump, it shuts off.

Turn On the Tap and Get Instant Hot Water

Now when you turn on the tap you have nearly instant hot water. When you desire hot water you just push the start button and the pump starts up, pumping the water from the water heater to the sink. At the same time it sends the cooled-off hot water in the back to the heater through the cold water lines.

Solar Powered Water Heater – Any Kind

Demand systems will work with any type of water heater including any kind of solar water heater. Direct, indirect, batch, or any other kind of solar installation will work with a demand system.

The longer the pipes the more wait time you have for hot water and the more water gets run down the drain. Often solar water heaters have more piping than standard water heater installations. This is especially true for batch type systems that have a storage tank of hot water up on the roof.

Hot water demand system pumps use very little electricity for their operation, normally less than $2.00 per year in electricity costs. Demand pumps use no more energy than if you did not have one, other than that $2.00 in electricity.

A hot water demand pump does nearly the same thing you do… turn on the hot water until it reaches the sink. The demand pump usually pumps the water to the fixture much more quickly than just running the water down the drain.

Low flow fixtures cause slow hot water.

The time it takes for water to reach the fixture is determined by the diameter of the pipe and the gallons per minute of flow. Larger pipe takes longer to fill and cause longer waits.

Higher flow rates result in higher water speeds and shorter wait times. It’s impractical to change your pipe diameter; however you can raise the flow rate by not having to run water through a low flow fixture.

Bathroom sink fixtures are often one gallon per minute or less. This means a long waiting period for you to get your hot water.

The solar powered water heater efficiently heats your water; now turn your hot water plumbing layout green and make it efficient by adding a demand pump for fast hot water and water savings.

Solar water heating and hot water demand pumps are a perfect combination for ecology and environmentally conscious home owners.

You can even use tankless water heaters with your solar water heater and a demand pump for an energy efficient, water saving, hot water plumbing system that can also provide you with unlimited hot water. Combine Tankless and Solar Water Heaters

Solar Water Heaters, Tankless Water Heaters, and Hot Water Demand Systems

2009-12-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

I was asked by a potential customer about using a solar water heater in conjunction with a tankless water heater this morning. Using a solar water heater to feed a tankless water heater is a great idea and a green idea too.

Solar water heaters come in several types including active systems including direct, indirect, and passive.

The passive solar systems locate the storage tank above the solar panels, that way the hot water rises into the storage tank, and cooler water from the tank sinks down to the bottom of the collectors. This thermo siphon cycle continues as long as the water in the collectors is being heated.

In active type solar systems a pump circulates the water from the collectors into the storage tank when the temperature in the collectors is sufficiently high and above the temperature in the tank. Some systems use an indirect method of heating the water. These indirect systems circulate a fluid through the solar collectors and then through a heat exchanger in the hot water tank.

Solar hot water tanks are very well insulated, and they do not have a flue through the center, so they have minimal standby losses.

Tankless water heaters modulate the gas burners or electric heating elements to maintain a steady pre-set outlet temperature. If you feed the inlet with the outlet from your solar water heater the tankless unit will not turn on unless the water temperature coming from the solar water hater isn’t hot enough, and if it isn’t, it will burn just enough gas or consume just enough current to keep the outlet temperature at the pre-set temperature.

You end up with a highly efficient hot water plumbing system that uses the minimum amount of energy when solar hot water is available, and you still have unlimited amounts of hot water when you need it. It’s a great way to turn your residential plumbing system green.

Adding a hot water demand system makes the system even greener. By adding the hot water pump you save water as well as energy. A demand pump uses very little energy, typically about $2.00 per year in electricity costs, and saves many thousands of gallons of water per year.

By combining all three items, solar hot water heating, tankless hot water heater, and a hot water demand system you get the greenest possible solution to your hot water problems providing you with water savings, energy savings, and the convenience of fast and endless hot water. You reduce green house gas emissions and reduce your carbon foot print and save money.

More about Solar and Tankless Combined

Green Water Heaters Have a Pump!

2009-12-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

Some water heaters are more energy efficient than others, but not by much. Some water heaters are inherintly green, like solar water heaters. But by adding a pump any water heater can be made greener, including storage tank, tankless, solar, boiler, gas, and electric.

Tankless Hot Water

Usually it’s the tankless people that proclaim their water heaters as being green, due to the fact that they use less energy than tank type water heaters. The reason of course, is they don’t have a big hot water tank losing energy 24 hours a day. This results in a 15 to 20 percent reduction in energy consumption according to most of the tankless water heater websites.

However, according to a study of tankless water heater performance done by the Australian government, it takes tankless water heaters 10 to 20 seconds longer on average to deliver hot water to the fixtures.

Australia has a huge drought going on and saving water is very important. Since it takes longer to get hot water the user ends up running more water down the drain. Using a demand hot water system solves this problem by getting the hot water to the fixture without running any water down the drain. It’s a good tool to use as a drought solution product.

Tank Type Water Heaters – Gas or Electric

It doesn’t mater what fuel type the water heater uses, or even what kind of water heater it is. Virtually any water heater will work with a demand pumping system. Storage, tankless, solar, boiler, they all work with demand hot water pumps. As long as you have hot water piping from the heater to the fixture a water heater pump will save you water.

Water Heater Pumps Are Green

Hot water is the last bastion of water conservation potential. There are low flow fixtures, toilets, water conserving appliances, gray water systems, and all sorts of gadgets to detect leaks and whatnot. It’s time to turn our attention to the residential hot water system and start saving all that water being wasted.

Estimates at water savings due to hot water demand systems like the Chilipepper and the Metlund D’mand system range from about 10,000 gallons per year to 16,000 gallons of water per year.

Saving Water Big Time

If we use a more conservative figure, say 5,000 gallons of water each year, and we could somehow upgrade all of the single family homes in the United States, of which there are over 50,000,000 (Fifty million), the resulting water savings for the US would be 250,000,000 (two hundred fifty trillion) gallons of water per year.

There would also be two hundred fifty trillion fewer gallons of water being fed into sewer systems and thus a large amount of energy would be saved just from not having to treat the sewage that would have resulted.

Greener Tankless Hot Water

The tankless water heaters benefit even more since they waste more water due to start-up times. Someone who wants to go green and install a tankless hot water heater to save energy and reduce their carbon foot print has no excuse not to also install a water heater pump. The cost for some hot water demand systems is less than $200 and will add the savings from not wasting all of that water to your energy savings.

You will be saving energy and water and reducing your carbon footprint substantially while experiencing the convenience of fast hot water.

Check out my latest article concerning the various types of water heater pumping systems now on the market. Water Heater Pumps

Hot Water Recirculation Systems for Slow Hot Water Problems

2009-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

I discovered a hot water recirculation system I had not seen before while surfing the web today, it’s called the Astro Express Hot Water Re-circulation System and it’s made by Armstrong. The system seems to be very similar if not identical to the Grundfos Comfort system. It has a pump at the water heater and a temperature controlled valve under one or more sinks.

The pump is called the “ASTRO 20 BU-T CIRCULATOR”, and the valve is called the the “ASTRO EXPRESS VALVE”. Not much special about the pump, it’s a standard hot water circulating pump with very little power… with 1/25 of a horsepower. The valve takes four hoses and is both temperature controlled and apparently adjustable.

The pump is much too small to operate a tankless water heater, so if you don’t have a tank type water heater then this device will not work for you.

I just wrote a review of the system and published it as an article on my website. Astro Express Hot Water Recirculation System

It is a warm-water circulating system that will increase the energy used and eliminate the ability to obtain “cold” water from your fixture without first purging the warm water from the cold water line. It is in the same class as the Grundfos Comfort system, the Laing Autocirc1, the RedyTemp, and others.

The Astro express system allows you to place more than one valve in the system in case you have a branched plumbing layout that has separate long pipe runs.

The pump has a built in timer so you can reduce the energy wastage by leaving the pump off during periods that you would not expect to be using hot water like when you are asleep or when no one is home during the day.

Well that’s all I have for the Astro Express Hot Water Recirculation System.

Electric Point of Use Water Heaters – Potential Cost and Installation Problems

2009-12-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

Electric Point of Use Water Heaters – Potential Cost and Installation Problems

Small tank type electric point of use water heaters can problems when it comes to their installation including potentially high installation costs.

One of the largest problems involved with the installation of small point of use water heaters is the amount of electricity available. Usually it’s not difficult to get the wiring from an outlet above the sink to down below the sink, but often the circuit is only a 15 amp supply and it’s always 110 Volts which severely restricts the size of heater you can use.

A small point of use water heater’s electric heating element usually requires about 1,500 Watts, which requires a current draw of 12.5 amps. If you use your 1500 watt hair dryer and the heater comes on, you will blow a circuit breaker.

Point-of-use water heaters usually have a small (less than 5 gallon) tank. These heaters are not able to heat water quickly with only 1,500 watts. To quickly heat water, as with a tankless heater, we would require at least 40Amps.

If you want to use a tankless water heater you will most likely need at least 40 amps at 220volts to obtain a temperature rise of 65°F at 1.0 GPM. Most homes have a 100 amp service. In today’s energy intensive world 100 amps it is often not enough.

Upgrading your service to 200 amps can be done. If your homes power comes from overhead wires then it’s not too bad, but if your electric service comes from underground, look out, cause it’s going to be expensive.

Obtaining a service upgrade from 100 amp service to 200 amp service can cost around $ 2000 - $2,500 not including hookup to the water heater.

The kitchen often has a 20 amp service with 20 amp circuit breakers that are only used for the garbage disposal. The garbage disposal electrical service can be used to power a small point of use water heater, but running the disposal when the water heater’s electric heating elements are operating could blow the circuit breaker, and it is often against local building codes.

The Takagi T-K-Jr Tankless Hot Water Heater – A Product Review

2009-12-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

Let’s take a brief look at the T-K Jr. the smallest water heater in the Takagi line of tankless water heaters.

According to Takagi, it can meet the hot-water needs of a small home or apartment with one or two bathrooms, as well as small commercial applications.

Takagi claims it was designed to do anything a standard 40-gallon tank-type water heater can do. The T-K Jr. works with both hydronic baseboard and radiant floor heating. It has an energy efficiency rating of .81 when burning natural gas and can provide 3.8 gallons per minute with a 60 degree temperature rise. The maximum input is 140,000 Btu.

When the water heater detects a flow of at least 0.75 gallons per minute, the heater turns on. While The computer in the controls monitors the water temperature, flow rate and gas flow.

When the burners ignite, a lamp comes on telling you the tankless water heater operating normally. The internal computer controls the gas valve and controls the water flow to maintain the preset water temperature of the water at the outlet
While reading through the owner’s manual, which you can find online at Takagi’s site, I ran found the following statement:

“The unit should be checked once a year or as necessary by a licensed technician. If repairs are needed, any repairs should be done by a licensed technician. The following systems and parts should be checked at least once a year:
1. Venting system
2. Burner
3. Manual operation of the pressure relief valve to ensure correct operation.
4. Periodic cleaning of the water filter (figure above).
5. Heat exchanger. Remove the thermistor and check for a mineral coating. A mineral
coating on the thermistor requires flushing the heat exchanger with a de-scaling
solution. Scale build up will void your warranty and shorten the life of your water
heater.”

You might have to add the cost of a yearly maintenance check to the costs of your tankless water heater, and that could reduce the savings from your tankless water heater.

Elsewhere in the Takagi site I read this:

“8. Water hardness may affect the water heater. Water heater may be damaged. The warranty will not cover damage caused by water quality.”

It’s something for you to think about if you live in a hard water area.

The Takagi T-K Jr requires a 110 Volts to operate the controls, so if there is a power failure your tankless water heater won’t be able to provide you with hot water.
The T-KJR can be used for space heating, and potable hot water heating at the same time.

The owner’s manual includes information on how to use the hot water heater for baseboard and for radiant heating applications and comes complete with diagrams of typical systems.

Turn your hot water plumbing green with an energy efficient Takagi tankless hot water heater.

Noritz Tankless Water Heater Series 531 and 631 Models – Some Interesting Facts.

2009-12-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

I was looking over the owners manual for the Noritz tankless water heaters, models: Model N-0631S, N-0631S-OD, N-0531S, N-0531S-OD, and there were interesting thing in there.

For instance, I read the following:

“Do not drink water that has been inside the unit for an extended period of time. Do not drink the first use of hot water from the unit in the morning.”

What? Really! Why not! Don’t tell me not to drink the water and not tell me why. What is being leached into the water? Maybe there is too much solder exposed to the potable water? This needs further research, and if I find out I’ll report back about it in a future blog.

The next thing that interested me was the statement: “Clean the filter on the water inlet as
frequently as required by the quality of your local water. “I hope that isn’t often since I probably won’t ever get around to it. I peeked at the instructions about cleaning the water inlet filter, which is listed in the Noritz manual under “Periodic Maintenance”.

Here are the steps:
1. Close the water supply valve.
2. Open all hot water fixtures.
3. With a bucket ready, remove the inlet and outlet drain plugs (about 0.2 gal. will drain out)
4. Take the water drain valve (with water filter) out of the inlet. (See illustration to right).
5. Clean the water drain valve (with water filter) with a brush under running water.
6. Replace the water drain valve (with water filter) and close the drain plugs. (Take care not to lose the packing.)
7. Close all hot water fixtures.
8. Open the water supply valve and check that water does not leak from the drain plugs or water drain valve (with water filter).

I would hope that I wouldn’t have to do that very often.

In the troubleshooting section I discovered this item:

“• To keep the temperature stable, the heater limits the amount of water that can flow through it to a small amount initially, but the amount increases over time.”

Interesting, they should tell us more about this… maybe they do and I missed it.

Still in the tankless water heater trouble shooting section of the Noritz manual I came across this statement:

“• If the supply water is hard and has not been treated, scale can build-up in the water heater and decrease the maximum amount of hot water available. Scale can be removed from the water heater by flushing the unit periodically. To prevent scale from forming in the water heater, a water softener or scale inhibitor is recommended.”

Remote Control?

I never really thought about it, but that makes sense, since you may need to change the temperature setting and rather than go find the tankless water heater, you just pick up the remote in your bathroom and change the temperature setting. The remote also lets you set a pre-determined amount of water for things like filling your bathtub, although it seems to me to be a little frivolous. LOL to each his own.

Well, that’s all the interesting stuff I could find in the manual about the Noritz models Model N-0631S, N-0631S-OD, N-0531S, N-0531S-OD.

These models are great for green point of use water heater installations. Green because not only do you save energy with the tankless hot water heater, but you save water by eliminating long hot water lines. It’s about the greenest hot water plumbing you can get.

Residential PEX Manifold Plumbing

2009-11-29T23:03:00.000-08:00

PEX Tubing for Residential Plumbing Systems

I was asked earlier today if a hot water demand system would work with one of these new PEX plumbing systems that use remote manifolds.

Well the short answer is yes. You can basically use a hot water demand system with any hot water distribution system. The only criteria are that the cold water faucets are connected somewhere in the house to the inlet of the water heater, and the hot water pipes connect to the water heater outlet.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a tank type water heater, a tankless water heater, or a solar water heater, a good demand system will work with any of them.

What Is a Pex Manifold Plumbing System?

Pex is a modified polyethylene material that has good properties for use in water distribution systems. A PEX plumbing system uses PEX tubing including 3/8 inch, ½ inch and ¾ inch diameters.

Using PEX tubing allows you to use long continuous tubing runs between the source of hot water and the fixture without the need for elbows and other fittings. This keeps pressure drops to a minimum and reduces labor.

Typically PEX systems will have a main trunk line or lines connecting to manifolds. The manifolds normally have a shut off valve at each outlet so the individual piping runs can be turned off individually. 3/8 tubing is often used for the run from the manifold to the individual fixtures.

Advantages of PEX tubing

With such small diameter tubing the water velocity is high and so the hot water reaches the fixture more quickly than with a conventional piping system.

The low volume of water contained in the tubing results in a small conservation of water compared to conventional piping systems.

Other potential advantages include the ability to expand enough to absorb water hammer reducing the noise from suddenly turning off the water, and the ability to resist scale build up.

PEX tubing should not be exposed to sunlight and can’t be used where it will be subjected even to reflected sunlight.

Hot Water Pumps and PEX

Typical demand hot water pumps and systems would be beneficial for manifold type PEX systems in cases where the trunk line feeding the manifold was very long. In those plumbing layouts where the trunk lines are long, a demand pump can be connected between an outlet port on the hot manifold and an outlet on the cold manifold.

For “home run” type piping layouts, a demand hot water system would not be practical. You would need a pump for each run, and with the small tubing you would not be saving much water or time either.

Looped Plumbing with PEX

Looped plumbing, where the piping is looped from fixture to fixture when equipped with a demand hot water pump is the greenest solution. That way you can place a demand hot water pump at the end of the line, and get fast efficient hot water delivery at every sink. It will save a lot of water and it will be very energy efficient.

Tankless Water Heaters and PEX Plumbing Systems

There is no reason PEX tubing can’t be used with tankless water heaters. The hot water delivered by a tankless water heater is no different than the hot water delivered by any other kind of water heater.

In some cases PEX systems can benefit tankless water heaters since tankless heaters take a little longer to deliver hot water to the fixtures.

Green Improvements for Your Kitchen and Bath

2009-11-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

If you are thinking of remodeling your kitchen or bath, or even just making some smaller home improvement to your kitchen or your bathroom, why not go green with your improvements?

No more slow hot water

For instance, if you are about to replace the fixtures at your kitchen sink, it would be a perfect time to add a green hot water demand system as well. Newer fixtures often have slower flow rates than the older ones being replaced. The lower flow will cause slow hot water. To improve the slow hot water problem you add the demand system.

The hot water demand system will speed hot water to your new fixtures more quickly than if you just let the water run, and while you are waiting you are not running water down the drain. The demand system sends the cooled off hot water left in the pipes from your last hot water usage back to the water heater through the cold water pipes.

The demand hot water system consists of a small pump that can be placed under the sink where you want instant hot water, and it connects with hoses just like the supply hoses typically used for fixtures, to your hot and cold water fixture connections. You will save thousands of gallons of water per year.

Many of the higher end new homes are installing multiple head showers which require larger diameter piping for the hot water. Larger pipes hold more water so the amount of water you must purge from your hot water pipes to get hot water to the fixtures is substantially larger. This equates to significantly increased wastage of water and potentially much slower hot water.

Again, a hot water demand system is more than warranted. If your plumbing layout permits, a single hot water demand system can provide instant hot water at both the bath fixtures and the kitchen fixtures. A very green home improvement project.

Tankless Water Heaters

If you are one of those people intending on getting one of those multi-head showers or huge spa type bathtub, you might consider installing a tankless water heater. Since with a tankless water heater you never run out of hot water you can take some time to enjoy that splendid shower experience for more than two minutes.

Tankless water heaters are green in that they are more efficient than tank type water heaters and can save you money by saving energy to heat the water. They do not have the 24 hour a day standby losses than normal tank type water heaters are afflicted with.

Tankless heaters take a little longer to deliver the hot water to those new fancy showers or gorgeous new kitchen fixtures since it has to start with cold water whereas a storage type heater with a tank already has hot water waiting to go.

Once again, a hot water demand system comes to the rescue. It speeds up the delivery of hot water and saves water, time, energy, and money.

For your green home improvements to your bath and or your kitchen, you might consider both the tankless water heater and a hot water demand system. Instant hot water when you turn on the spigot, thousands of gallons of water saved from going down the drain, and reduced energy bills. You will also be helping reduce your carbon footprint!

Green Home Improvements – Live Better & Save Money!

2009-11-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

Searching the Internet looking for “Green” home improvements? Home improvement projects that will improve your life or save you money? One that is friendly to the environment?

Green Plumbing Saves Energy Water and Money!

Well I have a suggestion; look at your plumbing. A Green plumbing system can provide you with convenience and save you energy, water, and money. At the same time you will be reducing your carbon footprint. When you reduce energy and water usage you reduce green house gasses being released into the atmosphere from treating and pumping both the potable water and the sewage in addition to any direct savings of energy.

Tankless Water Heaters Are Green

Energy efficiency is one of the advantages of a tankless water heater. Since tankless water heaters don’t have a tank full of hot water radiating heat 24 hours a day, they use less energy in most situations. Another advantage that tankless hot water heaters have over traditional tank type water heaters is that you never run out of hot water.

Currently there are big tax credits being allowed for tankless water heaters, I think it’s possible to get up to 30% of the cost in credits, but I’m not sure and you should check the tankless water heater sites if you are interested in the credits. The sites are all touting the tax credits at the moment.

In some areas there are rebates for tankless hot water heaters being offered by various agencies like water companies and power companies… be sure to check your local government agencies to find any rebates that may pertain to your green home improvements.

Green Plumbing Products

Another green plumbing product is the hot water demand system. Hot water demand systems are pumps and valves that typically install under your sink, and pump the water from your water heater to your fixture at high speed, using the cold water line to return the cooled off hot water that typically sits in the hot water piping. When the hot water reaches your fixtures the pump shuts off to prevent hot water from getting into the cold water piping.

Hot water demand systems save you water energy and money. Every time you turn on the hot water faucet and then wait for hot water to reach you, while running gallons of water down the drain, you are causing more green house gasses to be released, and wasting energy and water.

Combine a Tankless Water Heater and a Pump

By combining a tankless water heater and a hot water demand system you get one of the greenest home improvements you can make for a reasonable investment. You are saving both energy and water. Tankless water heaters take a little longer to get hot water to your fixtures since they must first heat the water where a tank type water heater has hot water ready to go. This makes a hot water demand system that much more desirable.

Adding the convenience of instant hot water when you turn on the spigot makes your life better and saves water, energy, money, and turns your plumbing green reducing your carbon foot print.

The Chilipepper hot water demand system works with any hot water heater, tankless or tank type, and uses less than $2.00 per year in electricity costs. A great green home improvements idea.

Bill the Hot Water Guy

Instant Hot Water! – Home Improvement Idea

2009-11-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of home improvement ideas floating around out there, and every one has his own opinion of what a good home improvement idea is. Well I think instant hot water from your fixtures is a great idea! It will save you not only time, but thousands of gallons of water, and it can save you energy too.

Saving water and energy means you are reducing your carbon footprint and taking steps to going green. Help yourself and help our planet at the same time.

Probably most people don’t think about plumbing when they think about home improvement projects. After all, the plumbing layout has been already implemented and so changing the plumbing system into a green system by improving the plumbing layout is an unlikely project.

However, fast hot water is easy to obtain by using a hot water demand system.

Few would argue that it’s no fun standing there waiting for the hot water to arrive at the fixture. You stand there and watch the water run down the drain. But you don’t have to; you can install a hot water demand system in a single afternoon. Demand hot water system pumps can be obtained for less than $200, making it a fast and inexpensive home improvement idea or do-it-yourself project.

A demand hot water system delivers the hot water from your existing water heater at a higher flow rate than your faucet can deliver. That way the hot water gets to the fixture more quickly reducing your wait time.

More importantly, you don’t run water down the drain while you wait. When you turn on the fixture you get instant hot water. The demand pump connects between your hot and cold water lines under the furthest sink from your water heater. When you want hot water you “demand” it by pressing a button.

The pump starts up and send hot water to the fixture in seconds, returning the cooled off hot water that was in the hot water pipes back to the water heater through the existing cold water lines. When hot water reaches the pump, it shuts off. Now when your turn the spigot you get instant hot water.

Some models of demand hot water systems connect up to your plumbing with faucet supply hoses just like the ones already under your sink.

Hot water demand systems can also operate with tankless water heaters unlike traditional hot water recirculation systems. Just make sure the demand hot water system you purchase is powerful enough to turn on your tankless water heater. Some models like the Metlund S-50T and S-70T don’t have much power, and won’t turn on many models of tankless water heaters.
These quick hot water systems, at least the demand systems, use very little electricity since they run for such a short time, and only when you demand it. Typically they consume less than $2.00 per year in electricity costs.

With all the benefits of saved time, saved water, saved energy and reduced carbon foot print and the small initial investment, a hot water demand system should be in nearly every home. Don’t wait any longer, install a hot water demand system today and get instant hot water when you turn on your fixture – a great home improvement idea!