Energy Efficient Home Tips » Water Heaters http://energyefficienthometips.net Discover How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient Tue, 17 May 2011 17:20:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Energy Efficient Water Heaters http://energyefficienthometips.net/energy-efficient-water-heaters.html http://energyefficienthometips.net/energy-efficient-water-heaters.html#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:46:46 +0000 Bob http://energyefficienthometips.net/?p=14 Energy Efficient Water Heaters is a post from: Energy Efficient Home Tips

]]> In this post we will cover energy efficient water heaters. We will not talk about the energy efficient tankless water heaters because they are covered in detail in a previous post. See it at: Energy Efficient Tankless Water Heaters.

Energy efficiency is a hot topic right now and new technologies are being introduced everyday. We recommend that you do not wait until you need a new water heater to do your research. You may find yourself buying what ever is available, instead of what is best! This is not a good plan since your hot water heater is the biggest waste of your energy costs. So do your research now, and double check it just when you are ready to purchase.

Consumers have a tendency to purchase their heater based on size. Actually the First Hour Rating (FHR) is more important to consider. The FHR represents the amount of hot water that the unit will deliver during a busy hour. Estimate your family’s usage during the peak hour usage and find a unit with a FHR that will cover it.

The most energy efficient water heaters are generally gas fired. Electric resistance is an expensive way to generate heat and not as environmentally friendly. Before you make the final decision, check with your utility company to see if they have any incentives that may make electricity more attractive.

Besides the standard gas and electric energy efficient water heaters there is the indirect water heater. This type is only for consumers who have a boiler. It uses your boiler as its heat source. This type of system eliminates a lot of the heat loss through the flue, as associated with the gas fired heaters.

The next type is a heat pump water heater or desuperheater. With this type the electric is used to move the heat from one place to another instead of actually creating it. The heat source comes from the heat in the outside air or the area where the unit is located. This type is not very common and harder to find.

Solar water heaters use the sun to heat your water. They are very expensive and hard to calculate the cost because there are so many factors that affect it. These would include the amount of sun, where you live, which way your roof is facing and the amount of hot water that you use. If everything is right though they offer a virtually cost free hot water from a renewable energy. Seems like solar power was hot, then cold and now it seems to be making a comeback. There seem to be many opinions out there for and against solar power. The drawback is that you must have some type of backup system for when there is no sun.

For a list of manufacturers and the efficiency ratings for their units visit the gama site.

So the bottom line is that this is a very big decision. Make sure that you use every available resource to do your research before you spend your hard earned money. If you make a mistake, you will be paying for it for a long time!

Energy Efficient Water Heaters is a post from: Energy Efficient Home Tips

]]> http://energyefficienthometips.net/energy-efficient-water-heaters.html/feed 9 Energy Efficient Tankless Water Heaters http://energyefficienthometips.net/energy-efficient-tankless-water-heaters.html http://energyefficienthometips.net/energy-efficient-tankless-water-heaters.html#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:20:54 +0000 Bob http://energyefficienthometips.net/?p=13 Energy Efficient Tankless Water Heaters is a post from: Energy Efficient Home Tips

]]> Seems like there are many reasons for liking energy efficient tankless hot water heaters! I will review the pros and cons, but you will have to make the final decision as to whether or not they are for you. If this is your first look into the world of energy efficient tankless water heaters, I put a very simple video at the end of this post. It is very basic, but will show you the difference.
Mostly they have a longer life expectancy, save money, save energy, take less space, and have an endless supply of hot water.
First there is the life expectancy. Make sure that you figure this in when you are doing your calculations. The life expectancy for a regular hot water tank type heater will probably be in the 10 – 12 year range. Of course there are factors that will change that, such as the quality of your water. The life expectancy of a tankless water heater will be closer to the 20 year range. And I did find some with a lifetime warranty.
There seem to be a lot of numbers floating around as to the amount of savings. The tankless water heater could be as much as 40% more energy efficient, depending upon who you believe and your personal use habits. The conventional water heater keeps water at a constant temperature and is always reheating the water. The tankless, also known as “on demand” type of water heater only heats water when it is called for. Just think of the savings if you went on vacation, or even if you did not normally use hot water for hours on end.
The space savings is a nice benefit. Since they are mounted on the wall they take zero floor space, plus they can be mounted closer to the point of use. This gives you a lot more flexibility when choosing a location. You may also want to consider having more than one. For example if you had a remote area with little use, you could install a smaller unit. This would take some of the load off of the main unit, plus put the water closer to the point of use.
The endless supply of hot water is a big benefit for larger families. There is nothing worse than being the one in the shower when the hot water is gone! And of course it seems like forever before there is hot water again.
There could be a federal tax credit of $300. The unit would have to have an efficiency rating of .80 minimum to qualify. They do not all meet this number.
You can also check to see if you qualify for any state or local incentives or rebates. Go to www.dsireusa.org to check.
OK, this all sounds good, but what are the disadvantages?
First there is your ground water temperature. If your ground water is very cold, because you live in the north, it may take a much bigger unit to do the job. The cooler water affects the flow rate.
Some units require a large venting system. This may make it hard to deal with if you are installing in a preexisting home or business. Obviously they are better suited to new construction.
There have been complaints of the time it takes to get hot water to the point of use. Now I don’t know about you, but the only way that I get instant hot water is if it has already been running. So I have to wait anyway.
This is probably a job better left to the pros. Most units will require licensed installers to keep the warranty in tact.
So how do you decide if energy efficient tankless water heaters are for you? You should contact an installer. He should have a lot of questions about your use, location, ground water temperature, and your present cost. He should be able to review his calculations with you and show you how he arrived at his conclusions.
Just remember that they are trying to sell units. Make sure that you are confident with the company and the calculations. It would probably be better for you if they sold both types. That way you could see the difference between a newer more energy efficient conventional water heater and the new energy efficient tankless water heaters!

Energy Efficient Tankless Water Heaters is a post from: Energy Efficient Home Tips

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