Water Heater
Considering a new water heater? Consider this ...
Demand (Tankless or Instantaneous) Water Heaters
Demand (tankless or instantaneous) water heaters provide hot water only as it is needed. They don't produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters, which can save you money.
How They Work
Demand water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water. As a result, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don't need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water. However, a demand water heater's output limits the flow rate.
Typically, demand water heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2–5 gallons (7.6–15.2 litres) per minute. Gas-fired demand water heaters produce higher flow rates than electric ones. Sometimes, however, even the largest, gas-fired model cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households. For example, taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time can stretch a demand water heater to its limit.
For homes that use 41 gallons (155 litres) or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%–14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water—around 86 gallons (325 litres) per day. It is important to note that although on demand hot water tanks may consume less energy they are limited in their capabilities to produce large quantities of hot water.
Conventional Storage Water Heaters
Conventional storage water heaters remain the most popular type of water heating system for the home. Essentially there are two types, natural draft tanks (vented up a chimney) and power vented tanks (vented through a side wall).
How They Work
A single-family storage water heater offers a ready reservoir—from 20 to 80 gallons (75 litre – 302 litre) —of hot water. It operates by releasing hot water from the top of the tank when you turn on the hot water tap. To replace that hot water, cold water enters the bottom of the tank, ensuring that the tank is always full. A gas burner under the tank heats the water. A thermostat opens the gas valve as the water temperature falls. The valve closes when the temperature rises to the thermostat's set-point. Because water is constantly heated in the tank, energy can be wasted even when a hot water tap isn't running. This is called standby heat loss. Only tankless water heaters avoid standby heat losses.
Indirect Fired Storage Tanks
Indirect fired water heaters offer a more efficient choice for most homes, even though they require a storage tank there is negligible stand-by-loss less than ½ degree F per hour. An indirect water heater uses the main boiler to heat the homes domestic hot water (water at taps). Indirect fired heaters produce twice the peak flow of a tankless unit, at least 50% more than a comparably sized direct-fired gas water heater and three times as much as an electric unit.
How They Work
An indirect fired hot water heater tank is a tank where the hot water comes from another source like a boiler. Indirect fired hot water tanks have no way of heating the water which is stored inside, they simply store hot water for domestic use produced by a boiler. Essentially they are a tank within a tank. Hot water produced by the boiler surrounds an inner tank which contains fresh water for domestic use. This means that you will be heating your domestic hot water with the efficiency of your boiler. Not only is this method more efficient than a conventional hot water tank, it provides more hot water. Furthermore the tanks unique self-cleaning design resists liming and ensures the tank requires little to no maintenance. Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 44% of your utility bill goes for heating and cooling.
No matter what kind of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment.
There are a variety of systems on the market that range in price and capabilities. The efficiency of new furnaces is measured by the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE), a measure of seasonal performance.
Furnaces today are between approximately 78% AFUE and 95% AFUE. Traditional "power combustion" furnaces are 80-82% AFUE. Above 90% AFUE (classified as high efficiency), a furnace is "condensing," which means it recaptures some of the heat wasted in traditional systems by condensing escaping water vapor. Factors we recommend considering when purchasing a new heating system are the following;
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Efficiency
- Cost
- Quiet Operation
Our residential water heaters product line includes the following:
| John Woods Residential Water Heaters |
| Power Vented - Flammable Vapour Senor, Quite Power Venter Motor, Compact Design |
| Natural Draft - Flame Guard Technology, Glass-Lined Inner Flue, Piezoelectric Ignitor |
| Direct Vent - Flame Guard Technology, No Chimney Needed, Galvanized Bottom Pan |
Polaris High Efficiency Water Heater
Polaris Water Heater - 96% Efficent, Sealed Combustion, Continuous Water Flow, Hot Surface Ignition
Bradford White Tankless Water Heater
| Weil McLain Indirect Tank |
| Indirect Tank - Stainless Steel Inner Tank, Life Time warranty, More Efficient |