Whether you are using gas or electricity to heat and power the appliances in your home you are familiar the bills that come to your mailbox each month. And you’ve probably heard some of the myths associated with the cost and efficiency of gas and electric power. When it comes time to install a tankless water heater don’t let this deter you from doing your homework.
You’ve heard for years that electricity was inefficient and too costly. But I wonder if those people have noticed that gas prices have doubled in the past decade and are still climbing. Electric, on the other, has remained relatively flat.
So what about efficiency?
Water heaters are part of DoE efficiency system, so it’s relatively easy to make comparisons of these products. What may be a surprise to learn is that electric tankless hot water heaters earn a 95-99 percent energy efficiency rating.
With electric tankless hot water at the top of the list the other major model follow in this order:
Electric storage tank at 90-95 percent
Gas tankless at 80-85 percent
Gas storage tank at 60-65 percent
The DoE asks manufacturers to follow their voluntary Energy Star guidelines but as you can see, there is still a ways to go.
The rating is calculated on how much energy goes to produce usable heat and with gas it looks like only 80-85 percent goes to heating water - the rest, well, it goes out the flu.
This is why an electric tankless water heater can look so good - an electric tankless water heater isn‘t noticeably warmer to the touch. Try that with a gas model. A tankless gas model, on the other hand, needs to be installed according to code because of the exhaust heat and fresh air issue.
This is what makes an electric tankless so popular; it‘s energy efficient and much cheaper to install. You can see reviews of tankless hot water heaters and compare their costs
Again, the DoE site will show you that energy prices vary widely throughout the US and time of year. Be sure to do a calculation based on gas rates during winter months when gas rates are usually much higher. Then compare.
So if you are wondering whether it’s a good choice to install tankless hot water heater and what type to get, you can see how important it is to collect the information, not other people’s opinions.
Start looking into tankless technology today, before there is a leak.
An example of how easy it is to install a tankless water heater will give some ideas of your own.
Here more information about the benefits of an installed tankless water heater can be found.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 18, 2008
Who Installs A Tankless Water Heater?
Plumbers have traditionally been the ones to install water heaters. Electric tankless hot water heaters have help change that. Tankless models - the electric kind - have quick heating technology that require high amperage use. It takes a little more know-how, and many plumbers are not yet familiar with this technology.
In spite of this new technology, electric tankless hot water heaters are not that difficult to install; you can do it with average plumbing and electrical skills. To find out if you have the necessary handyman skills, get an installation manual from the manufacturer’s website and a good how-to book. Read up on what’s required for electrical and plumbing installation. You may decide you can do this yourself after reading through this literature.
The electrical model heater is much smaller than a regular hot water heater and lightweight enough to be a one-person job. The big question is whether your electrical panel has the capacity to take on an extra 80 or 120-amps that an electrical model tankless requires. Talk with someone at a home improvement center to get an experienced opinion. Or, if you have an electrician you’ve used before, he can give you the information without making a house call.
One of the things an electrician will tell you is the wire used for your old tank model heater is not adequate for your new heater. The installer’s manual will tell what’s required. In addition to new wire, you will need two or three 40-amp breakers, depending on the size unit you are planning to install. An electrician can also advise you on whether you electrical panel is adequate for the job.
Piping has gotten a lot easier for those not up on “sweating” pipes. Compression fittings make the whole process real simple. It’s just a matter of pushing pipes into the fittings for leak-proof connections
These are supplies that you can get at any home improvement store.
If you decide to do it yourself, there is information on manufacturer’s sites and other sources like http://www.installing-a-tankless-water-heater.com that can walk you through the steps once you’re sure you are up to code and ready to go.
In spite of this new technology, electric tankless hot water heaters are not that difficult to install; you can do it with average plumbing and electrical skills. To find out if you have the necessary handyman skills, get an installation manual from the manufacturer’s website and a good how-to book. Read up on what’s required for electrical and plumbing installation. You may decide you can do this yourself after reading through this literature.
The electrical model heater is much smaller than a regular hot water heater and lightweight enough to be a one-person job. The big question is whether your electrical panel has the capacity to take on an extra 80 or 120-amps that an electrical model tankless requires. Talk with someone at a home improvement center to get an experienced opinion. Or, if you have an electrician you’ve used before, he can give you the information without making a house call.
One of the things an electrician will tell you is the wire used for your old tank model heater is not adequate for your new heater. The installer’s manual will tell what’s required. In addition to new wire, you will need two or three 40-amp breakers, depending on the size unit you are planning to install. An electrician can also advise you on whether you electrical panel is adequate for the job.
Piping has gotten a lot easier for those not up on “sweating” pipes. Compression fittings make the whole process real simple. It’s just a matter of pushing pipes into the fittings for leak-proof connections
These are supplies that you can get at any home improvement store.
If you decide to do it yourself, there is information on manufacturer’s sites and other sources like http://www.installing-a-tankless-water-heater.com that can walk you through the steps once you’re sure you are up to code and ready to go.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Best Tankless Hot Water Heater - How It's Cost Effective
The rising cost of gasoline, food and just about everything else is starting to have an effect on pocketbooks. Some estimates put hot water at about 20 - 25 percent of home utility costs. So any savings here are significant. How big these savings are depends on several factors that, in turn, depend on you. If you are in the market for a hot water replacement consider that a tankless hot water heater may be the best choice.
What determines the best choice
1) Where you live plays a big part - Living in the northern half of the US means colder winters. this could mean that the temperature entering the house could be near 40 F degrees. To be useful for a shower it needs to be heated to about 110 F degrees. Ground water temperature is less extreme in warmer months. Any heater you choose will have to bridge that gap. This one factor in choosing the right heater.
2) Water use - How many faucets to you have running at one time? Using multiple outlets at the same time means more water heated on demand. You should make some estimates of this because it is a big factor in determining the best tankless hot water heater to fit your family’s needs. A bucket and a watch is about all it takes to find the gallons per minute flow rate that your tankless water heater will be required to generate.
3) The utility bill - Rates for natural gas and electricity vary throughout the US. In some regions the two are very competitive. Being able to compare could be significant in deciding whether to go gas or electric. Convert the kilowatt-hours and cubic feet of gas into thems to compare rates.
4) Getting the most from the system - Long pipe runs mean heat loss. It pays to insulate pipes wherever you can access them. The most effective hot water heating solution could be to have multiple heaters. In fact, mixing gas and electric could be the most economical answer.
Passively heating water before it reaches the tankless hot water heater is an excellent way to cut heating bills. If your current tank is in a warm part of the house, replacing it to an uninsulated tank so it can work to preheat water.
5) Installation - The size of tankless models - an electric is about the size of a PC - make them easy to handle. If your choice of the best tankless hot water heater turns out to be gas, then you should get several estimates from experienced technicians. These models require dedicated gas lines and a specific, high temperature venting. Adequate fresh air supply is important and a CO2 detector is recommended, especially for well-insulated homes.
Electric tankless hot water heaters are much easier to install. In fact, you may have the DIY skills to do it yourself. Check the power supply of your electrical panel to make sure it can handle the load of an electrical tankless model. Wiring to the old tank heater won’t work and it will take new breakers but beyond some simple plumbing it’s a job that can be finished in ca couple of hours.
Best tankless hot water heater - By now you should have your tool box and be looking forward an enjoyable hot shower in a couple of hours.
Refer to this site for detailed installing a tankless water heater instructions.
Follow this link for more info on choosing the best home tankless hot water heater.
What determines the best choice
1) Where you live plays a big part - Living in the northern half of the US means colder winters. this could mean that the temperature entering the house could be near 40 F degrees. To be useful for a shower it needs to be heated to about 110 F degrees. Ground water temperature is less extreme in warmer months. Any heater you choose will have to bridge that gap. This one factor in choosing the right heater.
2) Water use - How many faucets to you have running at one time? Using multiple outlets at the same time means more water heated on demand. You should make some estimates of this because it is a big factor in determining the best tankless hot water heater to fit your family’s needs. A bucket and a watch is about all it takes to find the gallons per minute flow rate that your tankless water heater will be required to generate.
3) The utility bill - Rates for natural gas and electricity vary throughout the US. In some regions the two are very competitive. Being able to compare could be significant in deciding whether to go gas or electric. Convert the kilowatt-hours and cubic feet of gas into thems to compare rates.
4) Getting the most from the system - Long pipe runs mean heat loss. It pays to insulate pipes wherever you can access them. The most effective hot water heating solution could be to have multiple heaters. In fact, mixing gas and electric could be the most economical answer.
Passively heating water before it reaches the tankless hot water heater is an excellent way to cut heating bills. If your current tank is in a warm part of the house, replacing it to an uninsulated tank so it can work to preheat water.
5) Installation - The size of tankless models - an electric is about the size of a PC - make them easy to handle. If your choice of the best tankless hot water heater turns out to be gas, then you should get several estimates from experienced technicians. These models require dedicated gas lines and a specific, high temperature venting. Adequate fresh air supply is important and a CO2 detector is recommended, especially for well-insulated homes.
Electric tankless hot water heaters are much easier to install. In fact, you may have the DIY skills to do it yourself. Check the power supply of your electrical panel to make sure it can handle the load of an electrical tankless model. Wiring to the old tank heater won’t work and it will take new breakers but beyond some simple plumbing it’s a job that can be finished in ca couple of hours.
Best tankless hot water heater - By now you should have your tool box and be looking forward an enjoyable hot shower in a couple of hours.
Refer to this site for detailed installing a tankless water heater instructions.
Follow this link for more info on choosing the best home tankless hot water heater.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Best Tankless Hot Water Heater - What to Know
Finding the best tankless hot water heater comes from doing your homework. Start by comparing energy efficiency. Important points presented below will point you in choosing the best tankless hot water heater to fit your needs.
The measure of efficiency
Anyone can refer to Government rating to make easier for consumers in finding the best tankless hot water heater, or other home heating product that will give them more value. Electric tankless hot water heaters are rated .99 energy efficient, while tankless gas heaters are compared at .80. The contrast is in the amount of loss of heat in the fuel burning process of gas burners. Tank water heaters are listed with an even lower efficiency rating.
Search out the cost of utilities In your region. If the rate of electricity is competitive, this could lead to a difference in which utility you decide on. Regardless, gas might point to the best choice for a tankless hot water heater. Only gas can produce enough hot water for a large home.
You can use this as a starting point Electric tankless models produce a flow of only 2-5 gallons per minute of hot water, while gas models can produce 9-13 gallons of hot water per minute. Using multiple units is a way to custom fit tankless models to fit your needs and reduce wasted energy.
Do a water survey of your own, but this may be useful: A shower, with a water saver nozzle uses 1-¼ to 1-½ gallons per minute. A tub or clothes washer uses about 2 to 2-½ gallons per minute.
Energy prices and the best tankless hot water heater
There was a time when everyone thought gas cost less but times change. Why assume, size up energy costs in your locale. A lot has changed in recent years. The bargain rate of gas that once made a low efficiency rating for typical family use has changed.
This will give you a quick idea of US power rates:
Electric prices vary from $0.06/kwh to $0.23/kwh ($1.76 to $6.74 a therm)
Gas prices vary from $10 to $19 per 1,000 cu ft of natural gas ($1 to $1.90 per therm)
North vs. South
In northern latitudes, Up north, where ground temperature may drop to near freezing, it will require a lot more energy to raise the temperature of a gallon of water. This could call for the power of a gas model, depending on your rate of flow needs. Consider these two things: Flow Rate and Gallons Per Minute to identify what size heater can work with you household requirements and whether it should be gas or electric.
The installation step
This step means more homework. In your location there may be few contractors trained in advising you in choosing the best tankless hot water heater and how to install it. The best course is to look for qualified people and get several estimates. Gas tankless hot water heaters need to be installed by someone knowledgeable of this type of combustion system.
Electric tankless hot water heaters, on the other hand, can be a handyman project. If you are on a low budget you can save money this way. Invest in a how-to book and the manufacturer’s manual for guidance with this project.
Refer to this site for detailed installing a tankless water heater instructions: http://installing-a-tankless-water-heater.com
Follow this link for more info on choosing the best tankless hot water heater:
http://www.best-tankless-hot-water-heater.info
The measure of efficiency
Anyone can refer to Government rating to make easier for consumers in finding the best tankless hot water heater, or other home heating product that will give them more value. Electric tankless hot water heaters are rated .99 energy efficient, while tankless gas heaters are compared at .80. The contrast is in the amount of loss of heat in the fuel burning process of gas burners. Tank water heaters are listed with an even lower efficiency rating.
Search out the cost of utilities In your region. If the rate of electricity is competitive, this could lead to a difference in which utility you decide on. Regardless, gas might point to the best choice for a tankless hot water heater. Only gas can produce enough hot water for a large home.
You can use this as a starting point Electric tankless models produce a flow of only 2-5 gallons per minute of hot water, while gas models can produce 9-13 gallons of hot water per minute. Using multiple units is a way to custom fit tankless models to fit your needs and reduce wasted energy.
Do a water survey of your own, but this may be useful: A shower, with a water saver nozzle uses 1-¼ to 1-½ gallons per minute. A tub or clothes washer uses about 2 to 2-½ gallons per minute.
Energy prices and the best tankless hot water heater
There was a time when everyone thought gas cost less but times change. Why assume, size up energy costs in your locale. A lot has changed in recent years. The bargain rate of gas that once made a low efficiency rating for typical family use has changed.
This will give you a quick idea of US power rates:
Electric prices vary from $0.06/kwh to $0.23/kwh ($1.76 to $6.74 a therm)
Gas prices vary from $10 to $19 per 1,000 cu ft of natural gas ($1 to $1.90 per therm)
North vs. South
In northern latitudes, Up north, where ground temperature may drop to near freezing, it will require a lot more energy to raise the temperature of a gallon of water. This could call for the power of a gas model, depending on your rate of flow needs. Consider these two things: Flow Rate and Gallons Per Minute to identify what size heater can work with you household requirements and whether it should be gas or electric.
The installation step
This step means more homework. In your location there may be few contractors trained in advising you in choosing the best tankless hot water heater and how to install it. The best course is to look for qualified people and get several estimates. Gas tankless hot water heaters need to be installed by someone knowledgeable of this type of combustion system.
Electric tankless hot water heaters, on the other hand, can be a handyman project. If you are on a low budget you can save money this way. Invest in a how-to book and the manufacturer’s manual for guidance with this project.
Refer to this site for detailed installing a tankless water heater instructions: http://installing-a-tankless-water-heater.com
Follow this link for more info on choosing the best tankless hot water heater:
http://www.best-tankless-hot-water-heater.info
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Installing A Tankless Water Heater - Go Electric
Would like to put in a new hot water heater? An electric tankless water heater could be a good choice. As you probably know from your own experience, gas is a cheaper energy than electric, but what may be news is that gas prices have been going up, while electrical power has been dropping, according to Department of Energy.
How to choose
Tankless water heaters could be productive for 20 years or more. Interchangeable parts could carry this out this even further. Projections show that more electrical power will be generated by alternative means as need builds. This could lead to even greater savings with time.
Some people are disappointed hear the news that installing a tankless gas water heater may come with a high initial price tag, causing the breakeven point to be years away. Make the effort to find out what the prices for gas and electricity are in your community, it may modify your decision.
Sometimes an illustration can help. A 120-amp electric tankless hot water heater can be the right improvement for an average family that has water flow considerations of 2-5 gallons per minute. The difference in price could be $800, self installed, to $2,400 for a gas model installed by a technician. Or, illustrated like this, a 20-minute shower that costs you $0.64 with an electric heater might cost you $0.45 with a gas .
Installing a tankless water heater means making the choice that satisfies your needs. Electric can be a cost saving step for folks in a small to medium size residence in less chilly parts of the country. Another factor is your location, with east coast states generally costing more for gas and less for electricity than many other regions of the country.
The advantages
Electrical tankless water heaters have advantages right from the beginning. One is they cost about the same as a tank water heater, installed. Shaped about the same as a pizza box, many DIYers have them delivered by UPS. Just take it out of the box, mount it near the old one, hook up the wiring and plumbing and be done before you know it. Installing it yourself could make the total cost about half of what you might pay otherwise.
Once your tankless water heater is installed, you can turn the faucet on instant hot water and the double advantage of saving money and helping the planet. So if your old tank water supply is not producing, it may be time to go online and search with Shopzilla or one of the other price search engines to find a tankless water heater that will bring you up date. You could have it installed by the weekend.
Installing electric tankless water heater takes little effort to put up. If you are not quite sure, a how-to book can lead you through installation of breakers, electrical panels and general wiring.
Plumbing has two avenues - the usual method of soldering of pipe joints or the quicker, easy but more expensive. One is called sweating and uses the method of heating with a torch and applying lead-free solder to pipe connections.
A second solution of installing the plumbing for your tankless water heater involves using push together couplings, called compression fittings - more costly but very easy to do. Short lengths of flexi-pipe can be part of the assembly. A combination of all three methods can be put to use in your plumbing project.
Keeping the piping short and simple is the best avenue to heat loss control savings with time and get the most from your tankless heater.
Refer to this site for detailed installing a tankless water heater instructions: http://installing-a-tankless-water-heater.com
How to choose
Tankless water heaters could be productive for 20 years or more. Interchangeable parts could carry this out this even further. Projections show that more electrical power will be generated by alternative means as need builds. This could lead to even greater savings with time.
Some people are disappointed hear the news that installing a tankless gas water heater may come with a high initial price tag, causing the breakeven point to be years away. Make the effort to find out what the prices for gas and electricity are in your community, it may modify your decision.
Sometimes an illustration can help. A 120-amp electric tankless hot water heater can be the right improvement for an average family that has water flow considerations of 2-5 gallons per minute. The difference in price could be $800, self installed, to $2,400 for a gas model installed by a technician. Or, illustrated like this, a 20-minute shower that costs you $0.64 with an electric heater might cost you $0.45 with a gas .
Installing a tankless water heater means making the choice that satisfies your needs. Electric can be a cost saving step for folks in a small to medium size residence in less chilly parts of the country. Another factor is your location, with east coast states generally costing more for gas and less for electricity than many other regions of the country.
The advantages
Electrical tankless water heaters have advantages right from the beginning. One is they cost about the same as a tank water heater, installed. Shaped about the same as a pizza box, many DIYers have them delivered by UPS. Just take it out of the box, mount it near the old one, hook up the wiring and plumbing and be done before you know it. Installing it yourself could make the total cost about half of what you might pay otherwise.
Once your tankless water heater is installed, you can turn the faucet on instant hot water and the double advantage of saving money and helping the planet. So if your old tank water supply is not producing, it may be time to go online and search with Shopzilla or one of the other price search engines to find a tankless water heater that will bring you up date. You could have it installed by the weekend.
Installing electric tankless water heater takes little effort to put up. If you are not quite sure, a how-to book can lead you through installation of breakers, electrical panels and general wiring.
Plumbing has two avenues - the usual method of soldering of pipe joints or the quicker, easy but more expensive. One is called sweating and uses the method of heating with a torch and applying lead-free solder to pipe connections.
A second solution of installing the plumbing for your tankless water heater involves using push together couplings, called compression fittings - more costly but very easy to do. Short lengths of flexi-pipe can be part of the assembly. A combination of all three methods can be put to use in your plumbing project.
Keeping the piping short and simple is the best avenue to heat loss control savings with time and get the most from your tankless heater.
Refer to this site for detailed installing a tankless water heater instructions: http://installing-a-tankless-water-heater.com
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