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Save
Money With Tankless Water Heaters
By
Harvey Juyric
Hot
water heating accounts for about 20% (or more)
of the average North American household's annual
energy costs. With energy prices rising day by
day it is becoming important to take a closer
look at where the money is going.
The average yearly cost for a conventional gas
or electric storage hot water heater is
approximately $500 for a 1300sq.ft. 4 member
family home. It lowers or increases depending on
how many people live in the house and on their
particular water usage habits.
Conventional hot water heaters store water and
maintain the water temperature to the
temperature setting on the tank - usually
between 120° and 140° F. That means keeping
water hot even when you do not need it - while
you are at work; while you are sleeping; while
you are away on holidays.
These "standby" losses represent 15%
to 25% of a household's annual water heating
costs.
Another thing that annoys all of us, is waiting
for the water to heat up because someone took a
bath before us. The storage tank water heaters
only have a limited amount of hot water. After
that is gone you have to wait for the tank to
get heated again.
Throughout the rest of the world, where energy
costs have consistently been higher than in
North America, different methods of heating
water are common.
Enter Tankless Hot Water Heaters. They began
appearing in the United States and Canada about
25 years ago but have been used in Europe for
the last 50 years.
Unlike "conventional" tank water
heaters, tankless water heaters heat water only
as it is used, or "on demand". Opening
a hot water faucet ignites the powerful burners
and the computer monitors the water temperature
and adjusts the burners according to the need.
High demand, high heat. Low demand, low heat.
Because the efficiency rate of tankless water
heaters is about 20% higher, averaging around
90% and going up to 96% and there is no stand by
losses, savings on your energy bills are
evident.
Some models even have the capacity to heat the
house at the same time. With these tankless
water heaters, which are connected either to
radiant floor heat or to a heating coil in your
furnace (air handler), you can bring high
efficiency space heating capacities to every
home.
Just imagine a contraption the size of your
kitchen cabinet, heating your home and giving
you an endless supply of potable hot water. You
do not need a separate furnace
and a separate hot water heater.
Some models can be mounted on the exterior of a
home, freeing up valuable floor and closet space
on the inside. The unit can be placed in a
recessed box, flush-mounted and painted or
textured to match the exterior of the home.
Tankless water heaters can also be used for
supplementary heat, such as a booster to a solar
hot water system, or snow melting systems, or to
meet all your hot water needs.
The major players include: Takagi, Rheem,
Noritz, Rinnai and up and coming Luna Baxi.
We would suggest researching different makes and
models in order to make the right choice for
your particular needs and circumstances.
About
the Author
About
the Author: Harvey Juric, ICF Consultant and CEO
of ICFhome.ca is a custom home builder in
southern Ontario. He runs several websites
promoting energy efficient home. If you are
interested
in modern home building, his thoughts may be
found on the following web sites: http://insulated-concrete.com,
http://repairing-building-contractor.com,
http://ontario-building-code.com,
http://luxury-home.ca,
http://home-design.ca,
http://ontario-home-builder.com
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com
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Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com
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