Heating the water in a typical home can consume up to 20 to 30 percent of the energy used by the entire household. That number can be even higher in cold-weather climates like that of Connecticut. It really can get expensive if you’re using a traditional storage tank heater that loses heat as it sits in the tank waiting to be used.
The Solution
Tankless water heating is the best way to avoid standby heat loss and increase your system’s efficiency. These heaters deliver hot water instantly by cycling incoming water through a burner or heating coils to bring it to the preset temperature quickly. Tankless systems use energy much more efficiently and deliver a continuous supply so you don’t need to worry about running our of hot water during normal use.
Is One Unit Enough?
Despite all the benefits of tankless water heating systems, there are some things to consider when planning the design and installation of your equipment:
Peak Hour Flow Rate – Think about the busiest times of the day as far as hot water usage. List all of the activities likely to be occurring at those times and use your owner’s manuals for each appliance to find a total flow rate required during that time.
Reduce Your Usage – Once you have these numbers, it may hit you that your household uses entirely too much hot water. If so, look into upgrading to efficient showerheads, faucets and appliances in order to ease the demand.
Consider Whether You Need More Than One – Quality tankless heaters can deliver up to five gallons of hot water per minute. This is usually sufficient to run a dishwasher and shower at the same time. If you have peak demand near or higher than five gallons for a given hour, you should consider using a multi-unit system.
Additional tankless water heating units can also be helpful for areas of the house that are a good distance from the water heater. If you would like more information about the benefits of a well-designed, whole-house approach for your water heating needs, contact Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about tankless water heating and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning services South Windsor, Connecticut and the surrounding areas.