Aloha, Do you think that these will work on propane? We are watching our waterheater, thinking that it may be getting old. Betsy At 10:57 AM 2/8/2007, you wrote:
>Hi Everyone >Big Help for Hot Water > >Tankless water heaters have been in use all over the world for fifty >years, largely because of smaller homes and higher energy costs outside >the United >States. In fact, tank water heaters are only used in the U.S. As natural >gas and LP prices rise (as they have for the past decade) it will cost >consumers >more to heat water. Imagine cutting water heating costs by 50 to 70 >percent - think tankless water heaters. > >Tankless water heaters - often called "on demand" water heaters - only >heat water when needed. Tank water heaters, on the other hand, keep the >water hot >all of the time and, when on standby, loose about 6 degrees an hour. >Heat in the form of Btu's also escapes up through the flue pipe >constantly. Tank water >heaters are incredibly inefficient and yet are used in the majority of >American homes. Tank water heaters have a life expectancy of around 10 >years, depending >on incoming water quality. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand >have a life expectancy of 20 plus years and carry a warranty on the heat >exchanger >from 10 to 15 years (depending on the manufacturer). > >A tankless water heater can save about 70 percent of natural gas or LP >expense a year for heating water except when the Teenage Daughter Factor >comes into >play - more on this later. The major differences, aside from energy >savings, are a gain in floor space of about 20 square feet and an >endless supply of >hot water. > >Tankless water heaters come equipped with the latest water heating >technology and, as a result, sell for around one thousand dollars. The >payback period >will depend on how much hot water is used in the home. The more hot >water used, the faster the payback. > >Tankless water heaters are a good choice for singles or small families >simply because the demand for hot water is not as great as for a large >family. And >yet, a small family pays for heating water 24/7 with a tank water >heater. > >The Teenage Daughter Factor: While it is true that tankless water >heaters can help you realize a substantial savings in gas consumption, >this may not be >possible in all cases. For example, if you now have a teenager (son or >daughter) who likes to spend a lot of time in the shower - to the point >of using >all of the hot water in the home - you will probably use more gas than >you presently do. This is because a tankless water heater never runs out >of hot >water with the end result being that the previously 20-minute shower can >now run forever, or until you lay down some shower-length rules. > >A Closer Look > >In this short article we will look at gas-fired (natural gas or LP) >tankless water heaters that offer an endless supply of hot water for an >entire two-bath >home. Also available are electrically powered tankless water heaters and >point-of-use tankless water heaters, which will not be covered here. For >optimum >efficiency, tankless water heaters should be centrally located in the >home, as this will reduce the time required to get hot water to a tap or >faucet. >Keep in mind that water is not heated until needed. In fact, the heater >will not turn on until a hot-water tap is opened. If the tankless water >heater >is located on the far end of a home, it may take a minute or two for hot >water to begin flowing from the tap. > >Tankless water heaters are controlled by a small computer and a bunch of >sensors, which note the temperature of the incoming cold water and a >number of >other operational factors. When a tap is opened, the computer determines >the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of the incoming >water to >the desired hot-water temperature. Then the burner is electronically >fired up - there is no pilot light - and the incoming water is heated to >the desired >temperature as it passes through the heat exchanger. The end result is >an endless supply of hot water. When the hot water tap is closed, the >burner is >turned off and the exhaust fan turns on to vent the unit. > >We will look at three of the top gas-fired tankless water heaters >currently in use in modern American homes: the Takagi TK-2 Flash Water >Heater, the Rinnai >Continuum and the Bosch AquaStar 250SX. All of these heaters are top of >the line and ideal for supplying an unlimited supply of hot water for >the average >or large home. While the Takagi and Rinnai heaters can only be purchased >and installed by a licensed installer, the Bosch AquaStar is available >at home >centers and can be installed by a homeowner. > >Installing a tankless water heater in new construction is easier than >installing in a remodel. Part of the reason for this is that because >gas-fired tankless >water heaters are capable of generating a great amount of Btu's (up to >195,000 Btu's on start-up) an adequate supply of gas must be available >to the unit. >Gas piping must therefore be sized properly. A gas shut-off valve must >be installed below the tankless hot water heater so the unit can be >serviced if >required. > >Generally speaking, 3/4-inch black iron pipe can be run up to about 20 >feet of length from the gas meter or regulator, and 1-inch black iron >pipe can be >run for distances up to 70 feet. If other gas appliances are also in >the home (gas range, gas clothes dryer and furnace, for examples), >larger diameter >gas piping may be required to run all appliances at the same time. Keep >in mind that in new construction this is easy to plan, but in a remodel, >adding >larger gas line piping can add to costs of time and materials. >Additionally, elevations more than 4,000 feet above sea level may >require adjustments for >the unit to run properly. > >Tankless water heaters also have special venting requirements and must >only be vented with a dedicated, sealed vent system. All manufacturers >recommend >a specific brand of stainless steel vent pipe. All tankless water >heaters' flue gasses are under positive pressure and must never be >vented in combination >with any other gas appliance - a furnace, for example. > >The tankless water heaters we cover in this article can be vented either >horizontally or vertically. Total maximum length differs between >manufacturers >from 26 to 40 feet vertically and 26 to 41 feet horizontally. Each >manufacturer covers venting in their owner's manual, which should be >consulted during >the planning stages prior to installation. > >Combustion air should also be planned for as well. If the tankless water >heater will be installed in an enclosed space - a closet, for example - >an adequate >supply of combustion air must be supplied. The Bosch unit has a separate >pipe for combustion air. The Rinnai heater has a unique combination >vent/combustion >air pipe. The Takagi unit requires installation in an area that will >provide an adequate supply of combustion air to the appliance or, if in >a confined >space, with venting (a minimum of two 47-square-inch vents, for >example). > >All manufacturers recommend 3/4-inch water supply lines for efficient >operation of tankless water heaters. Water pressure should be in the 30 >to 50 PSI >range. Additionally, a special pressure relief valve must be installed >on the discharge side of the tankless water heater. Shut-off valves, on >both hot >and cold supply lines, should be installed to isolate the unit for >servicing if required. > >Tankless water heaters also require a dedicated 120-volt AC circuit. >Electrical power is obviously required to run the onboard computer and >the electronic >ignition system because there are no standing pilot lights. > >Bosch AquaStar (Model 250 SX) > >The Bosch AquaStar tankless water heater is a relatively new unit >combining German engineering and American technology. It's available >through Controlled >Energy Corporation, home centers, hardware groups, catalogs, internet >stores and dealers. The 250 SX is a powerful tankless water heater >(175,000 Btu/h) >and can deliver enough hot water to supply two showers simultaneously. >It is about the size of a suitcase weighing 47 pounds, measuring >23-1/2-by-15-3/4-by-8-1/2 >inches, and is designed to be mounted to a wall. It has an efficiency >rating of 87 percent and can produce up to 384 gallons of hot water per >hour. This >unit should not be installed outdoors, in motor homes or on boats. > >This tankless water heater has a positive-pressure exhaust vent system >and a combustion air-intake pipe that can be mounted left or right on >top of the >unit. Intake and exhaust piping can be installed horizontally or >vertically. Gas and water connections are 3/4 inch. > >An LCD control panel is located on the face of the heater and indicates >the output temperature of water passing through the unit (factory preset >at 122 >degrees F). To change output temperature simply press the + or - keys >until the desired temperature is set from 100 to 140 degrees F in >2-degree increments. >A wireless remote control is also available. If hotter water is needed, >simply use the remote controller to increase the output temperature of >the water. > >The main LCD control panel also indicates other functions of the 250 SX. >When the unit is in use, a flame silhouette appears on the screen and >the temperature >indicator blinks. Once the desired output temperature is reached, >blinking stops and the unit will continue to supply hot water at the >preset temperature. >The control panel will also flash error codes if a problem should >develop. Error codes and possible solutions are covered in the Owner's >Manual. > >An extremely knowledgeable technical support department is available for >questions about installation or problems with operation. This tankless >water heater >has a 12-year warranty on the heat exchanger and two years on parts. > >Rinnai Continuum > >The Rinnai Corporation was established in 1920 (Nagoya, Japan) and is >the single largest gas appliance manufacturer in the world with American >headquarters >in Peachtree, Georgia. > >The Continuum is the most powerful Rinnai tankless water heater (180,000 >Btu/h) and can deliver enough hot water to supply two showers >simultaneously. >It is about the size of a suitcase and is designed to be wall mounted. >It has an efficiency rating of 87 percent and can produce 213 gallons of >hot water >per hour. > >This tankless heater has a unique combination positive-pressure >exhaust/combustion air-intake vent system that is mounted on top of the >unit. Intake/exhaust >piping can be installed horizontally or vertically. Gas and water >connections are 3/4 inch. > >The Continuum is preset at the factory to deliver hot water at a >constant supply of 120 degrees F. An optional master remote control >unit is required to >adjust output temperature and must be hard-wired before use. The remote >control cables carry a low-voltage, 12VDC digital signal. To increase >output temperature, >simply press the "H" button until the desired temperature is reached; >the range is 96 to 140 degrees F. An in-use indicator light glows when >the unit is >heating water. The remote control also allows for diagnosing certain >fault conditions. > >The Rinnai Continuum was the quietest tankless water heater we tested >and carries a 10-year limited warranty. > >Takagi T-K2 Flash Water Heater > >The Takagi Industrial Company began in Fuji-City, Shizuoka Japan in >1946. Takagi introduced their first prototype tankless water heater in >1952. In 2001 >they introduced the Flash TK-2 tankless water heater and set the >standard for the industry. > >The TK-2 is a powerful tankless water heater (185,000 Btu/h) and can >deliver enough hot water to supply two showers simultaneously. It can >also be used >for radiant, Hydro or baseboard heating systems at the same time as >supplying domestic hot water. It is about the size of a suitcase, >measuring 24-1/2-by-16-1/2-by-8-1/3-inches, >and is designed to be wall or floor mounted. > >This unit can also be mounted on the exterior of the home. It has an >efficiency rating of 82 percent and can produce 178 gallons of hot water >per hour. > >This tankless water heater has a positive-pressure exhaust vent system >that is mounted on top of the unit. Exhaust piping can be installed >horizontally >or vertically. This unit must be installed in an area where an adequate >supply of combustion air is available. Gas and water connections are 3/4 >inch. > >The Flash Tankless Water Heater is preset at the factory to deliver hot >water at a constant supply of 120 degrees F. An optional master remote >control unit >is required to adjust output temperature and must be hard-wired before >use. To increase output temperature, simply press the "Hot" button until >the desired >temperature is reached. The range of the TK-2 is 99 to 167 degrees F. A >'burning' indicator light glows when the unit is heating water. Unique >to this >controller is an 'Information' button. Here, you are able to scroll >through incoming water temperature, outgoing water temperature and >gallons-per-minute >flow. The remote control also indicates error codes, in case the heater >develops a problem. > >As you can see, there are a lot of advantages to installing a tankless >water heater. Homeowners want appliances that are energy efficient, and >tankless >water heaters certainly fill that bill with up to 70-percent savings in >water heating costs per year. Add to that an unlimited supply of hot >water and >you have a winning combination for any home. > >********************************************************************** >This message and its attachments may contain legally >privileged or confidential information. If you are not the >intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the >information contained in it. If you have received this e-mail >in error, please notify the sender immediately by return >e-mail and delete the e-mail. > >Any content of this message and its attachments which >does not relate to the official business of Eraring Energy >must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by >Eraring Energy. 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