Imagine endless hot water. Imagine no more showers, dish washing and laundry without enough hot water to handle all of it. One of the greatest water heating evolutions has been that of the tankless water heater. Although not perfect, they offer a much better option than standard tank type heaters.
Three basic types of tankless water heater exist:
- Natural gas-powered units
- Propane (LP) gas-powered units
- Electrically powered units
At Falk Plumbing Supply we do not sell electric tankless heaters because nobody has developed a reliable unit capable of producing continuous hot water. Electric units require a large amperage service and perform at best with mediocrity and at worst as a complete failure. We do not stock, sell or recommend tankless electric heaters.
Gas-Powered Tankless Water Heaters
For the rest of this blog, we’ll look at Condensing Tankless Heaters, specifically the ones manufactured by Vesta. One of the great things about the gas-powered tankless water heaters by Vesta is that they come prepared for installation with natural gas or liquid propane (LP) gas. Additionally, Vesta offers heaters that come from the factory with a recirculation pump already installed on the unit. When plumbed with a loop in the home’s plumbing system, the pump allows for almost instantaneous, endless hot water.
Heater “size” is a big factor. Vesta offers two sizes: a 150,000 BTU and a 199,000 BTU. Typically on a smaller home, with two baths, a kitchen, and a laundry room, the smaller heater would be sufficient. Larger houses, 2.5 – 3.5 baths, kitchen, laundry, and possibly a pantry sink or an outside kitchen sink would require the 199,000 BTU unit to guarantee enough hot water to the home.
Of course everything has limitations. People in warmer areas of the U.S. will benefit more from a tankless heater than those in colder climes. The biggest determining factor is incoming water temperature versus desired water temperature. If we are using a 199,000 BTU unit in a warmer climate with a 35F degree rise from incoming water temperature, the heater can produce 11.2GPM of hot water. On the opposite scale, in a colder area with a 67F degree rise in water temp the heater can produce 5.5GPM of hot water. The warmth or coldness of incoming water can have a significant impact on how much hot water can be produced.
Tankless heaters also have a minimum flow rate before they will initiate the heating process. For the Vesta units it is 0.5GPM. This should not normally be a problem, but running a low flow on the hot side of a faucet may result in a lack of hot water. Most bath and kitchen faucet aerators restrict them to about 0.8GPM but some are 0.5GPM. A shower faucet is normally about 1.5GPM. Deck mount or free-standing tub faucets function in the range of 7-10GPM.
One final benefit of a tankless water heater using natural gas is that many gas utility companies are offering rebates for having one installed. Tankless heaters are extremely energy efficient with a UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) rating of 0.95. This should be more than high enough to qualify for the best rebate plans. Currently they seem to be running a $300 to $500 rebate depending on your gas utility.
Endless hot water. Instant hot water. Within the right parameters it is possible. Please take a few minutes to visit our vendor partner’s website at vestahws.com. As always if you have any questions just contact us and we will be glad to help.