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Tankless Hot Water Heaters, Efficient, Effective, Endless.
Archive for March, 2009
Condensing verses Non-Condensing Tankless
Mar 27th
Condensing verses Non-Condensing
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Tankless water heaters come in two different efficiency styles, condensing and non condensing. A condensing unit will recover more than 85% of the gas that a regular tankless water heater would otherwise vent out. Navien or “Navian” makes a tankless system that is 98% efficient by employing the condensing system. The high efficiency is gained by allowing the relatively warm exhaust gases to transfer otherwise wasted heat to the incoming water preheating it before flowing through the primary heat exchanger. This adds about a 10 to 15 percent efficiency increase to a tankless water heater which in itself is already quite efficient.
Now the grants that are available from the provincial and federal government are 
different for a condensing and non condensing tankless water heater. A condensing unit will receive $600 in total grants or $300 from each government level. The non condensing unit will net you $250 from provincial and federal netting $500 total. The governments trying to reduce energy consumption and pollution emissions would naturally give more grant money to tankless water heaters that are the most efficient.
Get Some Government Grant Money
Mar 25th
Tankless Government Grants
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Currently the Ontario and Canadian government are giving rebates to households in Ontario that upgrade 
their conventional water heaters to either a state or a tankless water heater (I realize that state tanks have not really been explained so I will make a point to do a synopsis on them this week). The provincial (Ontario) will give 250$ for any tankless water heater that is installed, the federal government will match that offer which totals the rebate to 500$. This is a good chunk off the purchase and installation of a tankless water heater. State tanks are eligible for 300$ from the federal government and another 300$ from the Ontario government totaling 600$.
Additionally if you live in the Enbridge territory they are offering 300$ off your gas bill for any new tankless 
water heater installation in your home. Enbridge’s territory consist of most of southern Ontario. Their service territory includes these cities referenced below and a number of others but it would be too long to list:
- Barrie
- Bolton
- Brampton
- Caledon
- Metro Toronto
- Mississauga
- Newmarket
- Richmond Hill
- Whitby
Ontario has a unique market where a significant portion of hot water tanks are rented. As the market for tankless hot water tanks begins to penetrate households there has become a 
strong demand for rental units for these systems as well. If you decide that renting is a better idea than outright purchasing you are still entitled to the rebates that are offered from both the government and from Enbridge.
There is a small catch though; to prove that you have upgraded you water heating system the Ontario government requires that a homeowner get an energy audit. This is a thorough evaluation of your home and its overall efficiency. Once the first audit is completed, you, the homeowner are sent the results of your audit (SAMPLE REPORT). Now that this is completed you have 18 months to make any renovations, or get your tankless hot water tank installed. After the renovations have been completed you need to get a second audit which will validate that all upgrades have been completed and grant cheques will be sent. Looking for an audit? we can put you in touch with a certified eco energy evaluation company. FIND OUT MORE
This is a bit of a complicated process but if you are looking to upgrade even a few things there are rebates from the Ontario government for almost anything that will make your home more energy efficient.
Fill out a quick form to get a price for a tankless water heater for your home FREE QUOTE
The Cold water Sandwich
Mar 23rd
What is the cold water sandwich?
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This sandwich happens when there is warm water for a few minutes then a burst of cold and then rapidly back to warm. This occurs in homes with tankless water heaters as the residual water in the pipes going to a faucet or shower can still be hot. The user in the household will then turn the tap on and feel warm water almost instantly. A tankless water heater takes a few seconds to heat up the heat exchanger and start 
transferring that heat to the water. The result is that a small amount of cold water can make it through the heat exchanger without warming up. When this cold water reaches the end user it may not even be noticed or if the person is in the shower it may be quite evident. After a second or two the heat exchanger is working and hot water is being produced and sent though the hot water pipes bring the desired water temperature again. This does occur more frequently in electric tankless water heaters over gas powered tankless systems. Gas is at full temperature almost immediately where an electric element can take a minute to fully reach its operating temperature.
Now you know what a hot water sandwich is in reference to plumbing and tankless hot water heaters, ask your contractor or installer as there are ways to mitigate this sandwich.
Environmental Water Heater
Mar 19th
Environmental Tankless
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- If you decide to Go tankless you can expect savings of up to 30-50% on your water heating costs.
– For every dollar of gas spent on heating water with a tank, 30 to 50 cents goes straight out the chimney. Tankless units are so efficient they ultimately pay for themselves through the energy savings they generate each month.
- Because water is heated on demand with a tankless water heater, you will never run out of hot water and the water temperature will always remains constant. You can take a shower, run the dish washer and use a tap at the same time with no interruption of water pressure or temperature. One of the best improvements is that family members can take showers one after another and you will never run out of hot water.
- Tankless systems last twice as long as typical conventional take type storage systems – about 20 years. And, unlike typical water storage tanks, tankless water heaters never rust, accumulate sediment, leak or flood your basement. Additionally, they are much safer because there is no active pilot light.
- Tankless water heaters reduce nitrous oxide (major smog producing gas) emissions by up to 80%. When you switch to a tankless water heater, you eliminate up to 1,000 pounds of polluting carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere every year!
Renting a Tankless Water Heater
Mar 9th
Renting a Tankless Water Heater
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For a lot of people in Ontario renting your water heater is something you have always done, the charge is roughly between 10$ and 20$ a month. Companies that provide this service (for the most part) 
put in low end tanks so that their return on investment is only a few years. The problem is that low end tanks are energy hogs and consume copious amount of power. The company you rent it off of doesn’t care about efficiency as they are not paying the bills, thus the problem.
Renting a Tankless Water heater is going to be more expensive on a monthly basis but the savings it 
produces more than outweigh the additional cost. Remember a Tankless water heater is the top of the line water heating system, if it’s a Navien (or Navian which is often spelled incorrectly) you will be getting 98% efficiency. A Rinnai will produce great savings with lots of hot water and very reliable service. These units are the best there is for residential hot water demands.
The rental fees are almost identical from all companies that are offering rental tankless systems in Ontario and the greater Toronto area. On average you will be looking at between 32$ and 40$ per month for the rental water heater. You will also be getting the peace of mind that if anything goes wrong the unit will be replace or fixed.
The Tankless Hot Water Guide rents tankless water heaters if you are interested in renting a tankless system please fill out the form below and we will have a representative contact you.
Recirculation Tankless Installations
Mar 3rd
Tankless And Recirculation
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Some Larger homes may require a recirculation loop so that hot water gets to the desired applications faster. They are commonly used with conventional tanks but certain tankless brands can also be used to fit the bill.
What is a ReCirculation Loop?
The loop usually runs the length of one side of the house and then back along the other side. It should be well insulated and have a continuous flow so that there is always hot water in the loop. This way when someone needs hot water at a shower on the other side of the house it only takes a few seconds for hot water to reach the user. If there wasn’t this recirculation loop the water would need to flow all the way from the other side of the house, this could take few minutes and waste gallons of water.
See the diagram below for a good example
Tankless Recirculation
There is not a lot of tankless water heaters that can suitable provide the demands of a recirculation loop. In fact some companies will cut the tankless warranty in half if it is used in a situation where a recirculation loop exists. There are others that don’t modify the warranty and depending on installation Rinnai is one of the brands that allows for a recirculation system. Make sure to talk to your plumber or contractor before begining as they’re a lot of factors to consider before installation.
