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Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless Hot Water Heaters, Efficient, Effective, Endless.
Mike Holmes on Tankless Water Heaters
Aug 16th
Still doubting the validity of a tankless water heaters for your home? Famed home renovation TV star Mike Holmes goes on record saying that the systems just plainly “make Sense”.
Below is a excerpt from the article.
“Environmentally responsible building is opening our eyes to some great, new technologies. But it’s also getting us to take another look at really smart old ideas — such as tankless water heaters.
These have been used in Europe and Asia since the Second World War, but are only now coming into common use in North America. I’m a huge fan of these in-line hot water heaters. They are super efficient, space-saving products that — when installed properly — will last almost forever, cut your energy bill and supply unlimited hot water to your home. You can literally open up your tap, walk away, and still have hot water coming out a month later.
Yes, they cost more initially, and you have to have them installed and calibrated to your household’s use by an expert, but there is no doubt in my mind that you will get your money’s worth.
Tankless water heaters are small — usually not much bigger than an electrical panel. When you turn on a hot water tap, a burner in the unit lights up and instantly heats water in a maze of copper pipe. With the tap open, the water flows through the heated pipes, and within seconds, you have continuous hot water. When you turn off the tap, the burner goes off. The result is you don’t have to heat and store 40 gallons of water in your basement any more. You only heat the water you use, and you have hot water for as
long as you need it.”
You can read the full article here with a lot more tips on how a tankless water heater may be right for your home…. Mike Holmes on Tankless Water Heaters in the Globe and Mail Article
Pipe Sweating
Jul 27th
Pipe sweating is a question that’s been asked numerous times and its an important one to deal with (albeit very tricky).
In all modern homes the basement floor and walls are all wrapped in a thick plastic barrier to prevent moisture from seeping into the home. Unfortunately we all don’t live in new homes and we have work with whats available. Moisture seeps into the basement through walls and floors causing a high humidity environment, any source of cold cause this water to condense. All tankless and tank type water heaters have a cold water line leading to the appliance. This supply line almost always “sweats” and can cause corrosion at a the tankless water heaters connection site.
Your best solution for Pipe sweating?
Wrap your pipes in a rubber or foam pipe insulation this will contain the cold temperatures and prevent sweating along that temperature gradient.
The next best solution is to deal with the issue at its source, this means waterproofing your basement floor and walls, fixing any water leaks that cause additional humidity levels. As a last resort you can look at running a dehumidifier in the basement to bring the moisture levels down even further.
Good Luck and protect your tankless with pipe insulation
Toronto Heats Up
Jul 11th
Well it looks as thought the summer we misses last year has come back in 2010 with a vengeance! Don’t get me wrong, no one is complaining but its certainly one of those summers your thankful you have air conditioning. Now if your one of those family’s that just refuses to install central air its time to rethink that. 
Firstly, there’s so many appliances in a home that run now (computers, stereos, big screen TV’s) and these units produce a lot of heat. Think about when you leave the computer running in a room with door closed how quickly its transformed into a sauna. All these new electronics can really raise the temperature of any home and if its 36 degrees outside it doesn’t take long to send your homes interior temperature sky rocketing.
Secondly, (more on the lines of tankless water heaters) a tankless water heater will only turn on when there is hot water needed, so all day when the home is empty that old conventional tank is just producing heat, and heating up your house. Its even worse if you have air conditioning and its working to cool your home all the while the water heater is heating up the house…. Might be time to switch to a Tankless
Tankless Update
Jun 22nd
Here at the tankless water guide we are undergoing to a new web site redesign. Over the last few years we have grown substantially and the site is now visited by hundreds of people a day looking for tankless information and installation quotes. The new design will help users access information easier and hopefully provider a better flow to your tankless browsing needs.
Comments are open on this post if anyone wants to add some input.
Take Care,
The Tankless Crew
Home Owner To do List-Tankless
May 27th
Bosch vs Rinnai Tankless
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When it comes to home improvement there are so many options available. Most homeowners make a mental to do list of the projects that are weekend projects and ones best left to the pros. To do lists are usually placed in order of cost and capability to complete the task. A tankless water heater is a project that is well worth putting at the top of your to do list. We can have REP come out and go over where a unit can be installed and what an install entails. Then you can spend the rest of your Saturday planning on how to use the extra space your old hot water tank took up.
With conventional tank type water heaters there is a strangely long list of things that are not exactly great selling points. Things like, pilot lights that miraculously go out at the most inconvenient times, limited storage capabilities, short life spans, and a loss of energy efficiency due to sludge build up at the bottom of the tank.
The tankless water heater solves a lot of the standard water heater problems. Current water heaters use energy by constantly working to maintain heated water temperatures of 40 to 50 gallons that is not even being used. A tankless system costs 60 percent less to operate than the standard tank because it only heats the water when it is requested by the home owner. Another selling point is the life expectancy of these units, double sometimes even triple to that of the traditional unit.
If you are trying to ‘Go Green’ most tankless water heaters are Energy Star approved. This means that you are not only reducing your carbon footprint by 63 percent compared to the standard unit, you will also be saving energy, and that means real money back in your pocket.
In addition to the money that you are going to be saving on reduced energy bills, the Provincial Government offers tax incentives of up to 30 percent for energy efficiency improvements.
Home Depot Tankless or Rinnai
May 12th
Bosch vs Rinnai Tankless
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There has been quite the buzz regarding tankless water heaters lately. Claims of their superior energy savings and efficiency have been touted by every company pushing the units. Yes they do reduce the amount of gas or propane you use but they also provide endless hot water. If you take a 45 minute shower your more than likely using more energy than you would with a conventional tank that simply runs out of hot water after 20. Yet if you are reasonable and shower for the same duration, you have great potential to see some real energy (and money) savings with a tankless water heater.
Now that you know you want a tankless you have two options…
Option 1 – Go to your nearest Home Depot and purchase one from there, then hire a gas fitter and a plumber to install it
or
Option 2 – Look for a professional tankless installer who has the specialty to preform a stand-up job.
Being the person purchasing the system cost will obviously be a factor and I guarantee Home Depot will be the cheapest option (If cost is your only driving force you should click the link and head to Home Depot now).
For those of you that stuck around I will explain why the second choice is probably the best choice.
Firstly if you call around to a few tankless installers you will quickly realize that none of them sell Bosch tankless heaters (Bosch is the only tankless brand Home Depot sells). The reason why these companies don’t offer this brand is due to the fact they offer extended warranties and guarantees. They are on the line for the products they sell and thus they go with quality products they know will stand up and remain reliable.
Enter Rinnai.
Ask these same tankless installation companies if they sell the Rinnai brand tankless water heater and I bet you find that 99% of them do. Rinnai tankless water heaters are built to last and this is why industry professionals install this brand. Lets compare the Bosch and Rinnai tankless models and see some of the differences.
Bosch Aquastar Tankless Water Heater 1600H compared with Rinnai R75LSi Tankless
Bosch Tankless Verses a Rinnai Tankless
| Bosch 1600H | Rinnai R75LSi | |
|---|---|---|
| Tankless Weight | 33 Pounds | 50 Pounds |
| Power Input (NG) | 30,735-117,000 Btu | 15,000-180,000 Btu |
| CSA Certified | Yes | Yes |
| GPM | 0.6 – 3.5 GPM | 0.6 – 7.5 GPM |
| Energy Factor | 0.8 or 80% | 0.82 or 82% |
| Heat Exchanger | Residential Grade | Commercial Grade |
| Cost or Price | $939 + installation and Vent | $2850 or $39.95 rental |
As you can see there are some definite differences, probably the most glaring is the amount of hotwater that can be provided. The Rinnai is able to produce more than twice as much, meaning you won’t run into problems when running more than one appliance or faucet..
Of course this doesn’t take into account all the benefits that you get from a professional install like:
- Proper venting, tankless systems have very specific code requirements
- Correct sizing so that you always have enough hot water
- Additional warranty and workmanship guarantees
- Maintenance guarantees, service plans, and emergency tech service.
Sure any Ontario Home Depot has the cheapest system but I hope I clarified why they’re some much cheaper. Now those of you still left reading option 2 and didn’t click on the Home Depot link you are obviously interested in a tankless. These systems can’t go in every home due to venting issues so we send out a technician to make sure everything will work and what size tankless your home would need. This is a free service, so just fill out the form below and we will call you to schedule a time for someone to come by. Typically only 15-20 minutes.
Technicians are fitting and sizing tankless water heaters in all of the greater Toronto area as well as, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Rexdale, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham, North York, Scarborough, Im sure I have missed some cities but you get the idea, if in question just send us an email.
Microwave Tankless Water Heaters….
May 11th
Microwave Tankless
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Giant microwaves to heat water instantly? Is this real? And can it actually work?
A microwave (like in a microwave oven) is generated by a magnetron at a frequency of 2.45 gigahertz, this is the 
exact frequency that targets water molecules and gets them vibrating faster and faster, thus heating up.
The principal behind a microwave tankless water heater is basically the same as your microwave oven at home just on a larger scale. Cold water will simply pass through the unit where it will be bombarded by microwaves actively exciting the molecules to the required temperature. The warm or hot water will then pass through the pluming system to the source of demand.
Effectively this is making hot water produced by electricity actually a reality. There are electric tankless water heaters, sure, but they require massive amounts of power and don’t reliably produce enough water to supply a modern home. Wanderport, a manufacturer of these systems is claiming upwards of 6-7 gallons per minute which is directly on par with conventional tankless systems.
What’s potentially so great about these systems?
First off there is no venting needed, no holes in the walls, no venting proximity restrictions; these are huge barriers that gas or propane tankless systems face. On that same note, the conventional tankless systems sometimes require home owners to upgrade supply lines as units can consume upwards of 199,000 Btu’s.
Secondly a microwave unit has an efficiency of 99% and emits no pollution. The unit also doesn’t degrade over time as a conventional tankless does with calcium deposits and buildups in the various heat exchangers that they need.
So what’s the chances of you getting a microwave water heater in your home in the near future?
According to Wanderport, quite realistic. In fact they have a product on the verge of being released. Its already won an advanced technology award from the
Toronto Construction Association.
Check out the future of water heating here.
Rent a Rinnai
May 6th
Rent a Rinnai Tankless
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A tankless water heater can be an expensive upgrade for a homeowner. Sure the system will save you money on natural gas or propane but there is a large sum of money to come up with initially that takes a while to recoup.
Renting a Rinnai Tankless
We facilitate the renting if Rinnai tankless systems which only cost $39.95 a month, there is no installation fees and any breakdown or maintenance fees are completely covered as you are only renting the system. Tankless systems have a lifespan of over 20 years, if after a set period of time you decide you want to purchase it, no problem.
The Federal Government removing their portion of grant money has reduced the incentive to purchase these units and thus booting the value in a rental system. In all likelihood you are probably renting a conventional tank already why not upgrade to unlimited hot water and save a bunch of money off your gas bill (in most cases it easily offsets the additional rental costs.
Call or send us a quick E-Mail to find out more.
Instant or Tankless Water Heaters?
Apr 29th
Things to Know.
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Most of us have grown up with a standard tank type water heater. As such we are used to the way our hot water system works. Switching to a tankless water heater will have an affect on the way your hot water system works.
With a tank type heater, when you turn on a hot water faucet, the hot water, typically 140 degrees, immediately begins flowing through the pipe to get to your faucet. As the water travels through the cold pi pe, it cools off until the piping material warms up. That is why your hot water doesn’t instantly go from cold to hot; it has to warm up the pipes first.
Some homes have hot water circulating systems that circulate the hot water through the pipes to obtain instant hot water at every sink. Circulating systems can save a lot of water. They are wasteful of energy though, since the water heater will fire up more often to replace the heat being lost through the piping which acts like a big radiator even if the pipes are well insulated.
There are also pumping systems that pump the hot water to the fixture from the heater only when you want to use hot water and you don’t run any water down the drain. You still save the water and time, but you don’t waste water.
Tankless Systems
Tankless water heaters are being promoted as providing endless hot water and as being energy saving over traditional water heaters. While both of these facts are true, there are other things to consider.
If you are considering replacing your tank type water heater with a tankless unit, and you have a typical house, make sure you get one large enough to do the job. Since you are heating water as you use it, you must heat it much more quickly than a tank type heater so you need to add heat much more quickly.
For a gas type heater this means you will be using a lot more gas volume/ minute than with a tank type heater. Your exhaust flue may need to be larger and the gas line might need to be upgraded. For electric units you might have to have special wiring put in to handle the high amperage loads created by an electric tankless water heater.
Tankless water heaters are typically much smaller than conventional tanks and are hung on the wall, resulting in a significant space savings.
Tankless water heaters can save you a modest amount of energy, typically around $20.00 – $40.00 a month. They are also eligible for home energy Grants and Rebates provided by the Government to aid in a speedy transition from the old energy consuming conventional tank to this new efficient technology.
