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Tankless Hot Water Heaters, Efficient, Effective, Endless.
Posts tagged Energy
EcoEnergy Audit Program Cancelled Again
Feb 3rd
The Harper government has one again cancelled the ecoEnergy audit program early. The audit program was surprisingly cancelled on January 29th 2012, and was not supposed to finish until March 31st 2012.
Why Was The Audit Program Cancelled?
This is a bit of a mystery, as the Conservatives had pledged 400 million in funding to the program from the budget only a few months ago. Now with less than half of that money released as grants to Canadian citizens they have removed any access chalking it up to “fiscal responsibility”. So ultimately the energy audit program in Canada has been destroyed to save 200 million dollars… If you look at how much money the program saves and has saved home owners through efficiency alone that 200 million is a drip in the Billion dollar savings bucket. It’s really unfortunate we have such a pro oil Government willing to discount its citizens so easily.
What Are The Details?
- If you have completed your first audit but haven’t finished your upgrades or retrofits then you are still eligible for Government grants and rebates
- The program is completely closed to new entrants
- Homeowners can receive post-retrofit evaluations and apply for grants until June 30, 2012; the retrofit renovations must be completed by March 31.
If you were hoping to get the rebates associated with a high efficiency tankless water heater then, unfortunately, you’re out of luck at the current moment. Hopefully the program will be reinstated, but as it stands at the current moment you will have to recoup your tankless costs with its efficiency.
Navien Tankless Recall In Ontario – Poisoning Risk – Models and Model Number
Jan 5th
Navien tankless has issued a recall on thousands of tankless systems that have pose a risk of leaking carbon monoxide and poisoning homeowners.
Navien is located in South Korea and has been manufacturing it’s tankless water heater for several years now. There are a suspected 13,000 units with the defect and recalled. An unstable connection can cause the vent collar to separate or disconnect allowing exhaust and carbon monoxide to leak into the home.
Tankless water heaters are a green appliance that is able to heat water instantly saving consumers money and energy. A tankless eliminates the need to have a standing storage hot water tank that needs to be heated continuously.
The affected Navien tankless systems that are being recalled were sold to distributors from February 2008 to March 2009. They have been described as:
Navien tankless hot water heaters are white with “T-Creator” and “NAVIEN” on the front. Recalled model numbers are CR-180(A), CR-210(A), CR-240(A), CC-180(A), CC-210(A) and CC-240(A) manufactured in 2008. A label on the side of the water heater lists the model number along with the manufacturing year in YYYY format.
These units are installed indoors in basements and closets (typically in Canada and the northern US). The units that are installed outside are not affected and not being recalled.
If you discover you have one of these models you can schedule a free repair but should not use the water heater in the mean time. Navien also suggests that a carbon monoxide detector be installed outside the sleeping areas of homes.
For more information you can contact Navien at (800) 244-8202 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
Breaking Your Water Heater Contract In Toronto
Nov 30th
Unfortunately all companies have their own contracts and stipulations that you will likely need to abide by if you are past the 10 day consumer protection act. 
Most are for between 8-10 years with a set fee to break that contract early (but there exceptions). If you do decide to switch companies most will negotiate price and will actually subsidize or even pay your termination fees to get you as a client. The water heater market is highly competitive so take advantage of that. A rental tankless will cost roughly 39$ – 49$ a month depending on model and size (IMPORTANT – you are still entitled to a government rebate with a rental tankless so look into an energy audit). A regular rental tank should be between 10$ and 25$ a month, again depends on size and venting.
Purchase a Water Heater Outright
A tankless rental company will not notify when the contract is up, they actually hope you forget and keep paying them. If you are past your contract definitely look into just purchasing either a tankless or conventional tank. These systems are incredibly reliable and actually not that expensive to buy outright, you never have to worry about a contract or any cancellation fees and even better, door to door sales people. We offer free quotes for a tankless or conventional tank purchase and installation. See how much here.
The annoying door to door sales.
If you are contacted at your door ask these questions before you even think about letting the sales person into your home.
- 1. What company do you represent?
- 2. How long is the contract for?
- 3. Are there charges to exit the contract if I’m not satisfied with the service?
- 4. What is the experience level of your technicians and staff?
- 5. How much higher are your rental rates?
How do Toronto home owners feel about door to door techniques?
A recent poll suggests were not too thrilled.
- 58% felt pressured into making a purchase or signing the contract presented
- 61% who purchased experienced “buyer’s remorse”, and regretted signing the contract
- 70% feel angry and taken advantage of
Ontario Grants, Rebates a Tankless and Energy Audit
Nov 2nd
Ontario Grants For Water Heating
- Gas — hot water heater up to $375
- Solar — hot water system $1,250
- Ontario water heater rebates — Get Government of Canada ecoENERGY grants and rebates of up to $1,250 for a new hot water heater. Click here
Hot water heater grants for your home
Take advantage of Government of Canada grants for replacement hot water heater systems:
- Canada ecoENERGY — Homeowners can get up to $1,250 in grants from the Canadian government for a new hot water system. The Government of Canada grants up to $5,000 for home energy renovations through the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program, which is in effect until March 31, 2012. Click here for more
Remember not to long ago I talked about how a tankless could be combined with a solar thermal water heater? Well BAM! here are some rebates the Government is offereing that reduce the cost for both the tankless and the solar heater. I wouldn’t expect these to last too long (in fact, around April 2012 is when I would expect to offer to be removed).
Canadian Tankless Water Heater Websites
Oct 20th
Its funny that most of the major tankless companies dont have canadian version of their websites… Canada is a very natural gas dependant country and thus we have this service in the majority of our homes. You would think that a market of 30 million plus might foster a small investment in a geocentric Canadian content specific website. 
Tankless manufactures know that the further north their product is installed the colder the ground water and the more energy is needed to heat the water up to acceptable temperatures. For the most part all of the major tankless companies have successfully overcome this issue. They certainly should work on advertising and showcasing thier advancements. Canadian tankless manufacture websites would go a long way.
Tankless Manufactures with Canadian Sites
- Rinnai – Rinnai.ca
- John Wood – johnwoodwaterheaters.com (honourable mention for haveing a french version)
Tankless Manufactures Without a Canadian Site
- Bosch
- GSW
- John Wood
- Navien
- Noritz
- Paloma
- Takagi
Eco Energy Audit Put on Hold
Apr 7th
With the fall of the Conservative party the budget that they had proposed containing the Eco Energy Audit program has be put on hold. Now its just a matter of time, waiting to see if the new Government will refund the program.
We will be sure to post any news we receive regarding the subject.
UPDATE – The Harper government will be providing a new budget soon and with it we hope there is funding to restart the grants and rebates offered with the past ecoenergy program!
Rinnai Condensing Verses Navien Condensing
Nov 8th
These are the two heavy hitters in the high efficiency Tankless water heater field. How can you choose the correct tankless, well this article aims to help you choose between the Rinnai Tankless or the Navien Tankless.
| Brand | Rinnai | Navien | Rinnai | Navien |
| Model Nuber | RC98HP | NR240 | RC80HP | NR180 |
| Dimension | 19Wx26Hx11D | 17Wx28Hx15D | 19Wx26Hx11D | 17Wx28Hx14D |
| Weight | 71 lbs | 77 lbs | 64 lbs | 67 lbs |
| Activation Rate (GPM) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Min. Input (BTUs,NG) | 9,500 | 17,000 | 9,500 | 15,000 |
| Max. Input (BTUs,NG) | 199,000 | 199,000 | 157,000 | 150,000 |
| GPM @ 77 Rise | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| Thermal Efficiency | 96% | 98% | 97% | 98.8% |
| Energy Factor | 0.94 | 0.97 | 0.95 | 0.96 |
| Type of Venting | Concentric PP | Two Pipe PVC | Concentric PP | Two Pipe PVC |
This chart pits the two main tankless systems that each manufacturer produces, the only row it is missing is reliability. Unfortunately we dont have any scientific data on that but would venture to say that the Rinnai makes the more dependable tankless. This is solely based on comments that we receive here on the site regarding the two tankless manufacturers.
End to End Financing
Nov 8th
A financing offering helps you simplify your efforts to reduce your overall energy footprint. Whether you are considering an energy efficient retrofit, the replacement of water heater or new solar thermal roof mount. Financing can provide a simple, affordable End-to-End solution for many home owners. By financing your solution at competitive market rates, you can begin saving money instantly (actual savings will depend on your energy usage, the value of your retrofit and the financing term).
Financing Features
- 100% purchase financing (including labour, installation, tankless, etc.)
- Ownership contract – you own it at the end of the term
- Competitive with bank financing rates
- Low monthly payments
- Deferred payment plans available
A tankless will net you savings over a period of time, if you don’t have the total purchase price or want to lay out that much money immediately a financing option will allow you to pay a tankless off slowly with the savings you get monthly.
Request a Free Consultation and See if a Tankless Fits in your Home.
Maple Tankless
Sep 15th
Maple
Maple has a population or just over 50,000 with most of the homes being single detached. Owning a detached home 
increases the likeliness of a tankless water heater meeting the venting requirements and being installed. Many people want to upgrade their systems but are unable to due to venting issues associated with the tankless.
Homes in Maple are also on average quite large, this poses a secondary question… how big of a tankless water heater should I go? A REP for the Maple region can come out free of charge and answer these questions for you.
If you’re living in the Maple region a tankless is a great upgrade for your home saving you money and using less energy which ultimately helps the environment.
Find out about tankless water heaters installers in the Maple area
