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When most small business
look for cost cutting tips to include in the office, they usually
overlook their HVAC systems. Depending on the type of business you have,
HVACs may play a huge role in your day to day business operations. And
if a water system is a significant component of your small business, you
may want to consider using a tankless water heater.
Depending on the type of
business you have (i.e. a small gym, restaurants, laundromats, etc), with
cold weather the use of hot water increases dramatically and will likely
cost your business a considerable amount of money. Most businesses
typically use a standard storage water heaters; however, these heaters
waste a lot of energy because they switch to "stand-by" mode when hot
water is not in use. When switched on an in use, they take a while to
warm up, causing you to wait and resulting in loss of business
efficiency.
A
tankless water heater is the perfect solution for those who want hot
water and to save money. Tankless water heaters, which are also called
instantaneous or demand water heaters, are becoming extremely popular
these days because of their efficiency. Cold water travels through a pipe into the
water heater and is then heated by an electric or a gas-fired element.
As a result, hot water is
instantaneous, and you don't need to waste your time
waiting for the water to warm up. These
electric water heaters can also simultaneously produce and supply
endless streams of hot water to multiple outlets without the hassle of
temperature fluctuation. These units are so popular that even the U.S.
Department of Energy recommends them.
Additional benefits of tankless water heaters
include:
- Space Savings - tankless water heaters
are compact units and in most cases can be wall-mounted units.
- Energy-Efficiency - 30-50% percent more
energy efficient than a traditional water heater.
- Money-Saving - automatic shut off when
the water supply is closed, resulting in lowered utility bills.
Factors To Consider When Purchasing a Tankless Water Heater
1. Gas vs. Electric
If you have a choice between gas and
electric, we may be better off going with gas units since they are typically more powerful
and more energy efficient than the electric units. Not all buildings
can have a gas unit installed due to specific venting requirements. The
electric tankless water heaters are hard wired and typically have high
amperage requirements; however there are no combustion air or venting
requirements with an electric unit. Electric units are primarily
suitable for industrial uses when they can replace a standard tank that
is using thousands of kilowatt hours per year to heat water for a
bathroom that does not require much hot water. In this situation, an
electric tankless heater can result in substantial savings over an existing
electric tank water heater.
2. Flow rate
While tankless water heaters can provide an
endless supply of hot water, they have a limitation as to how much hot
water can be produced at any given time. There is also a relationship
between the amount of hot water produced in GPM (gallons per minute) and
the temperature rise which is listed in our product comparisons link at
the bottom of this page. The temperature rise refers to the number of
degrees the inlet water temperature is increased. For example, in the US
the average inlet water temperature is 55 degrees, so to raise the water
to 115 degrees in this case would require a 60 degree temperature rise.
Modern gas tankless systems can produce as much as 9 gallons of hot
water per minute which is the equivalent of four standard showers at
once.
3. How much hot water do you need at one time?
Do you need to
run 2 showers at the same time or maybe a shower and a couple sinks? We
suggest using 2.0 GPM for a shower and 1.0 GPM for a bathroom as a
reference point in determining your total simultaneous water needs.
Tankless Water Heaters >>
Heater Guide Main Page >>
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