Tankless Water Heaters

If you are like me, the first time you ever heard the term "tankless water heater", you wondered how one acutally works. Today I would like to share some information on the way a tankless water heater operates and the benefits to using one.

I am going to do my best to explain the parts and pieces of the tankless heater in layman's terms. Its not as complicated as you may think.

When you turn on the hot water at your shower, a water-flow sensor triggers the heating sequence. The first part of the heating sequence is a small fan, or combustion fan, which forces air into the burner from outside. (Think of the burner on your gas stove.)

The igniter then sparks and tells the modulating gas valve to supply gas to the burner. Once the flame has been created the valve will shut, based on the amount of heat required.

Next, the cold water passes through a circular copper heat exchanger many times, (copper pipes that have heated forced air surrounding them), until the water has gained heat from the copper tubing.

A plus to the system: metal fins in the heat exchanger help to concentrate hot air around the pipes, decreasing the time it takes the burner to heat up the water. After this, the hot water leaves the heat exchanger at heat levels of 140 degrees F or more. It is then introduced to cold water at the thermostat. The hot water and cold water mix to give you the desired temperature, and presto! you have hot water at your shower.

Tankless water heaters heat only the water you need, and only heat it when you need it. Brilliant! By heating your water in this way, manufacturers of tankless water heaters say that there is a 30% savings in water-heating cost and a 50% decrease in the energy consumption.

Tankless water heaters are fairly new to the home building industry, but even if you're not building a new home soon, don't eliminate the possibility of getting one.

Retrofitting a tankless water heater, in many cases, requires little heavy construction. Considering the monthly savings on a tankless water heater, the cost of a retrofit is minimal, especially if it is time for you to change out your old water heater anyway. Plus, you must consider the lifetime savings of such a piece of equipment.

And, through 2010, you can take advantage of tax credits available for energy-efficient changes to your home.

I hope that you can step away from this article with a better understanding on the ins and outs of a tankless water heater. If you have any questions regarding green home building don’t hesitate to contat Greenovation Builders.

BY JACOB TANKERSLEY

(Reference: Fine Homebuilding Magazine)