Tankless Water Heaters - Paper Example

Tankless water heaters, which are also referred as tankless units, are on-demand devices that act as alternatives to storage tanks. The heaters have a life expectancy of approximately 20 years. Notably, they are effective because they minimize the stand-by costs associated with storage tanks. The water moves into the unit and is heated using a gas burner or electricity before the user collects it. The system delivers hot water at a rate of up to 5 gallons per minute.

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The Benefits

Tankless water heaters are worthwhile investment because of several reasons. First, the unit prevents the loss of money because it eliminates stand-by costs associated with conventional storage tanks. In fact, they minimize the cost of hot water piping leading to cuts in energy expenditure by 10-15%. Second, due to their life expectancy, tankless water heaters have an advantage over other means. Third, the unit operates on-demand basis, which means that it is highly energy efficient. As a matter of fact, some of them have energy factors which can be as high as 95. Fourth, many consumers prefer the heating system because it is highly reliable. If it is sized correctly, it has the capacity to supply continuous water flow at the predetermined temperatures. Fifth, the latest models of heaters are fitted with innovative features to improve safety. For instance, the monitoring systems are useful in checking details concerning water flow and pressure. The system detects a simple machine failure and turns off automatically.

Maintenance of Tankless Water Heaters

The heaters are maintained to ensure that the heat exchange elements do not have scale buildup due to lime. A light lime coating may cause adverse effects on the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire system. However, it is vital to seek information concerning maintenance activities from the manufacturer because scale buildup occurs due to several factors such as location, water volume, and usage. Before embarking on maintenance work, power should be turned off as well as ensure that water valves are closed. Currently, manufacturers install scale detection software, which sends an error message to the user, if there is a buildup of impurities. Notably, western regions in the United States have high levels of water hardness which indicates that scale buildup is high. Although many people believe that a regular maintenance services should be performed, experts believe that tankless heaters have the ability to eliminate the problem of accumulated deposits.

Replacing Tankless Water Heaters

If the unit is not installed properly, it may pose safety hazards. As a result, there is a need to replace faulty systems if they exhibit regular water leakages. In addition, the system is replaced when the amount of energy consumed is much more than it would cost a when using a conventional storage tank. To a large extent, gas-powered heaters may lead to incremental expenses if they are not sized properly. Notably, conventional gas line and gas meter have the capacity to transport high gas loads. Therefore, it is important to ensure that accurate sizing is performed to minimize cost. The other situations that may prompt the user to change the unit involve technical issues that cause the system to underperform. Thus, there is a need to replace the current unit to allow room to reconfigure piping and add another buffer tank. As more innovations emerge, one may need to install a different device that is not compatible with the old system; hence, prompt the owner to replace it to achieve the goal of energy efficiency. However, the long life expectancy associated with the heaters diminishes the need to replace them often.

Managing Leakages

In the event of leakages, home owners should follow several steps to rectify the problem because it can lead to hefty bills for repair and replacement. First, it is paramount to determine whether the problem is within the unit. Water may condense around the pipe, heater, and other supportive appliances and eventually drip after accumulating for some time. Therefore, the user should use simple observation after wiping the heater to determine the source. Moreover, he/she should inspect the plumbing materials for obvious leakages. The second step involves switching off the circuit breaker to prevent an electric shock. Third, it is vital to turn off the cold water shut-off valve to cut water supply. Determining the exact location of the leak is the next step. In particular, one should inspect the cold water inlet and hot water outlet as well as the pressure and temperature relief valves. Then, the user can ask a professional plumber to help in fitting or replacing the entire unit.

Installing a Tankless Water Heater

The first step involves the installation of a gas supply pipe for the unit. In the second stage, the new copper waterlines should be put in place to ensure that there is no direct contact with the wall. Therefore, one should clean the copper joints and use flux to coat before soldering. Then, a covered platform should be built to position the system. In the fourth step, the tankless heater is made secure by mounting it on the platform. This is done by driving screws through the openings to hold the unit permanently. In the fifth stage, the gas or electricity shut-off valve, the sediment trap, and supply line are installed. Next, the user connects the tankless water heater with the water shutoff valves. A gas sniffer should be used to check if there are leakages. Then, connectors, elbows, and heater vent piping are installed. After this is done, the metal wall thimble is traced and installed through the wall. Finally, power is turned on and the pipes are insulated. However, it is advisable for one to run through cold water first before plugging electric power.