Water Heating
We Know Water heaters inside out!
Choosing a Heater
Swap Out or Upgrade?
Swap Out or Upgrade?
Whether you are building a new home or replacing your current water heater, we'll help you decide which water heater best fits your needs & budget.
Swap Out or Upgrade?
Swap Out or Upgrade?
Swap Out or Upgrade?
Looking into something to provide endless hot water? Want the best efficiency? Or instant heat when you turn on the tap?
Tankless Maintenance
Swap Out or Upgrade?
Tankless Maintenance
Installed and maintained properly, tankless heaters can outlast tanks by a long shot! Have our pros flush and inspect your heaters before theres problems.
Instant Vs. Endless
Instant Vs. Endless
Tankless Maintenance
Find out the difference between these two common topics in how hot water moves throughout your home.
Circulation Systems
Instant Vs. Endless
Circulation Systems
Learn how this added technology can add efficiency and comfort to your home. Our customers love this feature.
See our work!
Instant Vs. Endless
Circulation Systems
See our installations for yourself along with many of the repairs and replacement jobs on existing water heaters.
COMMON TYPES OF WATER HEATERS
GAS TANKLESS WATER HEATERS
Due to its high efficiency, endless supply of hot water, and compact size it's no wonder gas tankless water heaters are increasingly popular, and have the most attention in continuing technological advancements.
GAS TANK WATER HEATERS
Perhaps one of the most popular types of water heaters in the states prior to tankless is the gas tank type. For many people that don't need an endless supply of hot water the traditional tank continues to be a very economical choice.
HYBRID WATER HEATERS
Fairly new to the market is the hybridization of an electric tank heater and an AC style heat pump. Efficiency of hybrid water heaters exceed tankless heaters. Although it's a tank type they have a faster heat recovery but still require a lot of space.
ELECTRIC TANKLESS WATER HEATERS
Just as popular as the gas tank type; the electric tank heaters are the most economic choice from an installation standpoint since they have the simplest design. Unfortunately they have a higher operating cost due to it's low efficiency rating.
ELECTRIC TANK WATER HEATERS
One of the most inefficient and higher cost options available yet a few situations that make them a great choice. As the amount of required water increases so does the required voltage. Due to compact size single point of use is the best.
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
Harnessing the power of the Sun makes solar the most efficient way too heat water. Drawbacks are high installation costs and no heating without sunlight. Installation requires solar tube panel, storage tank, and a complex control system.
Swap-Out vs Upgrade... Which water heater is best for me
Anything is definitely possible to achieve however we want you to be aware of what may be required in various water heater installations. Whether you decide to replace with the similar type you already have or looking to upgrade to a more efficient model, there may be some obstacles to consider. These vary from one home to the next due to how the home was originally plumbed and constructed.
When our experts arrive we will be able to provide multiple options whether you choose to replace your water heater with a similar type or another type such as tankless. We stand behind our work and the products we install so we make sure everything is installed correctly.
Requirements for Installation to consider
FUEL TYPE
- If your home is electric, and you want a gas heater you would need to consider adding a propane tank or natural gas service connection if in the city.
- Because tankless heaters are on-demand (only operate when using water) they require a higher BTU's to produce a rapid temperature increase as water flows through. In some situations an increase in pipe size may be required.
COMBUSTION AIR
- All gas heaters require a fresh air intake for combustion. This can be from a pipe leading outside or in an indoor space with sufficient fresh air through a pathway such as a door screen.
EXHAUST GAS
- We see more often than we would like too where an incorrect vent pipe was used after changing water heater types. Using proper exhaust ventilation materials is very critical for both safety and performance.
- In every case the entire section of exhaust vent needs to be composed of materials acceptable by the water heater manufacturer.
HEATER SIZE
- The size of the space required is typically only an issue when going from a smaller tank to a larger tank.
- Other areas we have had issues are with width of tank heaters since changes in efficiency requirements have made manufacturers add more insulation making newer models slightly wider.
DRAINAGE
- All water heaters are required to have a TMP relief valve. It is recommended that these are piped to outside the home.
- In addition to the TMP all heaters also require a pan to catch water from potential leaks which is recommended to drain outside.
- Higher efficiency condensing tankless heaters produce excess water which needs to be drained. The condensate is very acidic and needs to discharge through the residence sanitary drain pipe or through a neutralizer if going outside.
POWER
- Most gas tank style water heaters do not require power. Switching to a tankless will require a plug nearby since it will need power to run internal components such as a fan, solenoid valves, pc board, and control pad.
Tankless Water Heater Maintenance
What to Expect from our Tankless Maintenance Service
The question we hear from our customers... "How often or do I even need to flush my tankless heater?"
- The reason we flush heaters is to remove mineral deposits that buildup on the inner walls of the pipe inside the tankless heater. The buildup can lead to corrosion, restricted flow, clog internal components, and eventually leak.
- The only instance I would not recommend flushing is if the heater is over approximately 8 years old and has never been flushed. In these cases what happens is the pipe may have corroded through underneath the mineral buildup, however the mineral buildup acts as a bandage or a patch. When it is flushed the mineral buildup is stripped away and causes a leak.
- Recommended frequency to flush by most tankless manufacturers is once every year. The buildup rate is primarily impacted by the hardness of your water supply. If you have very high hardness you may want to consider frequently flushing or incorporating a softener.
What we do during routine flush & maintenance
- Inspection - Successful operation and longevity of the heater is definitely impacted by improper installations or naturally occurring obstructions created by pests such as wasps or birds.
- Check Igniter - After long periods of operation soot may buildup on the igniters over time.
- Check Filter - Many times the inlet water filter may become obstructed. This can restrict water flow significantly. We do not recommend our customers to do this unless you have a replacement on hand since they often disintegrate when removed.
- Flush - We remove all the water in the heater and using a circulation pump and filter we cycle 100% food safe vinegar through the heater.
- Clean - All sorts of bugs will likely make their way inside the heater cabinet. While they do not hurt anything unless the make their way inside the burner we will
- Gas Calibration - Providing accurate temperature hot water relies on a low and high fire set-point. Using a calibrated manometer we verify these gas settings and adjust as needed.
- Waterproof - Primarily on the exterior tankless water heater models. We recommend the pipes penetrating the base be sealed in the event of a leak. To prevent damage to your home we do our best to make sure these holes are sealed so most of the water would run outside the home .
- Record - For your records we provide a service log sticker to note any service performed on the water heater by our experts. This helps us by seeing what issues may have occurred prior, and when a recurring service should be performed.
Diagnosing Error Codes
If you have a tankless heater more than likely there is a display module either at the unit or inside the house. Sometimes the display is hidden in a closet or under a sink counter. Tankless heaters are full of sensors that help us diagnose what may be causing issues. If your display is showing a number other than a temperature setting it is likely an error code. Be sure to take note of the error code when calling in for support to help diagnose issues.
Terminology: Instant vs. Endless
Instant Hot Water
Instant Hot Water
Instant Hot Water
The instant you turn on a hot water faucet; the hot water has to travel the distance from the water heater to the faucet. Depending how your home is plumbed this may take over a minute to warm up. There are several ways of reducing the delay of hot water. In new construction we size the pipe at the minimum size required for the maximum amount of use. With a centrally located tankless water heater the wait time becomes minimal because the smallest acceptable diameter pipe requires less displacement of water volume. The most common way to truly get near instant hot water is by using a circulation system. These advanced systems drastically reduce the time spent waiting for your faucet to warm up. These can add much comfort and efficiency to your home!
Endless Hot Water
Instant Hot Water
Instant Hot Water
I'm sure everyone has been in the scenario of being the last person taking a shower ending up with a very brisk and quick freezing rinse! This is what makes tankless heaters champions in the water heater industry. Imagine how long it takes to boil 50 gallons of water in a pot as opposed to about a cup passing through heat exchanger. When traditional tank water heaters are used the time taken to heat cold water that flows into the tank up to the set temperature is the recovery time. When the amount of water used all at once is faster than the recovery time the electric heating elements or gas boiler can't keep up. This is why it will gradually go from hot to warm then cold. Using larger sized tank heaters will help but tankless heaters are the ultimate choice for endless hot water.
Circulation Systems
Getting hot water Fast! Here's How:
Tired of wasting time waiting for the shower to warm up? Circulation systems are the answer to that problem. The concept has been around for a very long time, and is almost always utilized in large commercial buildings. In the past the only way to have a circulation system at home was connecting additional pumps and controllers to a tank style heater. Nowadays tankless water heater manufacturers are developing high efficiency water heaters with built in circulation pumps.
How it works
There are two types of hot water circulation systems one is gravity fed and the other being the more common forced circulation system.
In a gravity fed system the water circulates because heated water is lighter than cold water causing it to rise. As the hot water exits the tank it rises through the recirculation loop. towards the end of the loop the pipe is uninsulated and as it cools the water is thermo-siphoned back into the tank. Unfortunately there are some limitations to this setup; one being it only works best using a tank type heater, the other being the tank and the circulation loop needs to be at the same level and the entire loop needs to be sloped. Homes with varying ceiling levels make this a challenge.
With the more popular forced circulation setup a water pump is used to move the water around the recirculation loop. When the pump comes on both the pump and the water heater will be running. Obviously it's not desirable to run the circulation loop all the time to keep energy usage down. so most systems are configured with a control system to improve the efficiency. There are several different ways that can control when the pump is activated the main ones being time or temperature. The type of controls vary from one product to another but the concept is the same. There are also some on-demand type controls available as well. These include motion sensors and on-demand push buttons.
Time controlled circulation - Depending on the pump or water heater some models are equipped to activate the pump on an interval timer or preset schedule. There are even some newer tankless heaters that can optionally be configured to learn your regular usage for each week.
Temperature controlled circulation - Common on tankless heaters which have built in circulation pumps and very popular in commercial applications and also . Basically the returning hot water line has an inline thermostat. Once the water travels the entire path of the circulation loop and reaches a set temperature the pump turns off. Gradually the water temperature dissipates and drops below another set point as it cools, at which the pump turns on.
Crossover valves - These are a mechanical form of temperature controlled circulation. In these setups a valve is installed under the furthest sink. The valve connects the hot to the cold water. Inside the device is an aqua static valve which uses a wax filament to open the valve when the temperature falls below 95°F. When the pump comes on (typically setup on a interval timer in these setups) hot water flows into the cold side until the temperature reaches approximately 105°F and the crossover valve turns closes. Crossover valves are great to retrofit in homes where running a dedicated return line is not possible.
Motion sensors - If you are a big fan of Internet-of-things type devices then your'e well aware of motion sensors. These sensors can be utilized for specific areas of the house to get water circulating right as you step into the room.
On demand button - Much like the motion sensors but instead a physical button. Instead of waiting for hot water by running water down the drain you can simply press a button to activate the circulation pump.
Circulation systems can provide a great balance of efficiency and comfort to your home!
Benefits
- Conserves water - While there is a minimal amount of additional energy used to maintain hot water in the recirculation loop the vast amount of water saved makes these highly efficient.
- Better for appliances - If you're waiting a long time at your kitchen sink for hot water, you can bet that your dishwasher is going to take just as long unless it's on a circulating system.
- Saves time - Many of us don't want to spend any more time than we have to waiting, whether thats getting ready in the bathroom, washing dishes or cooking. It sure adds up when it can take minutes every time you turn on the tap.