Sunday, September 6, 2009

How do Tankless Water Heaters work?

How do Tankless Water Heaters work?

Tankless Water Heater directly without the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric Tankless Water Heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired Tankless Water Heater a gas burner heats the water. As a result, Tankless Water Heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don't need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

Typically, Tankless Heater provides hot water at a rate of 2 – 5 gallons (7.6 – 15.2 liters) per minute. Typically, gas-fired Tankless Water Heaters will produce higher flow rates than electric Tankless Water Heaters. Some smaller Tankless Water Heaters, however, cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households. For example, taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time can stretch a Tankless Heater to its limit. To overcome this problem, you can install whole house” type Tankless hot water heaters or install two or more Tankless Water Heaters, connected in parallel for simultaneous demands of hot water furnace.

You can also install separate Tankless Heater for appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwater—that use a lot of hot water in your home.

Storage Water Heaters

These are by far the most common type of water heater in the U.S. today. Ranging in size from 20 to 80 gallons and fueled by electricity, natural gas, propane, or oil, storage water heaters transfer heat from a burner or coil to water in an insulated tank. Because heat is lost through the flue and through the walls of the storage tank, energy is consumed even when no hot water is being used.

Tankless hot water heaters Eliminates the Hassles

GE also has a solution for consumers who use gas water-heating systems. The new Tankless Water Heater provides hot water while using less energy than a standard-tank gas water heater because it only activates when you need hot water and it immediately de-activates when you turn off the water. This demand-activated technology allows users to receive a continuous supply of hot water furnace.

Electric tankless trouble shooting & repair guide

This guide assumes that the hot water heaters were properly installed and were operating correctly before any problems developed.

Most Electric tankless have two thermostats, one near the top of the tank and one near the bottom, and are covered by removable metal cover plates. The thermostats are pressed firmly against the bare metal wall of the tankless water heater.

The top thermostat usually has a high limit switch that will trip if the water gets too hot. When it trips it shuts off the electricity to both the upper and lower heating elements.

To reset the high limit switch there is usually a red button that you must press. When the upper limit switch trips it is often an indication that something else has gone wrong with the heater.

Demand-activated technology also translates into significant energy savings. A GE tankless gas water heater could help homeowners save up to 25 percent annually on water heating costs compared to the operating costs of a standard 40-gallon-tank gas water heater.


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