Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters

Rinnai is one of the major tankless hot water manufacturers in today’s market. Rinnai focuses on the gas tankless water heater market, making both LP (propane), and natural gas fired heaters.

So obviously the first thing you should check before you look at a Rinnai tankless water heater is whether you have either a natural gas or propane connection. If your not sure, you can check with your local utility company and they can help you.

Rinnai became fairly well know in the last few years after adverting extensively on the Rush Limbaugh show. Rinnai mainly designs tankless hot water heaters for whole house applications. Their top of the line model can deliver 9.5 gallons of hot water per minute, so obviously it is a powerful unit. Thats enough water to take a shower, run a dishwasher, and wash a load of clothes all at the same time. And even when your done with that, the hot water will still keep coming.

Rinnai tankless water heaters are also more efficient than traditional water heaters because of their design. A traditional water heater continually eats up energy, as the water in the storage tank must constantly be reheated. With a Rinnai heater energy is used only when you use hot water. Thus depending on the cost of energy in your area, you may save up to 50 percent off your traditional water heating cost by upgrading to a Rinnai tankless heater.

Another nice thing about Rinnai tank is that it is much smaller than a traditional water heater that has a large 40-50 gallon tank. Rinnai tankless heaters are about the size of a suitcase, and can be mounted either inside or outside your house. This can save you floor space in your basement or attic where a regular water heater would regularly sit.

So how does the Rinnai tankless water heater work? As mentioned, there is no tank, thus the smaller size. The Rinnai system is attached in-line with the current plumbing system, generally somewhere near where the main water line enters the house. When a tap is turned on asking for hot water, the Rinnai system kicks on and water flows through a heat exchanger. While it takes a little bit longer to actually get hot water to the tap when comparing to a traditional water heater, the difference is usually negligible.

So if its time to replace your old system, definitely check into a Rinnai tankless water heater.

Electric Tankless Water Heaters

When considering a tankless water heater for your home, there are two specific choices: electric or gas. What can an electric tankless heater offer?

Electric tankless water heaters are generally cheaper than their gas counterparts. Whole house electric heaters can start as low as $500 and move up to the $1000 dollar range. This compares to gas heaters which generally start at $1,000 minimum and go up from there. So which is better for you?

The answer to that question really depends on several factors. Your hot water needs really are what determine what will work out best. While manufacturers of electrical hot water heaters claim their performance is fairly close to gas heaters, gas manufacturers have valid arguments for going down that path. A qualified dealer can run cost comparisons for you to determine if gas or electricity will work out best.

There are several advantages of an electric tankless water heater include the previously mentioned lower initial price tag. Saving $500 or more over a gas tankless heater is what most consumers consider first. Another advantage is the lower initial installation cost. Because electrical tankless water heaters are about one-third the size of a gas heater, there is often more flexibility on where it can be installed.

There are not any venting issues with an electric heater, thus they can be placed under sinks, in closets, or in crawl spaces where a full sized water heater could never be used. Of course they can also be placed wherever your old water heater was.

If you are considering a whole house electrical water heater, you may have to have an electrical upgrade wherever the heater is installed. This is because these are very high power electrical appliances, like your dryer. Thus a 200 AMP, 208 to 240 volt electrical service outlet is needed. If you live in a warm climate like Florida, you may be able to get away with a lower demand heater, and use a 100 or 125 AMP electrical service.

What will your monthly cost be with an electric water heater? While you will save over a traditional water heater, you probably won’t save as much as having a gas tankless water heater. Then again, natural gas and propane rates continue to rise, bringing the energy costs of electric and gas tankless heaters close together.

What about water use? Can a tankless electric keep up with its gas counterpart? In most cases, yes. Whole house heaters can produce between 3-8 gallons per minute of hot water. Why such a wide variance? It depends on the incoming water temperature. For example, the incoming water temperature in Arizona is much different than the incoming temperature in Minnesota during January. In cold climates it is going to be closer to three gallons a minute.

How about gas tankless water heaters? Next time we will consider the advantages of gas over electric tankless water heaters.