Ever
since the mid-1990s, tankless water heaters have been gaining
momentum in the US market. This rapid rise
in popularity is due to the many benefits and applications these
micro-powerhouses enable with their virtually endless supply
of hot water.
Unlike traditional tank water heaters, tankless
models deliver hundreds of gallons of fresh hot water every hour,
allowing multiple
back-to-back showers and limitless loads of dishes or laundry.
This translates into continuous hot water on-demand, through
worriless long showers and relaxing baths, while the washing
machine and dishwasher are busy doing the cleaning.
The compact
2.2 cubic feet size of tankless water heaters is the second major
benefit that is driving this expanding market.
With housing costs rising above hundreds of dollars per sq. foot
in many urban areas, the value of space savings adds up quickly.
Upgrading your bulky tank with a tankless model is an excellent
way to gain some extra garage or storage space.
For environmentally
conscience consumers, saving energy has never been easier than
with today?s tankless technology. Homeowners
regularly report they have saved over 25% off their utility bills
by simply replacing their energy-hungry tank water heater with
a tankless model, like those from Takagi-USA. This efficiency
is possible because unlike tank heaters that are required to
constantly burn fuel to maintain their water temperature and
an always-on pilot light, tankless water heaters use an electric
ignition and computer controls to turn the unit off when the
consumer?s hot water needs have been fulfilled.
Homeowners are
not the only ones enjoying the many benefits of going tankless,
as there are a variety of commercial and industrial
applications as well. Hotels, schools, apartment complexes, and
office buildings are combining as many as 20 tankless units linked
by a single control system to create upwards of 190 gallons per
minute of hot water. Maintenance personnel report that they like
the fact that they can work on a single unit while the other
19 units continue to operate, providing properties with seamless
hot water all year-round.
In addition, plumbers, contractors and
small business owners benefit from the less than 60 pound weight
of a tankless water
heater. This allows for easy one-person installation, as compared
with the crew and equipment previously needed to install a large
tank or boiler.
You might also expect that modern water heating
technology would only be used in water heating applications,
but that is simply
not the case.
Today?s savvy consumers, contractors, architects
and builders are discovering new and sometimes surprising applications
for
these hotter than ever water heaters, the most popular of which
is space heating. Imagine being able to replace both your water
heater and your furnace with a single unit.
For example, hydronic
heating systems generate heat by forcing air through a heat exchanger.
Customers note that the air from
this type of system retains it natural moisture making a room
much more comfortable than a room with hot air from a traditional
furnace.
Radiant heating is another type of space heating that
started incorporating tankless water heaters several years ago.
These
systems consist of hot water running through tubes embedded in
the floors or baseboards of a residence. In recent years, radiant
heating has also gained popularity outside the home, as businesses
and high-end homeowners are installing these systems to clear
exterior sidewalks and walkways of snow in the winter.
While history
suggests many creative and varied applications for tankless water
heating technology, the factors that will
drive the future of this market are expected to stay the same,
mainly, increasing demands for hot water, growing consumer pressure
to shrink water heating technology and, thirdly, rising energy
prices and mounting environmental concerns that call for greater
energy efficiency in our homes and businesses.
Ted Kwak is vice
president of Takagi Industrial Company USA Inc., the top-selling
manufacturer of tankless water heaters
in the United States.
For more information, call (888) 882-5244
or visit www.takagi-usa.com.
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