Demineralization

Typically, on-demand water heaters may require a little more maintenance than standard water heaters due mainly to the presence of mineral buildup. Depending on the structure of the unit, regular demineralization may be required to remove mineral sediment.

In most installations, the all stainless steel Viridian “truly tankless” water heater from Noble Innovations requires no periodic demineralization because the unit continuously flushes and rinses itself thanks to the company’s patented Jalix technology. For the utmost efficiency and low maintenance, the product’s elements are 24 ft. long, which is more than twice as long as other brands. Given their extra length, the elements only need to get about half as hot as other models, which cuts down on minerals being extracted from the water. Being “truly tankless,” Viridian water heaters have no place for sediment to accumulate. Their low-maintenance design eliminates the need for water filters and their standard 3/4-in. plumbing connections virtually eliminate water pressure drop.

“In 2003, gas tankless sales were approximately 50,000 units; however, in 2006 gas tankless sales exceeded 250,000 units,” says Fred Huggins. “However, due to performance and product perception issues, electric tankless water heaters have not seen this kind of growth. We believe, though, that given Viridian’s demonstrable high-end product quality, exceptional performance and low-maintenance design, the brand will do very well. Over the past eight months, Viridian electric tankless water heaters have been introduced to thousands of builders, architects, plumbers, distributors and other building industry professionals at various product trade shows and their acceptance has been tremendous.”

Installation Considerations

Manufacturers offer some words of caution and advice for going tankless. “The installer needs to clearly understand the electric panel’s capacity and existing power demands,” explains Huggins, “and that the home’s electrical wiring or the gas line infrastructure can be modified as required. Homeowners and installers need to do their research before they buy a tankless water heater, whether from their plumber, builder or retail location.”

“Please make sure the gas meter and gas line are properly sized to handle a tankless gas water heater,” cautions Kevin Ruppelt, general manager of home water products for General Electric. “You may contact your local gas company to help with sizing and upgrading gas lines and meters. In many cases the original gas line and meter will be sufficient.”

He adds, “When installing any type of gas product, it is important that a properly trained installer is used. GE offers a DVD on GE tankless gas water heater installations and provides a detailed installation manual as well. GE recommends the installer view the video and installation instructions and use a properly informed installer/plumber that meets with local codes.”

The new line of GE tankless gas water heaters, available in both indoor and outdoor models, is designed to fit in small spaces. The units can be equipped with an optional remote controller that allows the user to monitor and adjust hot water temperature in the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room or any other room. Outdoor units are equipped with ceramic heaters that prevent them from freezing at temperatures as low as –30 degrees F. These heaters are available in two sizes — 7.5-gpm and 9.4-gpm flow — indoor and outdoor.

“A remodeler must take into account the current setup in the house as well as the number of hot water applications,” adds Nakagawa. “The current location of the heater in relationship to the most commonly used applications should be taken into account when choosing where the heater should be installed. A tankless heater installed closer to the hot water application will decrease the use of water because the hot water will reach the application sooner.”

Noritz only distributes through wholesalers so that only qualified installers can install the company’s product. Noritz trains installers so that they will know how to size, install and repair if necessary. The company’s Noritz University is a collection of training classes offered at all Noritz branches. Classes range from an introduction to tankless water heaters to more in-depth commercial multisystem installation and troubleshooting seminars. Noritz University also offers courses on how to market and sell tankless to consumers. Groups of all sizes and skill level can attend Noritz University.

Paloma’s digital tankless gas water heaters are available in the 7.4 Series, 5.3 Series and 4.2 Series, depending on the project and customer needs. All of the company’s digital tankless models are equipped with a detachable remote controller.

The main controller can be installed in a kitchen or laundry room and used to set the right temperature. Optional bath controllers override any others to increase scald-prevention safety. The digital remote controllers require some additional wiring.

If the plumber or remodeler installing a tankless unit chooses hard piping, they must be cautious when sweating pipes close to the heater so that the casing is not damaged in the process. After installation, the filter should be checked for any debris caught in the line from materials like solder or Teflon tape, as this can obstruct the water flow and affect minimum water flow activation rates.

“Once you know which model you need, check with your electrician to make sure the size of the electric service is sufficient,” says Bill Riley. “In some cases, the size of the electrical service has to be increased to accommodate the additional load that is created by the electric tankless unit.

“Further, the homeowner or remodeler can actually tailor the usage points to maximize the output of hot water,” adds Riley.

“This can be done by using newer, low-low shower heads and aerators on all the faucets. These can still provide the homeowner with acceptable flow rates. There really is no need to have a 2.2-gpm aerator on the kitchen sink.”

“When it comes to water heating, tankless is the way of the future,” predicts Riley. “For very little additional investment, you can get substantial energy savings. In this age of rapidly rising energy costs, there is a big need to find technologies that give you a lot of “bang for the buck,” which provides good savings and little added initial investment.”