Denver Plumbing

Tankless or On-Demand Water Heaters

When money and environmental preservation become important we begin looking at all the different ways we can reduce our demands on either or both, after a little research we find that they tend to parallel one another and the majority of our unnecessary consumption can be traced back to outdated appliances namely washing machines, dishwashers, toilets, refrigerators and water heaters. Although there are other items that consume large amounts of power and/or water, how we use them and our personal habits must also be evaluated and corrected then constantly scrutinized to break those bad habits. Here our Denver Plumbers will specifically discuss the water heaters we offer here at NoProblemPlumbingandDrain, updating your water heater to more innovative technology and how it helps reduce both your monthly utility bill and your impact on your local fresh water supply.

The traditional water heater has been a long standing facet in American homes for decades, not only in America but most of the modern world, the first instantaneous domestic water heater was invented in London, England by a painter named Benjamin Waddy Maughan in the year 1868. His design inspired a Norwegian mechanical engineer named Edwin Ruud to create the first electric water heater in 1889 after immigrating to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Water heaters have gone through various reconstructions some moderate and some extreme throughout the years, adding fuel options from electric, natural gas, propane and recently solar power, which the Denver Plumbers here at NoProblem Plumbing and Drain are excited about offering our customers, but generally the design has been pretty much the same. They are large metal cylinders that fill with water and contain a heating element inside to heat and reheat the water as needed to keep a fairly consistent temperature. The major drawbacks to the design is the standby-losses associated with heating and reheating water that is not in use and the limited capacity of the hot water available for consumption, when the tank is low or empty it takes time for the tank to refill and reheat.

The solution to these problems can be answered by Tankless Water Heaters, also referred to as On-Demand Water Heaters, which provide hot water where you need it, when you need it and without the need for a bulky storage tank by heating the water as it travels to its desired location. Using electricity, gas, or propane as a fuel source, Tankless Water Heaters, in many cases, can cut your water-heating bill by about 10 to 20 percent depending on your personal habits and needs. Economic relief comes from eliminating the standby losses which wastes energy by keeping warm water sitting around unused in a tank going through a repetitive cycle of heating and cooling. It saves water by limiting the amount of water that can be processed through the system to about 2–5 gallons (7.6 – 15.2 liters) per minute versus the 5-7 gallons per minute for the average shower. So if your showers are an average of 10 minutes each and you currently use 5 gallons of water per minute that equals 50 gallons of water used per shower, compare that to 2 gallons of water per minute at 10 minutes per shower that equals 20 gallons. Giving you a savings of 30 gallons of water each time you shower, say you shower twice a day that is 420 gallons a week and an average of 1,680 per month! Plus you can add a nice shower head to compress the water more efficiently providing more comfortable water pressure and reducing the water consumption even further. Units large enough to supply hot water for an entire house can be located centrally. They are commonly placed in a closet or under a sink close to where the hot water is actually used, same as smaller units.

The great thing about Tankless Water Heaters is that they can supplement your current water heater or it can be used as the primary or sole provider for all your hot water needs. However they are not appropriate for all applications, your home may require more than one unit and may not always save you a significant amount of energy or money each month. Residential-sized Gas Fired Tank less water Heaters models that are currently on the market supply only five gallons of water heated at 90 degrees per minute which is a sufficient output for a household with one or two people. However, if you have a large family and need to do laundry and wash dishes at the same time others may be taking a shower, a tankless system will probably not meet your hot water demands. Electrical Tankless Water Heater models provide less hot water than gas models – more like two gallons a minute, heated at 70 degrees. Please contact us here at NoProblem Plumbing and Drain to speak with one of our Denver Plumbers, they will be able to assess your hot water needs and find a solution that will meet your demands, limit your impact on the fresh water supply and reduce your monthly water bill in the most efficient and affordable way possible. We also provide Water Heater Flushes, water heater maintenance and repairs on any and all models of Water Heaters, tankless or otherwise.

When you go to remodel your home, and you are changing all of your plumbing hardware – think about the Eco-friendly products first! And yes, there are some nice decorative Eco-friendly products that you can buy. If you want classic, modern, contemporary, etc. You will probably find it!

FaucetDirect has a whole section of Eco-friendly products. Following, we are just going to show you a few products from their site. Proof that style and Eco-friendly products do co-exist!

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That’s right. Our economy was hit pretty hard, and not only that but our environment is reacting to our disrespectful choices. So companies are going with this trend that we like to call “Going Green”. It’s really not a bad idea. We need to learn that our environment does have limited resources, although it may seem like a rather large one, it’s still there. And instead of thinking about “me, me, me”, we should think about what our actions now can cause in the future. Let’s face the fact that to every cause there is an effect. The more harm we do to our world, the more we will regret it later. There is just no other way around it, other than taking responsibility and making better choices.

So starting now, we can begin to learn from our mistakes – which will help minimize the damage that will be felt in our future. So what can you do, other than recycling your trash and not littering?

• You can upgrade your appliances to ones that use less energy. Which will save you loads of money over time.
• You can buy tankless water heaters, that will use less energy to give you more hot water than you’ve ever imagined to be possible with tank water heaters – saving you much more money as well.
• You can buy a new electric car or a hybrid. This is expensive, but every person adds a hefty carbon footprint.
• There are many ways of using less energy. Use efficient bulbs, turn off/unplug what you are not using, etc.

Notice that all the above is about saving energy resources? Although, this will help our environment drastically – especially in high numbers… there is more we can and should be doing. One, is using sustainable resources to provide for our ever so high demands. Two, is saving water!!

Humans need water to exist.

We need to consume water and we need water to feed our crops and our livestock. So the simple fact that we do have a limited supply of drinking water, you should be able to imagine what the human species’ future looks like if we continue down the same path we are on. What can we do? Conserve our water usage. We can save drastic amounts due to the fact that we waste more than we need to survive.

So what can you do to save water?

• Manufacturers are beginning to produce highly effective low-flush/dual flush toilets, that will save much water. Will also save a lot of money, as well.
• Replace faucets and shower heads.
• Use water/energy efficient appliances.
• Consciously try to minimize the amount of water you use.

We think that TOTO is the way to go for replacing your plumbing.

Tips for purchasing Green Products:

1. Conserves resources.
2. Uses sustainable resources.
3. Most, if not all, parts are recyclable.

Remember: Upfront costs may seem high, but the reward for each cost will be worth it and will pay for itself and more in the years to come – and you also help our current economy conditions as well.

Here are some questions to ask plumbers. Make sure that you make them answer the question enough so that you understand. If you don’t understand something, do be afraid to ask them to explain it! If they get irritated with you, you don’t want them as a plumber anyways.

Questions

What types of jobs can your plumbing techs handle?
Do you detect leaky pipes?
What is your average response time?
How often do need to excavate a plumbing system and install a new one? Is this something that takes a massive amount of time?
What areas do you serve in the Denver Metro?
Can you install tankless water heaters, sump pumps and other systems for water heating?
What types of energy efficient systems do you install and repair for plumbing?