Tankless Water Heater Installation: What are the Most Important Factors to Consider?

December 1, 2019

For some, a tankless water heater can already sustain the needs of their households. A tankless water heater heats water whenever you need it. Such functionality of a tankless water heater means that it does not require a huge tank just to give the water a household needs.

A tankless heater can measure the temperature of your incoming water and the desired heat that the heater’s burners must produce to deliver the desired water temperature. If hot water is no longer needed, the heater will also stop converting the water temperature.

The ability of tankless water heater to heat and process water may be straightforward. However, there are some important factors that you must consider before buying one.

The Correct Unit Capacity

Finding the correct unit capacity of your heater requires pieces of information about your household. One, you may need to determine the flow rates of each fixture and appliance that requires hot water in your home. Once you know the flow rates of these, add all the values up. The exact value you are looking for is expressed as gallons per minute (GPM) that is indicated on some of them.

Second, you must know the required temperature rise your home is going to need from the incoming water. Say, the incoming water has a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and your desired temperature for the water is 50 degrees Celsius. Subtract the latter from the former to get the temperature rise needed, which in our example is 40 degrees Celsius.

Both the accumulated flow rates and the temperature rise needed will help you pinpoint the amount of water your tankless water heater needs to heat at a certain temperature.

The Compatibility of Your Gas Line

When starting and operating your tankless water heater, it will require three to four times more British thermal units (BTUs) than a conventional water heater. In this case, you may have to know if your current gas line can provide the initial kick and power needed by your tankless water heater before installing one. An incompatible gas line may not give you the required BTUs of your new tankless water heater, resulting in a more expensive upgrade.

The Electrical Power

Your tankless water heater may require your gas line to start, but the PC board and digital remote of your system will use electricity to run. For your tankless water heater, you will need at least 120-volt electric power to run your water heater effectively. So, when your power goes out, your tankless water will not operate at all.

The Ventilation Situation

Tankless water heater has two options for ventilation. One, a tankless water heater may opt for power-vent that relies on indoor air for combustion and vents exhaust to the outside. Another option is direct-vent which pulls in air from outside. This option requires both intake and exhaust vents to normally operate. No matter what venting option you’ll choose, you are required to use Category III stainless steel venting material to prevent leaking of harmful carbon monoxide. Unless you will be using condensing tankless water heater, which uses plastic material like PVC or polypropylene for its ventilation.

The Installation Location

The ventilation requirements of your tankless water heater can limit your options for its placement. Power-vent units rely on indoor air for combustion, which means that they need to be in a spacious area with vents for optimal airflow. Direct-vent units, on the other hand, must pull air from the outside making places like closets or attics the best location for them.

Thankfully, the small size of tankless units allows them to be flexible in the installation location. If you want, you can place your tankless water heater outside your home, which can clear some spaces inside your home. If you have to modify your existing gas line and ventilation, you also have the option to relocate it right away.

Choosing your tankless water heater is easy with Abundant Hot Water. Contact us to know more about the tankless water heater and the benefits that it can give you in your homes. We can even install one for your hot water needs.

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