Washington — The Propane Education & Research Council released a video for commercial builders and contractors that provides a comprehensive overview of tankless water heaters. The video details how the systems work, their role in meeting LEED certification, and more. https://youtu.be/A24yGp-dUek “Many commercial building owners and operators are finding tankless water heaters to be a valuable Read more
tankless water heaters
Washington — The Propane Education & Research Council released a video for commercial builders and contractors that provides a comprehensive overview of tankless water heaters. The video details how the systems work, their role in meeting LEED certification, and more.
“Many commercial building owners and operators are finding tankless water heaters to be a valuable investment — whether in retrofits or new construction projects,” said Bryan Cordill, director of residential and commercial business development at PERC. “These systems are bringing significant space and energy savings to businesses across the country, especially as tankless technology continues to evolve. This video helps showcase how propane tankless systems can be a solution for a wide variety of commercial building types.”
The video outlines the importance of maximizing space and efficiency in commercial buildings, given that water heating is a major energy consumer in many buildings — particularly older buildings in need of renovations. In fact, nearly 80 percent of water heating energy use occurs in buildings built before the year 2000.
Current water heating technology, especially propane tankless systems, can offer big improvements in terms of performance, energy use, and energy costs. Plus, they’re versatile, so tankless technology for commercial buildings can meet a wide range of load types. As outlined in the video, individual tankless units can be combined into larger configurations, allowing them to provide hot water rates of several hundred gallons per minute — and ultimately, the ability to handle water heating no matter the size or scope of a building.
Visit Propane.com/Commercial-Buildings to learn more about the advantages of going tankless in commercial buildings.
Drew Copeland is the rhythm guitarist and harmony vocalist for the rock band Sister Hazel — and the co-writer of the band’s biggest hit “All For You” that topped the charts in the late ’90s. Even though he’s made his living in music, Copeland knows quite a bit about homebuilding and energy efficiency because he Read more
Drew Copeland is the rhythm guitarist and harmony vocalist for the rock band Sister Hazel — and the co-writer of the band’s biggest hit “All For You” that topped the charts in the late ’90s.
Even though he’s made his living in music, Copeland knows quite a bit about homebuilding and energy efficiency because he received a building science degree from the University of Florida. His first exposure to A. O. Smith excellence was when he participated in the Hootie & The Blowfish celebrity golf tournament that the company co-sponsored.
In 2018, Copeland began building two houses on a large lot outside of Gainesville, Florida. The larger house is for Drew and his wife and three children. It has 3,500 square feet of heated/cooled space. The smaller, 1700-sq. ft. house is for Copeland’s sister-in-law who was involved in a serious accident and requires a caretaker. Copeland went with two propane A. O. Smith ProLine XE Gas Tankless Water Heaters in the larger house and one in the smaller house. “When people ask me why I chose A. O. Smith, the answer was easy,” said Copeland. “A. O. Smith’s reputation of the highest quality in equipment as well as customer service made my decision very easy.”
“I’m really excited about getting instantaneous hot water with the A. O. Smith units,” said Copeland. “In previous homes we had tank-type water heaters. With teenage kids, especially on hair-washing days, my chances of getting a hot shower were pretty slim,” he said. “In our new house, there are 4½ baths, and a need for hot water in the kitchen, laundry room and the summer kitchen outside and our outdoor shower. That’s a high demand, but the A. O. Smith tankless units have performed very well.”
Despite its smaller size, the adjacent house also has high demand for hot water. “My sister-in-law’s house has a big sink and dishwasher, plus a washer and dryer in the laundry room,” said Copeland. “There are also two bathrooms in the house – one for the caretaker. We’ve been pleased with the performance of the A. O. Smith tankless unit in that house, too.”
All the tankless units at the two homes are equipped with A. O. Smith Product Preservers that protect them from damage due to scale formation and make maintenance fast and hassle-free.
There’s a song called “Happy” on Sister Hazel’s best-selling album – and Copeland is indeed happy with the service and expertise that A. O. Smith provided. “The A. O. Smith team has really made the installations effortless,” added Copeland. “They came out to my site and helped me figure out exactly what I needed. I can’t sing their praises enough.”
New from Noritz America, the NRCR Residential Condensing Tankless Water Heater Series uses a fully integrated pump to keep hot water close to even the farthest outlet in the home, minimizing the wait and, therefore, the waste of unused potable water down the drain. The Auto Mode on the new NRCR quickly learns household water Read more
New from Noritz America, the NRCR Residential Condensing Tankless Water Heater Series uses a fully integrated pump to keep hot water close to even the farthest outlet in the home, minimizing the wait and, therefore, the waste of unused potable water down the drain. The Auto Mode on the new NRCR quickly learns household water usage and automatically triggers recirculation-loop activation in line with that expected usage. The correct water temperature is delivered quickly when and where occupants need it the most.
Available with inputs of 165,000 Btu per hour and 199,900 Btu/h, the new NRCR series delivers a premium solution to meet the growing demand for hot-water recirculation. Both models carry an ultra-high Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) of 0.97, while offering the superior durability of dual, stainless-steel heat exchangers. The corrosion and heat-shock resistance of this high-grade material permits an industry-leading, 15-year warranty.
Other key features include:
- Whole-home, hot-water service: The 199,900 Btu/h model (NRCR111-DV) meets all the hot-water needs of residences with up to 4.5-bathrooms; the 165,000 Btu/h model (NRCR92-DV) is designed for homes with up to 2.5-bathrooms.
- Less-expensive and easier-to-install venting involves 2-inch or 3-inch PVC or CPVC pipe, instead of stainless steel: with vent runs up to 65 feet for 2-inch pipe; up to 150 feet for 3-inch. Also available: Common venting of multiple units with no need for a return valve.
- Wi-Fi capability: Homeowner and contractor can monitor and control the NRCR remotely through a special app with on-off control, setpoint temperature adjustment, error-code checking, energy-consumption tracking, and scale-buildup detection.
- Improved, low-BTU performance: Special programming allows the NRCR to maintain stable outlet water temperatures at input levels well below the listed burner minimum of 18,000 Btu/h. This unique, energy-saving feature — found in no other tankless water heater currently available — is ideal for recirculation applications, which so often involve warm water returning to the water heater for reheating. A special control mode directs the unit to bring that warm water back to the setpoint with minimal energy consumption.
- Separate digital display enables easier monitoring of water heater operations by the homeowner, as well as easier troubleshooting for service tech personnel.
- cCS-V Crossover Valve Kit: This simple-to-install component effectively provides hot water recirculation without the need for a conventional, dedicated return line from the farthest fixture to the water heater.
Specifications: The NRCR92-DV has a capacity range of 0.5 to 9.2 gallons per minute (gpm) and a maximum flow rate of 9.2 gpm at a 35°F rise; the larger NRCR111-DV has a range of 0.5 to 11.1 gpm with a maximum flow rate of 11.1 gpm at a 35°F rise. Both models are Energy Star-listed, with certifications from CSA, UPC, NSF, and AHRI.
Constructed of hot-dipped, zinc-aluminum-magnesium-alloy-coated steel with a polyester coating, both NRCR models weigh only 73 pounds. Unit dimensions are: 27 inches H x 18.5 inches W x 14.1 inches D for both.
Also available: The Noritz Quick Connect option enables plumbing installers to combine two units in a single residential application, with no buffer tank required.
For more information on the new NRCR Residential Condensing Tankless Water Heater, visit: https://www.noritz.com/nrcr/
Irvine, Calif. — Navien’s new premium non-condensing (NPN) tankless water heaters are being installed almost as quickly as they are shipped. Currently available in a universal indoor/outdoor model (NPN-Universal) in sizes 180,000 BTU/H and 199,900 BTU/H or an exterior, outdoor only model (NPN-Exterior) in sizes 180,000 BTU/H and 199,900 BTU/H. The NPN is available for order Read more
Irvine, Calif. — Navien’s new premium non-condensing (NPN) tankless water heaters are being installed almost as quickly as they are shipped. Currently available in a universal indoor/outdoor model (NPN-Universal) in sizes 180,000 BTU/H and 199,900 BTU/H or an exterior, outdoor only model (NPN-Exterior) in sizes 180,000 BTU/H and 199,900 BTU/H. The NPN is available for order now.
To learn more about NPN series non-condensing tankless water heaters, visit Navieninc.com.
It’s a little before 9 a.m. on a Tuesday at EiO and The Hive, one of Nashville’s trendiest new restaurants, and a six-member team is bustling around the kitchen where the aromas of freshly baked bread and rotisserie chicken waft through the air. The “EiO” stands for “Everything Is Organic.” The stylish fast-casual establishment serves Read more
It’s a little before 9 a.m. on a Tuesday at EiO and The Hive, one of Nashville’s trendiest new restaurants, and a six-member team is bustling around the kitchen where the aromas of freshly baked bread and rotisserie chicken waft through the air.
The “EiO” stands for “Everything Is Organic.” The stylish fast-casual establishment serves organic and locally sourced salads, sandwiches and more. Adjacent to the restaurant is a small organic farm with beehives and chicken coops that supplies the kitchen with produce, honey and fresh eggs.
The new restaurant is the brainchild of organic food entrepreneur Jennifer Masley, creator of the successful Jenergy Bar and Sip Organic Juice Bar, plus host of “The Hive Hour” on ACME Radio.
Customers are greeted by an eight-foot-wide sign at the entrance that proudly boasts: Sourcing locally is more nutritious and more delicious. Vintage-looking gold stripes painted to a finished yet industrial-looking concrete floor guide diners into the space, which features a coffee bar for morning customers and a 92-seat restaurant for lunch and dinner.
In contrast to the spacious and cozy feeling of the dining room, the kitchen is designed as an exercise in utility—maximizing every available inch for food preparation, cleaning and efficiency.
Two wall-mounted A. O. Smith ATI-510 tankless water heaters provide abundant hot water to the restaurant.
To meet the restaurant’s hot water demands, Masley’s kitchen needed a high-efficiency hot water system that could handle the pressure of serving a busy restaurant despite the space restrictions of the kitchen.
Masley turned to Allen Buchanan, project manager at Dowdle Construction Group in Nashville, to find a water heater that would meet her criteria. According to Buchanan, the main challenge was to find a heater that could deliver the needed hot water and meet state commercial building rules.
“Tennessee’s plumbing code classifies water heaters that deliver between 100K and 199K BTUs as boilers that must have 36 inches of clearance in all directions—and there wasn’t adequate space for a tank model in EiO’s mechanical room,” said Buchanan. “We had the A. O. Smith ATI-510 tankless water heater sized by a local engineering firm to make sure that it would deliver plenty of hot water, even in peak-demand periods.”
Buchanan’s team wall mounted two A. O. Smith ATI-510 tankless water heaters, a model with a Uniform Energy Factor of 0.80 that can use up to 199,000 BTU an hour of natural gas to provide an abundant supply of hot water—as much as 10 gallons per minute each.
Due to its industry-leading compact design (less than eight inches of depth from the wall), the 510 series is well suited for commercial applications such as small restaurants. Restaurant managers can count on dependable performance courtesy of a heat-resistant commercial grade copper alloy for the heat exchanger tubing and a thicker heat exchanger drum.
The A. O. Smith tankless water heater provides plenty of hot water for both food prep, hand washing and cleaning.
“We have used A. O. Smith tankless water heaters in other restaurant projects and have never had any issues,” Buchanan added.
Masley confirmed that the new water heater has performed flawlessly even when demand is high.
“We have three back-of-house food prep sinks with up to 10 employees using them,” she said. “The A. O. Smith tankless water heater has provided plenty of hot water for both food prep, hand washing and cleaning.”
Since EiO and The Hive opened in May 2017, it has steadily grown its reputation for being more nutritious and more delicious. But no matter how busy it gets—even during peak hours—Masley and her team know they’ll have the hot water they need to keep customers happy and business humming.
Products Used:
• A. O. Smith ATI-510 tankless non-condensing water heater
• Compact, space-saving design
• Fully modulating, gas-fired tankless water heater
• Uses up to 199,000 BTU per hour of natural gas to deliver a maximum flow rate of 10 gallons per minute
• Utilizes heat-resistant commercial grade copper alloy for the heat exchanger tubing
• Uniform Energy Factor of 0.80