10 Things To Know About Tankless Hot Water For Multi-Family Properties

These high-efficiency systems are rising in popularity in multifamily housing, specifically in new urban residential properties.

Tankless hot water heaters have actually come a long way in the last decade. One-third of respondents (33.2%) to a 2019 Multifamily Design and Construction Amenities Survey said they had installed tankless water heaters in an apartment building or condominium neighborhood in the previous 12-18 months.

One specifically robust part of the multifamily market– brand-new city luxury high-rise buildings– many have already switched over to tankless systems. The speed of adoption in this market could be a sign of future implementation in the broader multifamily market.

Despite these favorable indicators, numerous property owners cling to the belief that tankless systems cannot generate sufficient hot water to meet the requirements of numerous homes or apartment residents. Having utilized storage tank designs for several years, they see no reason to switch to tankless.

Today’s tankless units can provide a constant stream of warm water indefinitely. Manufacturers have considerably reimagined tankless units, getting rid of the perceived drawbacks as well as enhancing performance to the point where developers, engineers, home builders, and designers ought to consider using them exclusively in multifamily buildings.

10 Things Facility Managers Should Consider

The choice of hot water heater ought to be made by a detailed analysis of all the choices: tank vs. tankless, gas vs. electric, brand name vs. brand, version vs. design. Let’s consider 10 elements your group must take into consideration in evaluating tankless hot water heaters for your multi-family building.

  • Tankless hot water heaters eliminate the capability issue. One of the most vital advantages of tankless systems is that they give your occupants and condo owners an endless supply of hot water. Since tankless systems instantaneously heat up the water based on immediate need, container systems can temporarily lack hot water after heavy usage. One thing you don’t need is upset tenants whining about chilly showers.
  •  Tankless hot water heaters save room. Tankless devices normally occupy 40 to 80% less area than equivalent storage tank systems. This is especially crucial because the most recent energy code requirements require beefier insulation coats for new storage tank devices, adding several inches to their girth.Lowering the space needed for water heaters by 80 percent or so is a considerable advantage for multifamily designers, specifically in urban projects.
  • Tankless hot water heaters are easy to set up as well as offer reliable hot water. For example, Intellihot’s Neuron series is a simple drop-in replacement with similarly located connections to match your existing plumbing system. Tankless systems can be cascaded together to meet demand while providing built-in redundancy with multi heat exchangers that have masterless controls, eliminating the risk of a single point failure. Ensuring you are never without hot water.
  • Tankless water heaters rate high on efficiency. The U.S. Energy Department standard for measuring energy efficiency in similar types of water heaters is the uniform energy factor or UEF. The higher the UEF, the more energy-efficient the water heater.According to Energy Star, gas tankless water heaters have a UEF of at least 0.87 to as high as 0.97. Electric tankless water heaters have a UEF of 0.96 to 0.99, while the UEF of a commercial tank-type hot water heater can range from 0.80 to 0.90.
  • Tankless heating units have an affordable payback period. Tankless water heaters can be slightly more upfront than storage tank systems, although this expense lowers dramatically– and can even disappear– when several (“cascaded”) tankless installments are compared to numerous commercial storage tanks and boilers.
  •  Tankless systems can conserve 40% on utility costs contrasted to tank systems, depending upon the kind, the brand name, as well as details product and model features. If your project lies in a location with high energy rates, the repayment duration will be quicker. Your estimator, preconstruction specialist, or engineer needs to evaluate all these variables to identify the savings for the various systems you may be taking into consideration.
  • Tankless water heaters can contribute to your “eco-friendly” goals and emissions planning if you are seeking an eco-friendly qualification, such as LEED, Well Building Certification. You’ll want to state your tankless hot water heater in your sales or advertising campaigns.
  • Tankless hot water heaters have a long lifespan. A lot of tankless water heaters will certainly last greater than two decades; equivalent storage tank systems average 10-15 years. That is because tankless systems do not have one of the most typical factors of failing in tank systems– the container itself.
  • Tankless hot water heaters might quickly be required by code. Tankless devices may come to be a need, not a choice, as energy-efficiency codes come to be tougher. Storage tank devices with a reduced UEF (0.80 or less) might stop working to satisfy more limiting state or local energy codes in the near future.
  • Today’s tankless devices are smarter. The latest tankless models have sensors that discover when hot water needs change and send a signal to clever digital controls that automatically increase the number of systems in operation so that hot water supply equals need. Manufacturers include Wi-Fi & IoT capabilities that permit you to remotely monitor the units. 

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