ing tankless for your customers.
How much more does a condens- ing tankless water heater cost ver- sus a conventional tankless unit? The numbers vary by locale but,
on average, installing contractors can expect to pay 30 to 40 percent more. The additional cost to your customer, however, may be in the range of only 15 to 20 percent per installation. Why? Because you will be using PVC venting at about $1.53 per foot right now versus $25 per foot for category III stainless steel. That huge savings in venting costs helps defray the additional equip- ment cost.
How much energy will condensing tankless water heaters save over their conventional counterparts? As already noted, the efficiency
gain is about 10 to 15 percentage points, maxing out at around 95 per- cent. That is not as dramatic an improvement as switching from tank to tankless, but it is not insignificant over the estimated 20-year life of the water heater. In fact, an efficiency rating in the mid-90s will make most homeowners sit up and take notice. So why not use it as a selling tactic? If you have a choice between, say, 84 and 95 percent, wouldn’t you opt for the latter in most instances?
Is condensing tankless technology better suited to certain sections of the country? The technology will work equally
well everywhere, regardless of weather conditions. But the fact is that, in warmer climates, tankless water heaters are often mounted out- doors, eliminating the need for vent- ing. In these cases, the PVC venting advantage is not relevant. If the end user or homeowner is not interested in the additional efficiency, the less expensive conventional tankless will be the likely choice. After all, tank- less is still much more efficient than a traditional tank-type water heater, not to mention all of the space sav- ings because of its wall-mount capa- bility. All of which is why condensing tankless water heaters are more pop-
Circle 19 on Reader Reply Form on page 38 Page 33/Plumbing Engineer February 2011
ular in the Midwest and the Northeast, as well as in Canada, where water heaters must be installed indoors and where the PVC venting advantage is critical. In the Midwest, storage tank water heaters are often located in the middle of the basement, so the installer will usual-
ly place the tankless replacement in the very same spot, running PVC vent lines up to 25 feet. Being able to extend a vent line that far without worrying about material costs is a huge attraction.
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