Point-of-use tankless?
user-979926
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
Would it be more beneficial to install point of use tankless water heaters instead of a centrally located tankless and then pumping hot water throughout the house? Based on my experience and knowledge it seems more efficient to have the water heater at the point of use so as to eliminate heat loss during distribution.
Benjamin Barker
BPI Building Analyst
RESNET HERS Rater
LEED GA
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Replies
More efficient? It's not that simple. Yes, you eliminate standby losses, but that's only part of the picture. I'm pretty sure this has been discussed here before, and there may even have been an article on it.
Benjamin,
Efficiency can be measured many ways. In addition to water heater efficiency, it's important to consider the losses that occur in the distribution system. Gary Klein has done important research in this area. A poorly designed piping system can waste more energy than an inefficient water heater.
Here's an article to get you started:
http://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2264
More information:
http://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/Residential_Hot_Water_Distribution_System_Introduction.aspx?terms=Klein