Demand Water Heaters

Stephen Lipps

Hot Rod indeed! This is starting to sound like more trouble (and expense) than it's worth. Is the venting for the Takagi proprietary too? ...or can you use standard metal venting pipe? Any reason to choose Takagi over Rinnai?

Stephen Lipps

Rinnai Continuum

Anyone out there have experience with the Rinnai continuous hot water heater? It has no standing tank to keep hot, but heats water on demand. Costly initial investment around 1100, and it saves money in the long run, but I need to know if it can keep up with hot water needs in the winter. I live in the mid atlantic U.S. and need it to be able to run 2 showers and perhaps a sink or similar extra point of use like the literature claims it can do. Literature I've seen online claims anywhere from 6.3-8.5 max output capacity. Anyone know if it works? -stephen

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

We installed our

first Rinnai a few weeks ago; the remodeling isn't quite done and all the new fixtures haven't come on line yet, so the jury is still out on whether it can keep up with demand, but if it's anything like the Takagi's we've installed, it won't be a problem.

The Japanese really know how to build "flash" water heaters.

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Steve M

We sell Rinnai

and we have had nothing but good luck with them. They are quiet and easy to install. I suggest you pop for the remote t-stat, that way you have diagnostics. We have one installed on a job that suffered three days of -40 degree weather last winter and it didn't freeze. The well head into the house did, but the heater performed as promised. They also offer an indoor unit if the outside install makes you nervous. Watch your GPM requirements and install it PER THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED SPECIFICATIONS and you will be very happy with it. Most H-O's that have gotten back to us have seen around a $150 decrease in utilities after 6 months of use.

hr

Hold onto your wallets

when you price the vent pipe (required) fittings, start kit, and termination kit. My cost on one 20 foot vent run with 2-45'S and a 90 was close to $600.00.

hot rod

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Paul Cooke

Rinnai

I've installed 3 of the "outdoor" Rinnai's and just put in the 2532 Direct Vent indoor w/ remote digital controller. As stated, the Japanese build a quality product. As with any on demand heater, make sure you check the strainer on the cold side of the heater to makes sure you have no flow restrictions.

The controller on these heaters will read out with default codes for any number of problems, and you can check the temp at the heat exchanger as well as the flow rate through it with an accuracy of a tenth of a gpm. This feature is nice if you are using it on a closed loop.

The tech support has been excellent.

The only problem I have found with the Rinnai (and probably any other demand heater) is that they don't work well with pressure balanced shower valves. Because of that I have not recommended their use for most residential hot water needs.

hr

Rinnai thoughts

I'm not in the plumbing business anymore, but I did attend a Rinnai seminar put on for contractors recently. Seems to me the applications that they showed in the slide show presentation were mainly outdoor installations. Most often roof mounted on fast food restaurant applications.

It just so happened my chiropractor was looking to update an exisiting Aquastar in his office. I explained the Rinnai concept. After pricing the venting required to side vent the thing, it probably will not be in his budget.

I don't have much experience with the other brands. Years ago a bunch of Palomas and Vaillants were installed around here for radiant heat sources. I get a service call on them from time to time.

The instantanous concept is a good one, in my opinion IF you can adjust your DHW requirements to their comfort range and not vice versa

hot rod

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Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Since the Takagi has a power vent

you cannot use a normal "B" vent since the flue will become pressurized when there is a call for heat and a "B" vent flue would leak at the joints. The flue needs to be air tight and that is why Takagi requires a special category III flue material; the connections are gasketed.

Pain in the butt and expensive until you get used to it; after you get used to it, it's just expensive.

All the best,

Alan

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