Rinnai Continuum Hot Water Heaters

Paul_11

What results is everyone having with the Rinnai Continuum hot water heater?

It has an outdoor model with a freeze protection option. Has anyone installed one outside in a cold climate using the freeze protection option? By cold climate I mean that it gets down to zero or -5 during the winter.

I'm thinking of installing one for a restaurant that wants to get rid of a $2000 a month electric HWH. I can't install it indoors for a number of reasons, only outdoors.
Thanks
paul

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Paul Cooke

Rinnai

I have had good experiences with all of the Rinnai's that I have installed. Three of the five heaters I have put in are the outdoor ones. I have decided to try to put in the indoor ones on all future projects because of the freeze possibilities.

My climate is somewhat mild, but the worse case scenario would be a prolonged freeze combined with a power failure. Since the freeze protection is a small built-in electric element, it's obviously not going to be much help without electricity.

Paul_11

Freeze protection

I understand they have a valve that will open and drain out the boiler in the event of a power outage. It is expensive though, $300 plus. I might offer it as an option.
Paul

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Al Letellier

Rinnai Continuum

Paul, we installed two of these units in a project last summer. One for hot water and the other for heat source for the radiant system. Both units survived this frigid Maine winter without a problem. We installed the solonoid drain kit on the water heater, but not the boiler, for obvious reasons. We didn't install any heat trace, kept the piping up close to the unit and covered them with an insulated sheet metal box and painted to match the house. Both units performed flawlessly. Am very impressed with the unit!!!

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Paul_11

Rinnai Continuum

Thanks Al,
That is the kind of response I was hoping for. I am curious though. Can I assume that you bought the Rinnai outdoor freeze cover and then made an additional one and put it on top of that. If so did you make hole in the top to let the exhaust out and what about the fresh air or did you make it to only cover the piping on the bottom?

Also, I am surprized you didn't buy the solonoid valve for the boiler as well. My understanding is that it protects against an electrical outage.
Paul

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