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They certainly are changing, with new equipment and new appliances coming on the market all the time. Once the Mod-Con boilers came on the market I remember saying to myself, “Well that’s it... how much more can change?” But there are still new products and revised products coming on the market. As Bob sang “Admit that the waters around you have grown.“
On-demand water heaters have been on the market for a long time but the manufactures have really developed these water heaters and today they are pretty foolproof. I like the new on-demands, but I would like to see some design changes that make them easier to access. Changing a mixing valve or a circulator can be a bear on some of these units.
Still, like I said, I really like the on-demands, but I think they have their place. Where I live there are a lot of larger homes with two, three, and four bathrooms (sometimes more). Many customers will ask about on demand or “instant hot water heaters.” I let them know that one unit will just not provide enough hot water for a house with that many bathrooms. In the Northeast incoming water temperatures can go as low as 40 degrees F maybe more. At that temperature we need an 80 degree temperature rise to just make 120. That’s about 4.8 gallon per minute flow rate and that’s about two fixtures running at the same time. For a house with three bathrooms they can easily have three fixtures running at a time.
When talking to customers the first part of the conversation is that they are not instant. On demands take a few second a longer to provide hot water than a traditional tank. After a faucet is opened and flow begins a flow sensor tells the boiler to fire and that needs a few seconds to come up to temperature. I try and use analogy’s that customers can understand so I always tell them think about their computer and how it takes a little time to warm up or change web sites. Most of us are tapping our fingers, sighing “come on.” We’ve become that type of society where a few seconds seems like an hour. Most manufactures have eliminated the delay problem by having a two-gallon storage tank. The tank also helps with the “cold water sandwich” effect, where a wife takes a shower, and few minutes later the husband turns on the water and since there is a delay before the unit fires he gets a little blast of cold water while the unit fires up again. The small buffer tank has eliminated that problem and helps with the delay also.
That being said, a one-bathroom home can be a good fit for an on-demand water heater. I’ve had customers with larger homes install multiple on-demands. That’s quite an investment and the return on that investment can take time to appear. That’s assuming most customers are installing on demands to use less fuel. I’ve gone over fuel bills with customers. Take a gas bill for the middle of the summer when the water heater is about the only thing running. Let’s say it’s around $ 30.00 month for hot water.
With an on demand we can cut that in half, so now we are down to $ 15.00 a month. Installing an on-demand water heater usually means moving the install to an outside wall, relocating the water piping and gas piping, and having an electrician install an outlet. It can easily be twice the cost of switching out the old tank. With a savings of $ 15.00 that’s a long return on investment. You can also try playing the Green card. Talk to your customers about using less fossil fuel, emitting less carbon into the air. There is an emotional side to this conversation. Many customers are willing to invest more to lessen our use of fossil fuels. You may not agree but it’s not your house and if a customer wants a product installed it’s either you or your competitor. As my office manager says, “Everyone spends a dollar differently.” It’s not for us to make that judgement.
Of course all this doesn’t help when there is water flooding the basement “And you’d better start swimming or you’ll sink lake a stone.” When the old tank has failed and it’s getting the basement wet and some one in the house is Not Having a Fun Morning… it’s tough to have a conversation about energy efficiency and investing in the home.
We try to let customers know about products on the market with fliers or by having a conversation with the customer while looking at other issues. Point out the old tank in the corner and ask how long it’s been there. Let them know what products you can provide and plant the seed for them to starting thinking. I tell my customers to start thinking about a new hot water heater and to change it on your time, not the water heater’s time. Because the water heater will pick the worst time; Christmas day, new Year’s Eve, Fourth of July ( my favorite holiday). My customers usually laugh at that and its great way to put that thought in their heads. Gets the customer thinking that it just might be a time for a change.
Scott Milne is the owner of Milne Plumbing and Heating. He and his company have been serving the greater Boston area for nearly 30 years. He specializes in high-efficiency heating systems for custom homes.