Water Heater
In a past thread, someone mentioned using the boiler to heat water in the winter and the hot water heater to do it in the summer. is that difficult to set it up and use it that way or is something any good plumber can do? The house we are buying has a (gas) boiler…
In a past thread, someone mentioned using the boiler to heat water in the winter and the hot water heater to do it in the summer. is that difficult to set it up and use it that way or is something any good plumber can do? The house we are buying has a (gas) boiler but no H/W heater, and my understanding is that we’ll save money by not using the boiler year round for water heating
denton, what do your bills look like in the winter? how big is your house? what is the make and model of the boiler you are using and the make and model of the indirect storage tank you are using?
Thanks..
What MP says… I have installed a new mod/con boiler and indirect water heater in my reno.
My gas cost in the summer months for hot water, cooking, and laundry is $35-$40 for a family of two.
I kinda like seeing the boiler on all the time. Glad to know it’s working and won’t have to worry about throwing a switch in the fall and seeing nothing happen.
Don’t forget rebates from both Uncle Sam and NG for installing these things…
Thanks, SteamMan.
Most standard boilers burn gas more efficiently than most standard water heaters.
There is only benefit to shutting off the boiler in the summer and using a free-standing water heater if you’re using a tankless coil and not storing the water.
Most tankless coil water heaters only hold a couple gallons of water and ultimately use a lot of fuel to heat it as it moves quickly through the pipes and boiler.
The best way to make hot water is to heat it with the boiler and store it in a separate insulated tank.
Doing that means using the boiler all year long which is a tough sell to some people because it sounds expensive, but it really isn’t at all.
Most any boiler, whether steam or hot water, gas or oil, can be fitted to work with an insulated indirect water heater or storage tank.
People often ask me how indirect water heaters work and while I used to attempt to explain in technical detail, I’ve taken to passing along this link to where the U.S. Department of Energy says they “can be the least expensive means of providing hot water”.
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13020
This is the way to make hot water now. These days, with our focus toward energy conservation, there is no reason to install a tankless coil (these are not tankless or instantaneous water heater, they’re another story altogether) unless some means of storing the heated water is provided.
So to answer your question, I suspect you have a tankless coil in your boiler. Installing a water heater for use in the summer would likely save you some fuel dollars, but it looses heat through its flue constantly, reducing *seasonal* efficiency.
A better plan would be to go with some other type of storage tank that is insulated and requires no flue.
http://www.GatewayPlumbing.com
Ok. Here it is.
What you seek to do is very easy. I am working on the basis of you already having a HW heater installed. Your boiler company most likely offers a “yearly service contract” which may also include the switch over when they come out to do regularly scheduled maintenance. Ask MasterPlvmber on this forum if his company does that.
However, I will mention that this is not the most efficient method of producing hot water in your home. When the cost of fuel (main cost) and the cost of replacing your tank every 10 years is calculated, you will see the difference immediately.
In the age before I started installing solar hot water systems the most efficient way to produce hot water is with a properly sized boiler/burner and hot water coil. The final key needed for this is a low fire hold switch on your burner.
Of course if you want the ultimate in efficiency, solar hot water is the way to go….
Good luck.
-SteamMan