DOMESTIC WATER HEATING  Commercial storage tank water heaters are similar

to residential models except that they are available

Consumption with much higher gas input ratings (1 000 000 Btu/hr
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the or more) and larger storage tanks (up to 250 gal).
average U.S. household consumes about 60 gal (228 L) of They also feature larger pipe connections, more
hot water per day, about 15 gal/person (57 L/person) per rugged controls, and a few features that are only
day. rarely found in residential heaters, such as flue
An average European uses daily 36 L (10 gal) of dampers and electronic ignition
60°C hot water per day.
Energy consumption for heating domestic water is  Ultraefficient water heaters use power burners and
the second largest energy user (after space heating) in the enhanced heat exchangers to force hot combustion
residential sector in industrialized countries, accounting for gasses into chambers and tubes that are submerged
about 14% of the energy used in a typical household. in the stored water. Ultraefficient water heaters are
vented with plastic pipes that go directly through an
Types of Water Heaters outside wall. Because they draw combustion air
A water heater is an appliance or system that directly from outside, through one of those pipes,
heats water for domestic or building service hot water use. their combustion processes are sealed off from the
occupied space.
There are three types of water heaters:
storage tank water heaters, instantaneous on-demand 2) Instantaneous (Tankless) Water Heaters
(tankless) water heaters, and circulating water heaters.
 Instantaneous water heaters, sometimes called
1) Storage Tank Water Heaters tankless water heaters or demand water heaters,
supply hot water on demand.
 A storage tank water heater consists of a storage  They do not rely on a standby storage in a tank to
tank and a heating medium. artificially boost their capacity. Instead, they have a
 Typically, storage tank sizes include 30, 40, 50, 60, heating device that is activated by the flow of water
65, 75, 80, 100, and 120-gal (120- to 400-L) capacity. when a hot water valve is opened.
 They are available in natural gas, propane (LP), fuel  Once activated, the heater delivers a constant supply
oil, and electric models. of hot water. The output of the heater, however, limits
 Storage tank water heaters remain the most popular the rate of the heated water flow. They are more
type for residential heating needs in the United States. efficient because they do not have any tank standby
 An average-size, three-bedroom residence uses a losses.
50-gal (200-L) water heater.  Instantaneous water heaters are available in natural
 A storage tank water heater stores water for use on gas, LP, and electric models.
demand. Street pressure drives water flow. As hot  They come in a variety of sizes for different
water is drawn from the tank, it is replaced by water applications, such as a whole-house water heater, a
from the water service. This cools the water hot water source for a remote bathroom or hot tub, or
contained in the tank. as a boiler to provide hot water for a home heating
 A thermostat that extends into the tank serves as a system.
control of the heating medium: it switches the heating  They can also be used as a booster heater for
medium on when the temperature of the water in the dishwashers and washing machines.
tank has cooled below a set-point temperature and
switches the heater off when the water in the tank 3) Circulating Water Heaters
reaches the preset temperature setting.
 The storage tank is insulated to reduce standby  Circulating water heaters consist of a separate
losses storage tank that stores water heated by a heat
 All storage tank water heaters are required to have exchanger.
T/P relief valves. Separate valves may be used, or a
combination T/P relief valve may be installed.  The heat exchanger may be a separate unit that is
heated by stream or hot water from a boiler or may
Types of storage tank water heaters include the following: be contained in a boiler.

 Residential storage tank water heaters are

designed for the residential market, but can be
appropriate for many small commercial facilities.
These water heaters, which are available with tank
sizes up to 120 gal and gas inputs up to 75 000
Btu/hr, are manufactured in large quantities. As a
result, they are relatively inexpensive and widely
available.