Jim Connors: Hi! I am Jim Connors with Rheem Manufacturing Company and today, I am talking about how to select the right water heating technology for your family. Now, I am going to discuss how to select a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters offer energy efficiency, continuous hot water and a very compact size. Some models are equipped with a digital display that allows home owners to select a precise water temperature which maybe an important feature for homes with young children and older adults.

Tankless water heaters come in a range of sizes based on energy efficiency and the gallons per minute of hot water they produce. They can be installed indoors or outdoors, freeing up valuable square footage in the home. Many local utilities offer incentives to home owners purchasing energy-efficient appliances. Select a tankless model with the Energy Star logo and contact your local utility about potential rebates and incentives. The first thing we want to do in selecting a tankless water heater is to determine how much hot water your family needs at peak demand times, typically in the morning or evening. The higher the gas input shown as BTU on the water heater, the more gallons per minute the water heater can produce.

If you keep in mind, each low flow shower had uses 2.

5 gallons per minute, it will help you select the right tankless model for peak usage. A 5.

3 gallon per minute model will provide enough hot water for one or two bathroom home. A 6.

6 gallon per minute model works well for homes with two or three bathrooms. A 7.

4 gallon per minute model for homes with three bathrooms is ideal. These water heaters are whole home water heaters, but if your family's hot water requirements are exceptionally high, two units can be linked together to work as one which doubles the output of hot water.

Replacing a storage water heater with a tankless water heater can be complex. Because of the higher BTU input, tankless models require a larger gas line and different venting than storage models. Outdoor models don't require venting and are good choice in areas where the winter temperatures do not drop below freezing. A tankless installation is best left to a qualified plumber. While the initial investment in the tankless water heater is a bit higher than a storage model, tankless water heaters can provide as much as of 30% energy savings over a comparable storage model. Those are some of the basics for selecting a tankless water heater. Next, I will discuss how to select a solar water heating system.