An Opinion on Wall-Mounted Hot Water Heaters
Wall-mounted hot water heaters are still more of a rarity. The “tall boy” conventional gas storage water heater is the ruling king of the water heater world. But who’s to say how long that will last. Wall-mounted hot water heaters are tankless, which is why they can be mounted on a wall. They’re quiet, efficient, take up little space and come in models that are fueled by gas, propane or powered by electricity. Does this Spark an idea?
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Indoor
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Indoor tankless heaters have sleek, modern designs and look about the size of a circuit breaker panel. Instead of storing water, they heat and supply hot water from your municipal water lines “on demand.” You mount them on a wall in the basement or even inside a closet. If you had one, you would probably have to point it out to guests and tell them that it’s a hot water heater. The compact size makes them a good choice if you live in a small home. Many models have an Energy Factor (EF) of 0.82 and higher while a conventional “tall boy” gas storage water heater may only have an EF of .7, tops.
Outdoor
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Outdoor tankless units mount right on the exterior walls of your home, close to the main pipe for your plumbing work. If you live in a warm climate, such as any place south, west or east of the Mason Dixon line where winters are mild, another good wall-mounted option is an outdoor tankless unit. They’re growing in popularity, especially in dry climates like Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and west Texas where nighttime temperatures seldom fall below freezing. The outdoor air warms the tank, so the unit often uses less energy to warm the water than indoor units do when the air conditioner is on. And, like indoor units, outdoor units have efficiency ratings as high as .82.
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Condensing Tankless Wall-Mounted Water Heaters
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When you combine a tankless water heater with condensing technology, you’re close to the pinnacle of energy efficiency. Condensing tankless water heaters have EF ratings as high as .94, and the best rating available is 1.0. Like their indoor and outdoor tankless “cousins,” they take up the size of a fuse box. They maximize energy efficiency by recapturing exhaust condensation and converting it back to water and recycling it back through the water heater system.
Choosing a Wall-Mounted Water Heater
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Tankless systems have all types of applications. The smaller your home is and the fewer people who live there, the shorter the distance can be between the wall-mounted unit and your plumbing and the more a tankless system might be right for you. And if you have a vacation home that you only use periodically, a tankless system just makes basic economic sense. They are also a good alternative if you have a large home or you’re building an addition. You can install a wall-mounted tankless system just for guest rooms, a renovated media room or an at-home office addition. Wall-mounted tankless water heaters increase your energy efficiency and decrease your utility bills. And most Energy Star models qualify for rebates up to $300 as of August 2011.
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