water heaters and design

Keep your hot water system pipe-work as short as possible. That and some installation details can save lots of energy and water.

Up to 30 per cent of the energy used to heat water is usually wasted due to heat loss. And large amounts of water can also be wasted due to the distance between the points of use and the water heater. A good design and installation can solve these problems.

Short hot water pipes

Keeping hot water pipes as short as possible is a main design rule. When building a new home, locate the areas where hot water is largely used (bathrooms, the kitchen...) as close with the water heater as possible.

If not convenient for any reason (sun exposure and considerations involving passive heating and cooling, for instance…) install the heater as close as possible from the kitchen...

Insulation

Another key rule is to insulate hot water pipes, namely their externally exposed parts.

Solar water heaters

Bet on a solar hot water heater, if you are building a new home. Solar hot water heaters are competitive in almost all climates.

In terms of design consider a roof pitch (20°-40°), in order to install the solar panels. The orientation of that roof (south-facing in northern hemisphere places and north-facing in the southern hemisphere countries) is also important to solar water heating.

Size

Do not oversized or undersized your water heater system. Avoid higher operating costs, sizing your water heater to respond to your needs.

See: Water Heaters Sizing

Water recirculation systems

A water recirculation system can avoid water wastage (if a short pipe-work is not incorporated in the home’s design). Water recirculation systems re-circulate water in the pipes until hot water is detected, avoiding wastage.

Point of use water heaters

For small uses, to complement an old and poor designed water heating system, consider point of use water heaters.

See: Point of Use Electric Water Heaters