Q&A for The Wholesaler

By Ted Kwak, vice-president of Takagi Industrial Co. USA Inc.

For publication in the January, 2004 issue of The Wholesaler

What is the difference between a tankless water heater and a typical conventional water heater?

A tankless water heater provides an endless hot water supply on demand, as long as hot water is needed. A conventional water heater will eventually run out of hot water causing a user to have to wait for the water to be re-heated. Takagi USA is a leading manufacturer of tankless water heaters, and has been marketing them in the U.S. since 1995.

What are the benefits of using a tankless system?

Here are 5 main benefits:

1. An Endless Hot Water Supply

Since there is no tank to fill, there is no end to your supply of hot water. Depending on the model, a tankless water heater can deliver between 200 gallons and 500 gallons of hot water every hour on demand. A Tankless system guarantees an endless supply of water is available anywhere a constant source of hot water is needed.

2. Energy and Money Savings

The tankless water heater does not have a storage tank to keep heated all day, nor a pilot light. It burns gas only when you need hot water. This eliminates standby heat loss. A conventional water heater?s energy efficiency is 40% to 60%, whereas our tankless water heaters energy efficiency is over 80%. This higher efficiency can allow you to save over 50% off your utility bill.

3. Space savings

Because a tankless water heater is roughly the size of a small suitcase, it can be installed almost anywhere. Using a tankless system can free up to 80 % extra storage space versus a conventional water heater.

4. Environment Friendly

Takagi Tankless Water Heaters received Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) approval for its low emissions (NOx) with high thermal efficiency. Takagi's tankless water heaters use much less fuel, producing far less exhaust than a conventional water heater.

5. Unlimited applications

Since our tankless water heater supplies hot water endlessly, is easy to install, and can be powerful as you want, it can be used for various applications. For example, it can be used for heating applications (radiant floor heating, fan assistant space heating) and large volume purposes such as hotels, apartments and many other commercial and industry applications.

Why have more people not bought a tankless water heater?

Because most people just don't know about it. When buying things for their home, people tend to want things that are familiar; so although tankless water heaters are better in every way, people are still skeptical because they have never heard of a tankless water heater before.

How exactly does a tankless water heater work?

When the hot water tap is turned on, the water flows through the heater. A water flow sensor detects the water flow and the computer automatically ignites the burner and supply right amount of gas. The water circulates through the heat exchanger and the heat exchanger instantly heats the water at the designated temperature (this takes less than 5 seconds). When the hot water tap is turned off, the unit shuts down automatically.

Does Takagi sell different types of water heaters?

Yes, there is a Takagi tankless water heater to fit almost any application. The smallest unit, the T-K Jr., is good for a townhouse or small condominium. The medium sized unit, the T-K2, our most popular model and T-KD20 for direct vent type, are designed for a 2-3 bathroom house. Our largest unit, the Mobius T-M1, is great for a larger homes and applications. Ideal for large buildings, apartments, office buildings and hotels, the Mobius T-M1 can be linked together up to 20 units to deliver over an astonishing 10,000 Gallons per hour, that can be applied to any applications.

With a tankless system, can homeowners use more than one hot water fixture at the same time?

Yes, Takagi tankless water heaters allow users to utilize multiple fixtures simultaneously as long as the proper model was selected by sizing its hot water need.

What should plumbing contractors know about installing a tankless water heater?

Installing a tankless water heater is very simple for plumbing contractors. The only difference from conventional heaters is that a tankless system has an electrical connection to power the computer and venting system. Because of its size and weight, installing a water heater is now a one-man job. The days of two-man water heater installation are gone.

Determining which size Takagi tankless heater is right for your application is very important. Calculating the right amount of fixtures requiring hot water and choosing a unit that meets that GPM requirement will be the key issue for plumbing contractors.

Because the Takagi tankless water heater requires a right gas pressure and volume to ignite, the gas pipe size should be at least l of an inch. Our units are power vented to go up to 35 feet either vertically or horizontally. You need to subtract 5 feet for every 90-degree elbow, up to 3 elbows.

Takagi tankless water heaters also require proper amount of combustion air to burn the fuel and heat the water. Sealed ventilation using material compliant to National Fuel Gas Code is mandatory.

Are there certain applications for which tankless water heaters are better suited than others?

Since Takagi tankless water heaters provide endless hot water, they are ideal for heating applications requiring a continuous hot water supply.

Also, since tankless water heaters are so small compared to the regular boiler system or conventional water heaters, they are appealing to light-commercial area such as restaurants, salons, and other small businesses where space is at a premium.

What are some of the more unique tankless water heater applications you have seen?

Takagi tankless water heaters have many unique applications. One customer installed a tankless-powered hydro heating system in his sidewalk to melt snow. In another home our product was used to set up a special shower room for a disabled man. Takagi tankless water heaters also have industrial applications, such as heating water for car washes, and heating soil through underground pipes in greenhouses. In the public service sector our heaters have been used to decontaminate purposes for fire fighters and militaries, by hooking them up with any water sources. And a system has been developed to use the tankless water heater to clean up oil-covered birds at oil spills.

As tankless hot water heaters are becoming more and more popular in the North America, people are finding many unique ways to maximize the unlimited amounts of hot water at their discretion. Takagi tankless water heaters are extremely versatile.

What do you think has caused tankless water heaters to enjoy such a huge rise in popularity during the past few years?

This rise in popularity goes beyond the obvious answers that tankless water heaters take up less space, provide virtually endless supplies of hot water, have little need of repair and last a lot longer than conventional water heaters. The fact that tankless models use far less energy than conventional units has become increasingly important as more and more people become concerned about energy consumption, energy costs, and the effect of emissions on the environment. Utility costs are rising, while new compliance regulations are driving up the cost of conventional tank water heaters.

Does Takagi make anything other than tankless water heaters?

Yes. Takagi also makes the Fresh Seat, a very luxurious bidet like toilet seat.

Tell me more about Fresh Seat.

As you may know, the bidet toilet seat is an exciting new product in the US market. We see infinite potential for growth in such sectors as new residential construction and renovation, as well as residential and commercial applications for the special medical needs community.

At the same time we see increasing interest in our product among most homeowners who are updating their homes and want to start the new century with a state-of-the-art product.

Recently bidet toilet seats have attracted increasing media attention. New products and design developments in toilets have allowed for more innovations in the last decade than were seen in the previous half-century. A dialogue is developing among contractors and their customers about the rapidly expanding options for updating this item so essential to convenience and comfort.

Takagi Industrial Co. USA Inc. offers Fresh Seat and Tres Bien in the bidet toilet seat category. Fresh seat and Tres Bien turn a toilet into a high-tech, luxurious bidet. By simply replacing the toilet seat with "Fresh Seat" toilet seat, users can enjoy a temperature-controlled washing nozzle with a pulsating spray for men or a diffused spray for women. The water pressure can be adjusted to your comfortable level, the water temperature can also be adjustable as you like; and the electronic memory conveniently records your preferred water pressure and temperature settings. When your bathroom is cold, the Seat itself can be heated, and after use the hydraulic lid closes quietly. There is also a remote control (easy operation for limited mobility users) and blow dryer equipped with our high-end models.

How can I get more information about tankless water heaters and Fresh Seat?

Our website has a lot of information about tankless water heater and Fresh Seat technology, installation manuals, application drawings, 24 hour on-line technical support and so on. Visit www.takagi.com or you can call (888) 882-5244.