This summer marks
the beginning of a new standard - and a new design - for gas water
heaters. ANSI Z21.10.1-2001, which covers all gas-fired
residential water heaters of 75,000 Btus or less manufactured in
the United States, requires that the design of such water heaters
"shall not ignite flammable vapors outside the water heater
created by the spilling of ... gasoline onto the floor."
Rollout begins July 1, 2003, with 30-, 40- and 50-gallon
atmospherically vented water heaters. Phase 2 begins July 1, 2004,
with 30-, 40- and 50-gallon power-vented heaters, and Phase 3
covers the remaining models starting July 1, 2005. (Canada's Phase
1 will begin Jan. 1, 2004 - six months behind the U.S. rollout.)
Efforts by the Water Heater Joint Research and Development
Consortium resulted in a new technology. Arrestor plate technology
is the linchpin of the first generation of flammable vapor
ignition resistant (FVIR) water heaters. The consortium looked at
a wide-range of technologies before settling on the arrestor plate
as the best solution, says Jim Bienias, Rheem's senior product
manager for residential products.
(Click here for the rest of the
article)
Sizing
How much hot
water do you need?
How many gallons
per minute do you use?
|
One of the most important
factors in determining your water heater size or type, is
how many gallons per minute you really use.
For standard units the important number is the total gallons
per hour you need.
For tankless units the important number is gallons per
minute.
If you use more than the gallons per minute the tankless can
make...all the water is warm. |
|
Try this simple test the
next time you take a bath.
You need a five gallon bucket and a stopwatch.
Determine how long it takes to fill the five gallons with
hot water in you bathtub.
Then dump the bucket into the tub and determine how many
gallons it takes to fill the tub.
Tub and shower valves can move as much as 9 gallons per
minute and water pressure varies from town to town. |
|
Next
Using the stopwatch, How long does it take to fill the
washing machine for a large load on the hot setting. |
|
Next
How long does it take to fill the dishwasher? |
|
Next
Check the sizing chart to determine
the tank size |
|
|
|
|