RE: OT / Tankless Heating

["Canfer, SJ (Simon) " <S.J.Canfer@rl.ac.uk>]

>>--As a side note, many Europeans use a tankless, on-demand water heater.
>>--I've heard that they are more efficient than storing a big tank full of
>hot >--water.

> Actually, they are less efficient..  /While heating/
>	Kind of like needing a bigger motor to accelerate quickly..
>  Your regular Hot water heaters have the advantage of being able to take
>more time to heat water.  Kind of like how the hyrid can take some time to
>store energy to use to "boost" the acceleration.  The disadvantage is that
>they run 24/7... which would be like running the gas of your hybrid all the
>time..

>Where they are even more extra efficient is when you have 
>gas heat instead of electric  and
>... and electic start..<no pilot light>..

>So then they arent on 24/7.. just waiting for you to turn on your
dishwasher
>like a "regular" heater.. nor are they burning the pilot light all the
time.

>I am going to use this system in my next house.
>I mentioned this on my current one.. and i just got a blank stare...

Some reasons these "combi" boilers are often used here in the UK that you 
may not appreciate is that installation costs are low, everything you need 
is in the one box. Also you save the
space of a hot water storage tank (significant in our smaller houses). 
I've a "Vaillant" (German) unit and it is fantastic, especially for showers.
You also don't need stored cold water or a heating water "header tank"; 
both of which can and do leak...

Disadvantages are: limited hot water output...erm, can't think of any more!

Simon Canfer 
(Lurk mode back on)