Traditional water heater
Before I go into explaining what an indirect water heater is, let's talk about the one most people are familiar with. A "traditional" water heater is a piece of equipment that heats the water for your showers, hand washing and cooking needs. It is powered by electricity, oil or gas. It runs independent of any other plumbing equipment in your home. Traditional water heaters have a lifespan of about 10-15 years, depending on the quality of your water and how well it's been maintained. We recommend an inspection every 2-3 years, and more often if you have harsh water conditions.Indirect water heater
Now that we have a frame of reference, let's talk about "indirect" water heaters. An indirect water heater works with your boiler to heat water. It is attached to your boiler, and cannot operate without it. We are big fans of the Crown Boiler Co. indirect water heater. It boasts extreme efficiency." The boiler that heats your home or building provides more energy, while consuming fuel more efficiently, than direct-fired domestic water heaters. Mega-Stor [an indirect water heater] saves on fuel costs by using hot water from your boiler to heat water for your showers."
Depending on the heating capacity (known as "BTU") of your boiler, you could get 180 gallons of hot water during one hour. The graphic below compares the amount of hot water an indirect water heater can provide vs. a traditional water heater:
The amount of hot water generated by an indirect water heater also depends on how efficient your boiler is. If you have it inspected and cleaned annually, chances are, an indirect could work for your hot water needs.
Features to expect
If you've decided that an indirect water heater best suits the needs of your family, we recommend the ones manufactured by Crown. Here are the features you can expect on the Mega-Stor model:- Removable inspection cap for easy access to the coil and tank. Plus, there's a drain at the bottom to flush out the tank if necessary.
- Highly responsive Honeywell adjustable aquastat so that the water can be adjusted for your desired temperature.
- A smooth surfaced stainless steel coil transfers heat throughout the tank. The recovery rate is up to three times more rapid than typical gas, electric or oil heaters.
- A two inch layer of polystyrene foam insulation keeps the water hot for hours during standby periods.
- A limited lifetime warranty. Crown Boiler Co. warrants the stainless steel tank and coil against leakage for as long as the original purchaser owns the home in which it is installed.
A Crown indirect water heater we installed in Mansfield CT. It works with the Buderus boiler we also installed.
Rapid Service is located in Columbia CT. We offer plumbing, electrical and heating repairs and installations for Eastern CT homeowners. We also offer FULL Kitchen Remodeling and Bathroom Remodeling services! Some of the towns we cover are: Columbia, Willimantic, Andover, Coventry, Bolton, Vernon, Ellington, Willington, Tolland, Mansfield, Willlimantic, Ashford, Chaplin, Windham, Lebanon, Colchester, Hebron, Marlborough, Glastonbury, Manchester, Portland, Middletown, East Hampton, Bozrah, Norwich, Franklin, Sprague, Lisbon, Scotland, Canterbury, Guilford, Madison, Haddam, Chester, Deep River, Essex, Westbrook, Old Saybrook, East Lyme, Waterford, New London, Montville, Groton, Ledyard, Stonington, & North Stonington CT.
