Rinnai educates water heater distributors and contractorson DOE regulations

In 2010, the United States Department of Energy (DOE), as part of the National Appliance EnergyConservation Act (NAECA), issued new energy efficiency mandates that require higher EnergyFactor (EF) ratings on most residential water heaters and will impact how water heaters aremanufactured, as well as how and where they're installed. These updates will go into effect on April16, 2015.

"Rinnai is committed to keeping our dealers and distributors educated and informed while theindustry transitions to the new Department of Energy mandates," said Susan Mittelbrun, vicepresident of marketing at Rinnai. "With decades of technological leadership, all Rinnai tanklesswater heaters already meet or exceed the new DOE mandates of more-stringent efficiencystandards."

To help dealers, distributors and contractors understand the impending changes and the effect onthe products they carry and install James York, Rinnai's vice president of engineering, offers thefollowing guidance:

More Insulation Means Bigger Tanks, Less Installation Flexibility: For gas tank water heaters with30-50 gallon storage tanks, the increase in minimum standards will trigger an increase in theinsulation needed, resulting in up to 2" greater tank diameters. This may be problematic when anexisting tank water heater needs to be replaced and the new, larger tank no longer fits in the samespace or through narrow doorways, openings and staircases leading to it.

The Price Difference Between Tank Tankless Is Narrowed: Traditionally, tank water heaters haveenjoyed lower upfront costs than tankless. These new regulations, which will increase the cost oftank water heaters (and may make their installations more expensive as well), will have virtually noprice effect on Rinnai tankless water heaters and may narrow the price gap enough that manyconsumers are expected to upgrade to tankless when it comes time to install or replace a waterheater.

Tank Water Heaters Will Be More Expensive Complex To Install: In addition to tank size, thecomplexity and expense of a tank water heater installation will increase. Tanks with a 55-galloncapacity or larger may require an electrical outlet to be installed to power the additionalcomponents and controls needed to achieve high efficiency. In addition, they will require specialventing and a means to drain the condensation. For contractors and dealers, the heavier, morecomplex tanks may require more manpower to move, more space for storage and potentially largerservice trucks to transport them -- all costly changes that will ultimately be passed along to theconsumer.

Tankless Will Still Be Preferred By Green Building Programs: Because tankless water heatersoperate on an as-needed basis, they use up to 40 percent less energy than traditional systems, inturn reducing environmental impact. For this reason, tankless is still expected to be the preferredwater heating method for most green building programs, such as the United States Green BuildingCouncil's LEED ratings and the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index.

To further help inform and educate distributors and dealers, Rinnai has also launched an onlineinformation hub on its website with more detailed information and educational resources.Additionally, Rinnai's weekly newsletter, Rinnai Insight, now features tools intended to helpcontractors and distributors better understand the new DOE guidelines and how it may affect theproducts they carry.

To learn more, visit www.rinnai.us/about-rinnai/doe.

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