The standards on residential water heater efficiency, which are required by Congress, have not been updated in 13 years. Water heating is responsible for roughly 13% of both annual residential energy use and consumer utility costs, the DOE said.
The proposal would require the most common-sized electric water heaters to achieve efficiency gains with heat pump technology and gas-fired water heaters to achieve efficiency gains through condensing technology.
The electric one is a pretty big design change.
Interesting what industry says on it:
A group including water heater maker Rheem, environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council and efficiency and consumer advocacy organizations issued a joint statement welcoming the new standards.
Tankless water heater maker Rinnai (5947.T), however, said the proposed standards for its products were “technologically impossible” and would reduce consumer choice.
PS if you want to reduce your hot water usage, turn off the shower while you’re soaping. I’ve got my shower down to like 1 minute of running water. Wash clothes on cold.
If you really wanna reduce your hot water usage take a cold shower…
Depends on the temp, I mean to measure it but around here I think it’s close to 0 C.
Tankless water heater maker Rinnai
were “technologically impossible”
impossible for a tankless heater maybe, but Jesus the amount of power those things draw
When it’s on. When you aren’t using it, it draws zero. I’ve had a tankless electric for 8 years, and my power usage hasn’t changed much either up or down.
Certainly much more than a heat pump based system
I doubt the energy savings would cover the cost difference in my case, and even if it did it’s worth a little extra to never run out of hot water.
I’ll stick with the tankless.
its somewhere like 3x more efficient, and for environmental standards, I’m sorry but your personal preference shouldn’t really matter. 3x is 3x
Storage water heaters can also capture off peak or curtailed energy (acting as 6-12kWh of diurnal storage), so they are more than 3x better in terms of emissions.
Heat pump water heaters already exist, but I think they’re pretty expensive compared to gas/resistive heat.
I wouldn’t be surprised if electric tankless water heaters are indeed infeasible under this mandate. Heat pumps generally aren’t powerful, and tankless heaters require enormous amounts of power while in use.
I’m a plumber in Denver and we are already dealing with the natural gas ban in the city limits. If someone’s gas water heater goes out it’s possible we have to wait up to two weeks to install one. This is after we have to give a detailed explanation as to why we can’t just upgrade to an electric one. If they deny the gas water heater and make us put in an electric one the cost for the homeowner is way more expensive. It’ll be interesting to see how this will all play out.
Natural gas ban? Hadn’t heard about that.
Does this mean we’re about to see Republicans start to use “DEMONRATS WANT TO TAKE AWAY YOUR HIT WATER” as a talking point soon?
You mean ‘gas water heater.’ You need to tie up multiple conspiracies at once.
How will Trump was his beautiful hair, if the democrats take away his water heater?
I’d like to think this will be a good thing but then it could go the way of the toilet episode of King of the Hill.
The woman in the thumbnail is NOT Samantha Carter.
Yeah, the caption says “U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.”
I got you bro - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Tapping
Must’ve accidentally activated the quantum mirror from P3R-233
Nooo regulations bad! /s
Surely the free market solves everything!
Gotta love the government getting involved where it doesn’t belong.
