Even With a 40% Increase Natural Gas is Still a Steal

natural gas in ontario

News outlets around Ontario are all reporting the outrage that Natural Gas will increase by 40%.

Even with a 40% increase Natural gas is still a steal for home owners. Here is Why.

Home owners in Southern Ontario who have natural gas heat their homes cheaper than anyone. Propane, Oil, Electricity are the main alternatives and they are easily all 5-8 times more expensive.

  • Fuel Oil – A lot of homes still use fuel oil as a heating source. It’s an older source and more and more homes are migrating away from it. The January 2014 cost per liter is roughly $1.37. Most homes use between 3000 and 6000 liters of fuel oil per year. That’s over 4000$ a year for heating.
  • Propane – Most homeowners that migrate from fuel oil switch to propane in hopes if reducing home heating costs. Unfortunately propane prices spiked this year and it is now just as expensive. Prices have gone from around 60 cents a liter to over a dollar, basically doubling. Home heating with propane can cost anywhere from 3-6 thousand a year, and even more in cold winters like this one.
  • Electricity – The true cost of electricity is much higher than the 8-12 cents your bill says you’re paying. Deliver, debt retirement, line losses, taxes all add up to a significantly higher cost. If you think you’re saving money by heating only certain rooms in your house with an electric heater you’re sorely mistaken. Some homes also employ electric forced air furnace systems, home owners with these systems easily receive $500+ a month bills.
  • Natural Gas – The biggest part of your natural gas bill probably isn’t even the natural gas you have used, it is the 20$ customer fee that Enbridge charges customers every month. Natural gas is charged by the cubic meter, and current prices are roughly 11-12 cents per cubic meter. Most customers are paying roughly 50-100 dollars a month; this is so much less than any other home heating source. Add that 40% increase that has been proposed… you’re still paying less than half of any other fuel.

 

 

Are you thinking about switching?  I would seriously consider thinking again.

Heatworks Model 1 Water Heater

On demand by Heatworks

There is a new start-up company from the US that is producing what they call a new tankless water heater. The Heatworks Model 1 appears to be a point of use electric instant water heater. We haven’t tested or have even seen their product but we feel there are a few things to clarify.

  1.  Although it is tankless it is important to realize that this a small point of use system.
  2. It is also electric, and here in Ontario we pay some of the highest prices for electricity.
  3. They don’t address incoming water temperatures as well as hot water output.

What Is Interesting

They claim to have eliminated anodes that are the prime source of heat in a conventional electric water heater. Additionally those anodes are most commonly the area of failure due to calcium and lime build up. The calcium and lime accretion is an issue in all water heaters but so far the tankless system deals with it the best by building in the ability to isolate the affected areas and flush them out.
The Heatworks Model 1 uses graphite electrodes, which they imply eliminates the issue of calcium and lime build up. Since graphite is a dry lubricant, deposits will not adhere to it. Additionally, ISI’s patented heating method, Joule heating, completely eliminates the high temperatures that cause scale and mineral buildup. If this is accurate they would likely have a revolution in water heaters in their hands. Your conventional electric tank type water heater loses 2% efficiency per year due to the insulating effects the calcium cause on heating elements.

Will It Work In Ontario

This hasn’t been addresses on their website. In fact they leave a lot of details out regarding the system they are building. We have contacted them in hopes of clarifying some of the issues we have mentioned. Hopefully we can get a demo model to test here at our office.

They have contacted us and addressed all the questions we had regarding the system.  A test model has be offered once available and we will be certain to provide a full overview of the system.  We are excited with this new technology and cant wait to perform a full review.

Contact

In the mean time check out their website and their funded Kickstarter .

Official SiteHeatworks Model 1
KickstarterHeatworks Model 1

Navien NPE Condensing Tankless Innovation

Condensing heat exchanger

Condensing tankless technology uses the normally wasted exhaust gases to preheat incoming water.

This has been on every one of Navien’s tankless water heaters since the beginning. The addition of the secondary heat exchanger adds about a 12-15 percent efficiency increase making a tankless water heater around 97-98 percent efficient.

With one of these systems for every dollar you send on natural gas or propane 97-98 cents are actually used to heat your water. A conventional type water heater is somewhere around 50 percent efficient so literally half of every dollar you spend on fuel is thrown away.navien heat exchanger cut out

The Navien NPE series systems have an innovative twist to their condensing tankless. The burner and heat exchanger are flipped upside down and thus, when the burner kicks on flames shoot downward. This is completely opposite to most other condensing tankless manufacture designs who have designed their systems with flames that shoot upwards. Yes, it is actually counter intuitive as heat rises upwards so you would think naturally the burner should be at the bottom.

I spent some time with a Navien representative and he thoroughly explained this (brilliant) engineering difference which I’ll try to explain it to you (hopefully as elegant as he was able to do).

A condensing tankless has a substantial amount of water form on the outside of secondary heat exchanger where the exhaust gases are flowing past, this of course is what makes it a condensing tankless. With the presence of the exhaust the water is naturally acidic and will eat away at the heat exchanger over time. Navien having put the burner at the top with the secondary heat exchanger at the bottom prevents the condensate from dripping over the primary heat exchanger enhancing its lifespan.

This design has been tested thoroughly by Navien and they offer the industries best heat exchanger warranty at 15 years. The best warranty you will find on a heat exchanger with other tankless systems is 12 years.

We sell and service all makes and models of Navien condensing tankless water heaters. This is a brand we trust and a system that is personally owned by several of our staff. If you think a Navien might be right for your home give us a call to discuss.

 


Call Us Anytime (647) 925 1930


Best Tankless Systems for Ontario

Best tankless systems for Ontario homes

It used to be easy for Ontario home owners to select their whole home tankless water heater as only 2 maybe 3 systems would be sufficient.  Today things have changed and there are numerous tankless water heaters as well as conventional tank type water heaters that are not only super highly efficient but also offer an endless supply of hot water.

We are going to try and give you an overview of the best tankless systems available today.

 

SystemCondensingEfficiencyMax FlowMin FlowWarrantyPrice
RINNAI TANKLESS SYSTEMS
RU98iYES96%9.8/GPM4.9/GPM12 YearsQuote
RU80iYES96%8.0/GPM4.4/GPM12 YearsQuote
RL94iNO82%9.8/GPM4.2/GPM12 YearsQuote
RL75iNO82%8.0/GPM3.8/GPM12 YearsQuote
RHEEM TANKLESS SYSTEMS
RTGH-95YES94%9.5/GPM4.9/GPM12 YearsQuote
RTGH-84YES94%8.4/GPM3.9/GPM12 YearsQuote
RTG-95NO82%9.5/GPM4.3/GPM12 YearsQuote
RTG-84NO82%8.4/GPM3.9/GPM12 YearsQuote
NAVIEN TANKLESS SYSTEMS
NPE s 180YES97%8.4/GPM3.8/GPM15 YearsQuote
NPE s 210YES97%10.1/GPM4.6/GPM15 YearsQuote
NPE s 240YES97%11.2/GPM5.1/GPM15 YearsQuote
NPE a 180YES97%8.4/GPM3.8/GPM15 YearsQuote
NPE a 210YES97%10.1/GPM4.6/GPM15 YearsQuote
NPE a 240YES97%11.2/GPM5.1/GPM15 YearsQuote
HTP HIGH EFFICIENCY TANK
Versa Hydro
PHE130-55YES96%7.0/GPM3.0/GPM12 YearsQuote
PHE199-55YES96%7.9/GPM4.6/GPM12 YearsQuote
PHE130-80YES96%7.0/GPM3.0/GPM12 YearsQuote
PHE199-80YES96%7.9/GPM4.6/GPM12 YearsQuote
PHE130-119YES96%7.0/GPM3.1/GPM12 YearsQuote
PHE199-119YES96%7.9/GPM4.6/GPM12 YearsQuote
Versa Flame
PHR-130-55YES95%7.0/GPM3.2/GPM12 YearsQuote
PHR-160-55YES95%7.5/GPM3.85/GPM12 YearsQuote
PHR-199-55YES95%7.9/GPM4.8/GPM12 YearsQuote
Envirosense
6G50-PDVHYES96%8.0/GPM2.4/GPM6 YearsQuote
6G5076-02YES90%8.0/GPM2.3/GPM6 YearsQuote

 

Choosing The Best Tankless System

As the chart above indicates…. There are a lot of choices for home owners.  For the most part the systems listed are the best available here in Ontario.  There are numerous other brands that dealers or HVAC sales technicians might try to push on you but the one listed are tried and tested for our cold winters.

Budget will probably be the biggest factor in determining which will be the best tankless system for your home.  Give us a call and we can give you some rough prices over the phone and can offer exact tankless prices with a free installation inspection (we have to see the gas lines, venting run, venting termination, etc before we can be certain any tankless can be installed).

Book Your Inspection Today – (647) 925 1930

Radiant Floor Heating with a Tankless

tankless radiant floors

We are receiving an ever increasing number in inquiries regarding the installation of tankless water heaters and radiant floor heating.  There are a number of reasons why and we hope to fully explain them below.

Conventionally radiant floor heating was done with a boiler which is large and very expensive.  Today’s technology has brought us tankless water heaters which are small enough to hang on the wall yet more powerful than ever.

Benefits of using a Tankless for Radiant Floor Heating

  • A Tankless is cheaper to buy
  • Space saving size
  • Powerful enough to provide heating as well as domestic hot water needs
  • Built in circulation pump
  • A single system can heat homes up to 3000sq feet
  • High efficiency systems (98%)

Why is radiant floor heating so nice?

Having your floors heated provides a completely different feel and comfort level within your home.  Have you ever unknowingly walked by something hot and felt that faint sensation of heat but not know where it’s coming from.  Well radiant floors are similar in a sense, and heat is released evenly throughout your home.

Radiant floor heating is much more efficient than forced air.  The floor has a much greater thermal mass and thus releases the heat slowly and evenly when heated radiantly.  A forced air furnace indirectly tries to heat your home by heating the air.  This hot air rises and in fact works to heat your roof.

Installation

Radiant floors can now be installed under tiles, hardwood, and even laminate.  The tubing is pre-made and carries a long guarantee (depends on brand).   Let us come out and give you a free quote to install radiant floor heating in your home.

 


Call Us (647) 925-1930


 

Reliance Water Heater

relaince water heater company logo

Looking To Upgrade Your Water Heater?

 

We offer rental water heaters at a cheaper price than our competitors, and we can prove it.

Guaranteed we’re not the only water heating company here in Southern Ontario, but that’s a good thing.  Competition brings about cheaper prices for consumers.  Its fast and simple to Google anything, you can have 10+ companies vying for your business in a single search.  We hope you choose us to be one of the few that get an opportunity to offer you a quote.

There is a good chance you have a reliance water heater and you have chosen to rent your system.  We offer identical rental water heaters at a reduced cost as well as the new tankless systems.Ultra Series Tankless

Your conventional tank type Reliance water heater in the the basement or closet is always running, while you sleep, work, go on vacation, etc.  A tankless water heater is an on demand system.  That mean the moment you want hot water it turns on until the moment you shut off your tap;  it only runs when you need hot water and is completely shut off at all other times.

A Tankless water heater is super efficient as well, up into the high 95 percent plus range.  The conventional tank you rent from Reliance is probably only 50 percent efficient at best.

It may be time to move your rental Reliance water heater over to us and get an ultra efficient tankless system at nearly the same price your paying to rent you inefficient model.  Reliance has no contracts and no penalties to leave so switching is an easy process.

Give us a call today to discuss your opportunity to get a rental tankless water heater.


Call (647) 925 1930 or fill out our form and we will contact you


Home Heating With A Tankless

home heating tankless

We have a roughly 2000 sq foot home just North of Toronto.  Our combined average costs for heat and hot water are only $20 per month, a figure we credit to tight construction, increased insulation, programmable thermostats, and the efficiency of our Rinnai tankless water heater.

Yes, most radiant systems get their hot water from either a normal water heater or a boiler, our homes hot water and heat are both provided by a high efficiency Rinnai  — or “on demand” — tankless.  The Rinnai RU98i uses considerably less energy than a tank-type heater and costs less to install than a boiler with a heat exchanger.

Heating With A Tankless

Tankless water heaters are a proven technology with a long track record for heating domestic hot water in Southern Ontario.  Unfortunately few contractors in our area  have experience using them for radiant or home heating with a tankless, and thus information about reliable system design can be hard to find.

We consider our home system more than worthwhile: During the three years we have had the system, heat and hot-water costs for two people have averaged around $20 per month.

It’s important to note that we have added additional insulation (R-35 walls, R-50 to R-60 in the roof) and our large windows help us take advantage of excellent solar thermal energy. When the sun is out, which it often is here, we barely need any heat at all during the day.  On occasion we also supplement our homes heating with a wood stove, which we enjoy for both comfort and ambience.

Finally, we use a programmable thermostat that limits the temperature to 62°F in the middle of the day and at night, and 70°F from 6 to 8 a.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.

Why Tankless?

Tankless water heaters take up very little space, are extremely efficient, and offer endless hot water.

Despite the fact that the units are not commonly used for home heating, they’re an ideal heat source for this application because their output temperatures can be easily matched to the needs of the radiant or hydronic system. With a heating controller the Rinnai tankless can provide water of up to 180°F, which is more than sufficient for the 110°F to 120°F needed to run radiant system.

The economics of using a tankless water heater to supply both hot water and home heating are also quite attractive. Total cost for a system like this is around $5,000, this includes a tankless, labour, the PEX tubing, and various components, controls, and fittings.

You can use a tank-type water heater for a little less cash upfront but the extra cost of the tankless model will more than offset extra cost with its energy savings. Energy efficiency of a heating appliance is expressed as a decimal called its energy factor, or EF.  A tankless water heater has an EF between .82 and .97, which means it converts 82 percent to 97 percent of its energy input to heat.  Conventional tank type units have an EF around .59, so a good 40% of money you spend on heating is simple pumped out the exhaust pipe.

 

Rinnai Tankless Promotional Video

Rinnai Adverting Video

This is an interesting video produced by Rinnai that talks about how a tankless works.  They go over the very way to address the amount of water that a tank produces verses that of a tankless.  They also talk about the lifespan of a tankless compared to that of a conventional tank.

With a tank water is continually heated and reheated wasting valuable energy when hot water is not in use. On top of that your hot water supply is limited to the gallons of water your tank can hold.    A Rinnai tankless water heater is more efficient, providing endless hot water only when you need it.  A Rinnai tankless has double the lifespan of a tank, making it ultimately the better value system.

Maybe its time you contemplate going tankless in your home?

Click  to see this video from Rinnai posted on Youtube

Condensing Verses Non-Condensing Tankless Water Heaters

Condesning tankless

As tankless water heaters become more and more popular the number of manufactures and models are increasing.  A tankless is also referred to as an on demand water heater and as you would expect there is no storage tank on these systems.  Using a more powerful burner a tankless can heat water instantly removing the need for the storage tank.  Although it uses more fuel while heating water it uses absolutely zero any other time, this results in an average of 40% fuel savings over a conventional tank that always keeps your water hot.

On the newer side of things are the condensing tankless water heaters available to home owners now.  These units use two heat exchangers.  The first is primarily used to heat water to your desired temperature.  The second is smaller and located near the top of the unit where the exhaust gases are used to preheat the incoming water.  Using this normally wasted heat in the exhaust bumps up the efficiency of a condensing tankless to 95% or better.

A conventional tankless doesn’t take advantage a second heat exchanger and thus the exhaust gases are much hotter and actually require special venting materials.  This can sometimes add to the cost of installing a tankless.  Whereas your condensing tankless utilizing that second heat exchanger significantly reduces exhaust temperatures, this allows contractors to use less expensive venting materials.


In general for Canadians a condensing tankless works a little better. Preheating the incoming water (which is cold during our winters) allows the tankless to throttle down its gas usage when only a little hot water is needed. Yet, when a high demand appliance requests a lot of hot water the tankless has more than enough power to supply the request. See the recommended Canadian tankless installers and tankless systems.


A condensing tankless cools the normally hot exhaust so much that moisture actually builds up inside the heat exchanger.  Moisture and steam are by-products of combustion and this is a very normal result.  As water clings to the side of the heat exchanger it builds up until it starts to drip down, this water is acidic due to combustion; the water has a pH between 3 and 5.  Rheem has a buffer tank built into its tankless systems to neutralize the condensate.  Rinnai has an external system that buffers this excess water.  Other manufactures have different systems, if you’re interested in any particular one give us a call.

 

To Conclude condensing tankless water heaters are incredibly efficient (up to 98%), and use inexpensive venting material saving on installation costs.  A condensing unit is more expensive to purchase but prices start to even out when purchasing exhaust materials for a regular tankless.  The choice is yours with regards to which system you feel best fits the needs of your home.

If you have any further question don’t hesitate to ask us

On Demand Water Heater Sales & Service

On demand water heaters heat cold water to the exact temperature you require in seconds.  This is done through a heat exchanger and natural gas burner (or propane) which creates enough heat to make hot water instantly.  The best part is that the moment you stop the shower or turn off the taps the heat shuts down.  This prevents standby heat lose which a conventional tank constantly leaks into your home.  In the summer you spend money producing heat in your home with your water tank and then spend more money running the air conditioner cooling it down.

An on demand water heater is fundamentally the exact same as a Tankless water heater.

Tankless systems also have two pipes associated with their venting.  One of the pipes is used to exhaust poisonous combustion gases outside the home whereas the other is used to provide the fresh air for combustion. Why is this done? If combustion air is used from inside the home it creates negative pressure in the entire house, this then forces outside air into the home.  On nice days this probably isn’t an issue but during the winter or hot summer days you then need to run your furnace or A/C to compensate.

We sell and service on demand water heaters within the greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area, if you at all interested or have any question give us a quick call.  At GoTankless information is always free and knowledge is power.


Call Us (647) 925-1930


Switching to an on demand water heater can on average can save your home 44% on your water heating gas consumption.  On the other hand unlimited hot water produced by on demand water heaters results on average to a 5% increase in a homes water use.

Get a Free On Demand Water Heater Quote Today

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