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Rinnai Changes Ultra Series Tankless

Ultra Series Tankless

Rinnai has changed the Ultra series tankless water heaters to better reflect the designation with the model number.

Basically the tankless has remained the same internally and the name has just changed.

RC98i has been changed to RU98i

Rc80i has changed to RU80i

Personally I think they did this to better differentiate their models of tankless water heaters.  Rinnai has a bit of an alternative way to categorizing their systems and it goes as such:

  1. Value Series
  2. Luxury Series
  3. Ultra Series

The Value Series, as Rinnai calls it, are rarely if ever sold in Toronto, the GTA, or Southern Ontario for that matter.  Our water is just a bit too cold in the winter to be able to install these units and expect reliability.  They could work great for cottage or seasonal use though.

The Luxury Series is where we start to get into tankless systems suitable for Ontario home owners.  The RL94i and the RL75i being the two systems.

The Ultra Series tankless systems suitable for the Greater Toronto Area consist of the RU98i and RU80i.

Rinnai Model Code Breakdown.

I’m not 100% certain on this but as far as I know this is how Rinnai model name is broken down. Using the new RU80i as an example.

RU80i

R = Rinnai

U = Ultra (for the ultra series which consists of only condensing tankless systems)

80 = This indicated max hot water output at a certain temperature rise (8.0 gallons)

i = Signals that this is an indoor model (e specifies that a Rinnai tankless is outdoor)

Here is another example

Rl75i

R = Rinnai

L = Luxury (for the Luxury series which consists of only non-condensing tankless systems)

75 = This indicated max hot water output at a certain temperature rise (7.5 gallons)

i = Signals that this is an indoor model (e specifies that a Rinnai tankless is outdoor)

 

If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to call us or fill out our online form.  Our aim is to get back to you in less than one business day.

 

 

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Tank VS Tankless – Misconceptions

Tankless Toronto

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding tank type water heaters and tankless systems.  As a homeowner, if you’re thinking of adding a tankless to your home take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt.  Everyone seems to be some sort of expert on water heaters and can tell you which system is better when in reality you yourself needs to make the decision.  A tankless has been installed tens of thousands of homes throughout the greater Toronto area with positive reviews.

In some situations as tankless is not the right choice, you need to trust your water heater installer to shoot you straight.  The hard part is finding reputable tankless installers that are willing to tell you the whole truth and not just force the sale through.  I can tell you without hesitation that we and all employees put the homeowners interest first.  Operating on this simple principle ensures that the homeowner remains a customer and we remain in business. Simple as that.

Now back to the tankless misconceptions published throughout the internet.  A recent article regarding the pros and cons was published on thesop.org by a writing that appears to have just taken some common thoughts regarding the system and published them as if completely true.

Below is our response to the author regarding his article.

Hello John,

I read your article on thesop.org and wanted to correct you on a few things regarding tank vs tankless water heaters.

You said – Tankless water heaters are about 10 to 20% more energy efficient than traditional tank water heaters.

Tankless range from 82% to 98% efficiency, an expensive conventional tank brand new is lucky to be 60% so 20-30 percent is more accurate.

You said – Tankless water heaters work best when only one water tap is using hot water.

That’s not accurate at all, a tankless can easily run 3 showers and a dishwasher simultaneously (or some similar combination).

You said – If water taps are far apart from each other, it is recommended to buy another tankless water heater.

How does that even make sense? A tankless is designed to produce enough hot water for your whole home and is usually installed very close to where the old tank was installed, thus the hot water has the exact same distance to travel.

You said – Water does not instantly heat up when using a tankless water heater, but does with a tank heater.

This is backwards, it does heat up instantly, tankless are sometimes referred to as insta-hot water heaters.

You said – Tankless water heaters require yearly maintenance in order to remain efficient.

This is correct but not a bad thing as you stated… any and all water heaters see a 2% reduction in efficiency every year due to scale and lime build up.  A tankless is designed to have the scale removed or flushed out of the system so that it maintains its very high efficiency rating.  A conventional tank has no flush or maintenance thus the scale builds up year after year.   Think of the efficiency these two water heating systems are operating at 10 years down the road.

You’re a university student,  I know you can do better than this.   Let me know if you’re interested in re-writing, correcting, or doing another article on the subject. I would be more than happy to answer any questions or provide any help needed to accurately portray the pros and cons of tankless systems.

Read the original article here

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Tankless Short Cuts and Cheat Joints

tankless gas pipes

It is important to get your tankless installed by a reputable company.  By this I mean someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to installing a tankless.  Heating your homes water with a tankless is a fundamentally different system than the 40 gallon conventional tank that is probably sitting in the basement now.  I will go over a few things to quiz your contractor on to ensure they really know how these systems work resulting in a much better end result for you.

Firstly there have been some negative issues reported with tankless systems, and yes sometimes it is the manufactures fault but a lot of these issues are actually due to improper installation;  the contractor.  A conventional tank uses a smaller volume of gas producing around 30,000 BTU’s.  A tankless uses larger volumes, close to 200,000 BTU’s, but with a much reduced frequency.  Installers could just “guestimate” pipe diameters necessary to provide a conventional tank with ample gas and 99% of the time is right.  A tankless needs the gas fitter to very accurately ensure that the unit receives enough gas to produce the 200,000 BTU’s necessary.  This is the main problem as to why a lot of tankless systems receive complaints from new owners.

Questions Ask Your Contractor Regarding a Tankless

  • Maximum distance of a ½ inch gas line needed to provide 200,000 BTU’s  – trick question, a 10 foot length can only carry roughly 132,000 BTU’s
  • What size gas line will my tankless need – In Toronto and areas all whole home tankless systems will need a ¾ inch connection minimum
  • If I purchase a condensing tankless is there any special installation needed?  – Yes, a condensing tankless requires a nearby drain to channel the water collected from the condenser.
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Tankless Systems From Kijiji

Selling Tankless Throughout The GTA

I get a number of updates regarding tankless systems from Google Alerts, what surprises me is the number of people and companies that post ads for tankless systems on there.  Who buys these systems? Sure they are cheap but can you be certain that your new no-name tankless you just spent $1200 on can even be installed in your home? Where do you buy the vent kit and necessary vent pipe? Who is going to install it?

Be it a tankless, furnace, boiler, or any other combustible system in your home it needs to be installed by a professional.  These systems can kill you and your family if they are not installed properly.  Proper venting is so important it is literally a matter of life and death.

We have been in business for years and know the ins and outs of tankless installation in the Greater Toronto area, if you have any question regarding some system you bought off Kijiji give us a call, information is always free.

If your skeptical of random tankless systems on Kijiji and looking to purchase a tankless in Toronto, give us a call or fill out our quick form on the side of the page.  We can get you a great deal and tankless quotes are also free.

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Tankless Concerns

Here is an interesting post that I spotted on RedFlagDeals – that’s a popular Canadian site offering deals and helpful info to people. I recommend you check it out if you’re interested.  Anyways this user had some questions regarding tankless water heaters and was looking for responses from current owners.  Here is their inquiry.

I’ll be moving into a brand new town-home in downtown Toronto next year, and we need to decide on which option to go for the water heater:

  1. Rent the tank system from Direct Energy (installed by builder…)
  2. Buy a tank system and replace the rental
  3. Rent a tankless system
  4. Buy a tankless system

Our priorities are, in order of most important first:

  1. Space
  2. Hot Temperature
  3. Continuous hot water
  4. Noise
  5. Multiple appliances
  6. Up-front costs
  7. Operating & Maintenance costs

I know the tankless system wins for 1 and 3… but what about 2, 4, and 5? After reading through this thread, I only read a few things about the noise issue. We want to mount this on a wall to save space and use that area as storage, but if it’s going to rattle our small townhome’s walls, that’s a serious concern.

Thoughts?

Here Is Our Take

Right off the bat I would instantly recommend a tankless if your number one concern is space.  A tankless wins hands down.  I will go though the issues this user brought up briefly.

  1. Space – tankless saves a lot, it wins.
  2. Temperature – Toss up, but I would probably give it to the tankless because of its precision
  3. Continuous supply – obviously the tankless takes this category
  4.  Noise – depends on which type of conventional tank you could install, but I call it a draw – both would probably be power vented units so the blower makes the most noise.
  5. Tank wins but only for a short period as it will run out of water as more appliances demand hot water.
  6. Tank is cheaper for sure – a tankless does have much higher upfront costs.
  7. Tank – a tank will be cheaper on maintenance as there really isn’t any, but that tank has a lifespan of 8 years where as the tankless is 20.  Yep you will pay a little more on maintenance but it more than makes up for it over time.
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Free Quotes on Tankless Water Heaters

Endless Supply Of Hot Water

A tankless water heater creates hot water as you use it, thus the system will never run out. Some tankless units are made to supply one shower at a time, these lower BTU systems are ideal for cottage use here in Ontario. For residential or commercial units we recommend that a tankless have a bare minimum BTU of 150,000 in Toronto and areas.


Tankless Energy Savings

Most older conventional type tanks have an efficiency rating well below 60 percent. According to a recent study by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Commission, tankless water heaters reduce energy costs by an average of 46%. This increase in energy savings can be up to $150 per year.

In addition to increased efficiency tankless water heaters also have much longer life spans than hot water tanks. Your conventional 40 or 50 gallon tank likely has an 8 year warranty and has a steel tank (not stainless steel) which will rust through in about 12 years.  Tankless systems are made with copper or stainless steel and can last for 20 years or more.

How much do tankless water heaters cost?

Smaller tankless units with an efficiency of between 80 and 85 percent cost about $2000 to $2750 installed, depending on brand and your homes venting requirements.   A larger model with an efficiency of between 94 and 98 percent usually cost about $3000-$4500, again this is highly dependent on your home and the model you choose.


GoTankless: We are your top choice for water heater installations in Toronto and surrounding areas.

Installing a tankless water is a much more complex process than installing a conventional hot water tank, it is important that your installers have the necessary expertise.

Call (647) 925-1930

for more information or to schedule a quote on a tankless water heater installation. Or fill out our online request quote form.

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Custom Tankless Installation

Installing a tankless water heater can be a difficult job as such each customer we service receives a custom tankless installation.  There are a number of factors that ensure no two jobs are alike and thus each installation is unique.

There are a number of reasons people are upgrading to tankless systems, but it’s important to understand that a tankless might not be right for every situation.  Here are a few reasons people are choosing to upgrade.

  • High efficiency – some tankless units are 98% efficient – that’s future proof.
  • Unlimited hot water – Jacuzzi’s and body showers take a lot of water that can empty a conventional tank quickly.
  • Extended Lifespan – a tankless has an expected lifespan of over 20 years.
  • Space Savings – As homes and condos continue to shrink floor space becomes a premium a tankless mounts to the wall.
  • Energy savings – 98% means that 98 cents of every dollar you spend is actually used.Tankless Installer Toronto

Within Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area we are in a rental market for water heaters which is very unfortunate.  These systems really aren’t that expensive and when leasing you easily pay for the system 3-5 times over.  Some companies within the Greater Toronto Area are offering financing of a tankless but again the fine print is where they get you.  We see more home owners regretting their decision and paying between 13% to 18% interest for their tankless.  We often recommend that homeowner simply use their line of credit if they are looking to finance a tankless system.  The interest rate is much more reasonable and will likely save the homeowner a few hundred bucks or more.

If you’re looking for that custom tankless installation throughout the Greater Toronto Area give us a call and we can have a REP come out to your home, free of charge.   The REP will be able to assess your home, gas lines, venting requirements and give you a quote right there on the spot.

Call Today to schedule a time (647) 925-1930

Or fill out the form and we will contact you Click For Form

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Tankless And Water Heater Servicing In Toronto

Water heaters

If you own a tankless it is important to service your system.  A tankless is designed by engineers to have, first and foremost, the heat exchanger and internals scrubbed with a mild acid (vinegar).  The vinegar reacts with a buildup that occurs in all pipes and watercourses (scale and lime deposits) effectively eating it away and clearing the heat exchangers and pipes. This scale acts as an insulator significantly reducing the transfer of heat to water. Engineers have also taken many precautions to ensure that internals and parts of a tankless have as few wear points as possible.  This has increased the lifespan of a tankless water heater to over 20 years!

Direct Energy and several other large companies that rent water heaters are trying to reduce the tankless emergence.  Currently if you’re renting a conventional water heater the system is designed to have a lifespan of around 10 to 12 years.  After this point the water heater will have significant buildup inside severely reducing its efficiency.  The thing is that none of these companies will push you to replace your system since you are the one paying the gas bill and it only affects your homes energy consumption.

What Can You Do?

That’s easy, call the company your renting your water heater from.  They will tell you the buyout costs and the age of the water heater you have.  If the system isn’t very old I would recommend you keep the water heater until it reaches its operational lifespan (10-12 years). If your system is already quite old you may simply need to schedule a removal with your water heater rental company. Then start getting quotes for a tankless system.

Once that new tankless is installed make sure you take care of it, have it flushed once every two years at the minimum (or flush it yourself).  A flush is simple preventative maintenance that will ensure your system makes it past the expected 20 year lifespan while maintaining its 98% efficiency rating!

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Tankless Water Heater Service Valves

Toronto and Area Tankless Services

Service Valves on a Tankless are Important

The service valves on a tankless are essential for cleaning the insides of your tankless.  The valves allow an easy method of changing the incoming and outgoing water from one source to another.  Why would you need this feature? Well your tankless is designed to last more than 20 years and this requires that the scale and lime buildup that forms on the inside of the system is flushed or cleaned out.  The scale forms fastest in situations where water is rapidly heated, so the heat exchanger is the primary location of buildup.

It is not mandatory that these service valves are installed but any good contractor will have included them in the price and if you have a tankless you probably have some already.

The Service Valves Use

Cleaning your tankless requires you to shut the fuel source down, unplug the unit, switch the incoming and outgoing water over with the service valves.  Then you can simply hook up some hoses to the in and out ports on the service valves and pump vinegar or some acidic solution though the tankless.  The acid eats the scale and restores the tankless to its original efficiency.Toronto and Area Tankless Services

Scale buildup quickly reduces the efficiency of your tankless by significantly slowing the transfer of heat to water. 

So if you have a tankless tank a quick peek at your system and see of your contractor or installer included the service valves.  If not, don’t worry they can always be installed after the fact.  Give us a call and we can install some and flush your tankless at the same time.

Service Valves Specifications

  • 3/4″ union connections
  • Colour coded handles and unions
  • Staggered connection points to easy access and installation
  • Forward facing purge/flush ports ease routine servicing
  • Purge/drain hose connection port and cap
  • Full port, quarter turn valves
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Ontario Water Hardness Levels

An instant hot or tankless water heater is extremely efficient.  The system relies on its advanced heat exchanger to quickly heat up water.  Scale and Lime tend to build up faster when water is heated, so to combat this problem a tankless is usually installed with flush valves, which allow vinegar to be pushed through the system dissolving the build up and returning the tankless to its original efficiency level.  This build up is exponentially increased as the grains or water hardness increases in communities and towns throughout Ontario.

Hard Water Causes Inefficiency

Below is an extensive list of Ontario cities and the corresponding water hardness that is present in the water supply.  The higher the number of grains the harder your water is, which, in turn produces more scale and deposits in your water heater, on shower heads, around faucets, and so forth.  A conventional water heater will become much less efficient with time in a hard water situation, and it can’t be cleaned. For this reason we recommend a tankless system that can be cleaned with a vinegar solution, restoring efficiency.

Quick Hard Water Exercise:

  1. Lookup your city and see if you have hard water
  2. Think about how old that 40 gallon hot water tank is in your house
  3. Know that in on average at 7.5 grains of hard water a regular tank loses 2% efficiency a year to due scale build up
  4. That 2% doubles to 4% at 15 grains and so on…..
  5. After you do the math a tankless that is able to be cleaned of all scale becomes very economical

 

CityHardness (grains)Population
Almonte17.52805
Amhurstburg6.56060
Ancaster196718
Arnprior12.28663
Aurora17see Newmarket
Azilda121403
Barrie9.541990
Beamsville15.63864
Belleville634391
Bracebridge25304
Brampton24.258571
Brantford2442053
Brockville7.511302
Burks Falls101200
Burlington947562
Carleton Place5.54956
Cayuga120905
Chatham1319874
Cippawa8.6N/A
Clifford15660
Clinton13.22136
Cobalt4461
Cobourg7.57234
Cochrane182474
Collingwood4.59632
Copper Cliff2N/A
Cornwall719290
Craigment4N/A
Delhi182819
Deseronto8.41314
Dryden3.55900
Dundas1710320
Dunnville213830
Elmira29390
Essex33.43658
Etobicoke8109153
Fonthill15.62495
Fort Williams1N/A
Galt22930
Gannonoque73759
Goderich5.54808
Grimsby86821
Guelph2230652
Hagersville302055
Haileybury21243
Hamilton7.5147943
Harrow49.83112
Hanover133915
Hawkesbury25300
Hespeler26550
Ingersoll24.44269
Iroquois Falls4.52005
Islington16.220137
Kapuskasing63490
Kemptville16.46130
Kenora49929
Kingston7.537776
Kirkland Lake34712
Kitchener4087480
Lansing21N/A
Leamington1417253
Lindsay8.527220
Listowel139907
London25149133
Lucan13N/A
Lucknow16.4977
Meaford122978
Merritton8.5N/A
Midland816268
Mitchell16.21907
Matawa5
Mount Forest252937
New Liskeard163306
Newmarket10.553915
New Toronto8see Toronto
Niagara Falls829250
North Bay124960
North York Twsp.18173099
Norwick141220
Oakville734364
Orillia1019999
Oshawa7.538796
Ottawa3181258
Owen Sound1520688
Paisley19.5829
Paris202984
Parkhill141145
Parry Sound43020
Pembroke215357
Penetanguishene7.5see Midland
Perth45596
Peterborough540913
Picton72265
Port Arthur6N/A
Port Colborne76291
Port Dover13.2N/A
Port Elgin38.41852
Port Hope7.55553
Prescott73553
Preston17620
Renfrew2.512221
Richmond Hill17.272717
St. Catharines740750
St. Mary’s22.81475
St. Thomas11.529300
Sarnia738869
Sault Ste. Marie329847
Scarborough8.5155061
Seaforth17.51496
Shelburne12N/A
Simcoe1216900
Smith Falls56904
Stratford3014604
Strathroy17.55543
Sturgeon Falls23134
Sudbury2.553168
Tavistock30.41893
Tecumseh7.85953
Teeswater32616
Thorold85848
Tillsonburg128925
Timmins219055
Toronto7.5319202
Trenton146120
Twin Province17.5N/A
Uxbridge15.43533
Walkerton8.82651
Wallaceburg6.55822
Waterloo28see Kitchener
Welland819258
Weston109448
Whitby7.519750
Windsor672436
Woodbridge16.211770
Woodroffe22.5N/A
Woodstock2.526041

It’s always a good idea to have your water tested to determine not only water quality but water hardness and this list should be considered just a rough guide.