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So here’s my problem… I recently installed a Radiantec radiant heating system (which we LOVE, by the way). We’re running the heating system off of a way-too-old 30,000 BTU hot water heater that came with the house. Judging by other appliances in the house, this was probably the cheapest hot water heater the previous owners could find, so the output efficiency is probably well below 60%.
As you can probably guess, the poor hot water heater has a really hard time keeping up on any even moderately cold nights. So I’m looking to replace it. Except here’s where it gets tricky:
1. The water heater I’m replacing is a low boy — it’s 48″ tall. I can’t upgrade to a normal-sized hot water heater because if I do, I won’t have the headroom that I need to pitch the duct work up into the chimney (there’s only 65″ total clearance from the floor to the ceiling).
2. We need to get at least 30,000 BTU of output from it to keep up with our heating system. Quite honestly, I’d like to get an even higher output (around 35,000 BTU) so that we have a safety margin (in case it gets REALLY cold). This means that I either need a VERY high efficiency 40K BTU unit (88%), or a fairly normal 50K BTU (70%).
None of the plumbing supply places or the Home Depots/Lowes seems to sell anything that meets these requirements (nor do they seem to happy about spending time with me trying to find one that meets my requirements); they’re all either too tall, or are only 40,000 BTU units with an efficiency of 70-75%. I’ve also tried going to a number of the water heater manufacturer web sites (American, A.O. Smith, etc.), but none of their product profiles list efficiency ratings (or even BTU’s).
I could also go with a direct vent unit, if needed, which would allow me to put in a taller unit (because I wouldn’t have to worry about pitching the duct work into the chimney). However, the ones I’ve come across are either just a little too weak (46,000 BTU input but not a high enough efficiency), or they’re the $2000 super-high-efficiency Polaris units (which are way out of my price range). I’d like to spend no more than $600 – 700, if possible.
Does anyone know any hot water heaters that will fit the bill? I’m sure the local plumbing houses would be more willing to help me if I could go there equipped with a brand and model that meets my needs.
Thanks in advance!
Replies
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So here's my problem... I recently installed a Radiantec radiant heating system (which we LOVE, by the way). We're running the heating system off of a way-too-old 30,000 BTU hot water heater that came with the house. Judging by other appliances in the house, this was probably the cheapest hot water heater the previous owners could find, so the output efficiency is probably well below 60%.
As you can probably guess, the poor hot water heater has a really hard time keeping up on any even moderately cold nights. So I'm looking to replace it. Except here's where it gets tricky:
1. The water heater I'm replacing is a low boy -- it's 48" tall. I can't upgrade to a normal-sized hot water heater because if I do, I won't have the headroom that I need to pitch the duct work up into the chimney (there's only 65" total clearance from the floor to the ceiling).
2. We need to get at least 30,000 BTU of output from it to keep up with our heating system. Quite honestly, I'd like to get an even higher output (around 35,000 BTU) so that we have a safety margin (in case it gets REALLY cold). This means that I either need a VERY high efficiency 40K BTU unit (88%), or a fairly normal 50K BTU (70%).
None of the plumbing supply places or the Home Depots/Lowes seems to sell anything that meets these requirements (nor do they seem to happy about spending time with me trying to find one that meets my requirements); they're all either too tall, or are only 40,000 BTU units with an efficiency of 70-75%. I've also tried going to a number of the water heater manufacturer web sites (American, A.O. Smith, etc.), but none of their product profiles list efficiency ratings (or even BTU's).
I could also go with a direct vent unit, if needed, which would allow me to put in a taller unit (because I wouldn't have to worry about pitching the duct work into the chimney). However, the ones I've come across are either just a little too weak (46,000 BTU input but not a high enough efficiency), or they're the $2000 super-high-efficiency Polaris units (which are way out of my price range). I'd like to spend no more than $600 - 700, if possible.
Does anyone know any hot water heaters that will fit the bill? I'm sure the local plumbing houses would be more willing to help me if I could go there equipped with a brand and model that meets my needs.
Thanks in advance!