Hydronic radiant home heating has many attractive advantages compared to air based heating. Heat transfer from water to air occurs 3,500 times more quickly than heat transfer from air. Thus hydronic home heating is more energy efficient and this translates to a savings in dollars. Families who have decided to use hydronic home heating must consider whether they want to use a tankless water heater or a central boiler to heat the water for their hydronic system.

The efficiency of the tankless heater over the traditional boiler relates to the differences in their methods of heating water. The traditional boiler is generally oversized. It heats up enough water for the high demand situations, which is frequently twice the amount of output normally needed to heat the home. Boilers also tend to heat the water too rapidly. When the water reaches the desired temperature the boiler shuts off. The result is rapid short energy consuming cycles. The tankless or modulating water producing system, only operates when it senses water flow, and thus saves fuel.

When choosing a tankless heater for the home’s hydronic radiant heating needs, it is important to consult with the manufacturer of the radiant heating system to determine the out put requirements for the water heater, and to choose the proper tankless heater accordingly.

Generally, tankless heaters will not work if the incoming temperature from the hydronic system is above 100 degrees, so that must be checked as well.

Tankless water heaters that are compatible with a hydronic home heating system, come with a shut off value. When there is a demand for domestic hot water, the value shunts the water to that purpose and not to the hydronic system.

[spin] The tankless heating systems do come with a shorter life expectancy than traditional boilers. A strong boiler such as a cast iron boiler will have a life expectancy of 30 years or more. Tankless heaters, on the other hand, when used only for producing domestic hot water, have been found to last for about 20 years, on average. At least one online plumbing expert believes that if used for heating purposes alone, the tankless heater will last longer than 20 years. In return for the shorter life span a home owner can expect reduced energy costs and space economy.

Unanswered questions concern the quality of the drinking water produced by a combi-tankless heater, (a tankless heater used to produce both domestic hot water and home radiant heat). Reports touting the combi boilers praise the fact that with the combination tankless heater, water in the heating loop is frequently replaced, and therefore there is no chance for corrosive build up in the hydronic heating coils. But what happens when water goes through one or more hydronic heating cycles and then come out to be used for consumption. Has the water picked up microscopic deposits, which come out with the drinkable hot water? Secondly since the heating system is triggered by water flow, how efficient is the heater in low flow situations?

These questions and more, will only be cleared up as more and more consumers report on their experiences with the combi-tankless heater. Thanks to A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore for producing this report. A-1 is a Baltimore plumbing company that specializes in plumbing heating

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