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Home
> Water Heater
Reviews > Tankless Coil
Tankless
Coil Water Heater
Tips on buying tankless coil systems for
residential heating
Tankless coil unit has a coil type heat exchanger as part of the main heating system, and it is found in
oil-fired and gas fired boilers or furnaces. Coils are immersed in the hydronic boiler. The purpose is to transfer the heat from the boiler's hot water to the water that is running through the tankless coil exchanger and further to the tap.
Tankless coil water heaters are integrated and combined systems, installed in the home space heating system that are using a hydronic boilers and for the tank-less heating needs, while saving money on the total installation cost.
Tankless Coil Water Heaters - Pros and Cons
Tankless coil system advantage is the absence of the storage tank and no stand-by heat loss, which means that you are reducing the cost of purchasing a separate heating system. Water is heated on demand, as it flows through the heat exchanger whenever you open the hot tap. Tankless coil can also work as the supplemental heaters.
Home heating has to work to be able to produce the hot water. This is the main drawback, as the system is less efficient during the summer when space heating is not required. If there are colder days during the year, home heating is more used and water heating is more efficient.
This is why tankless coil water heaters are primarily seen in cooler climates.
To help tankless coil water heaters to overcome problems with the low efficiency during the warmer months, the coil system is combined with the storage tank. Now, the whole system has to be upgraded with the pump and other controls. The boiler will not operate all the time, only when there is a call from the thermostat.
The pump will run the cooler water near the bottom of the storage tank through the tankless coil and moved to the top of the storage tank providing a stable temperature. The circulation will stop when the thermostat on the tank is satisfied.
One of the reviews or studies done by " Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings" is that in non-winter months, tankless coil water heaters can consume three BTU's of fuel for every one BTU of hot water these units provide.
Problems and how to solve them
If you notice that the flow is lower than usual, mineral deposits or rust might have built up in the coil exchanger. This is one of the frequent problems as the tankless coils are built from the small size pipes, which are subjected to clogging. To avoid further problems your unit needs flushing.Use white vinegar, citric acid or any other available solution for the heat exchangers, and pump it through the tankless coil, to flush out mineral deposits. It is important to have the isolation valves installed, to isolate it from the potable water supply. This is not a simple DIY project, the project needs a specialized pump, so the recommendation is to call a plumber.
If coil leaks you might have potable water contaminated with the boiler water, or even worse it might damage the boiler. Leaks are caused due to the failed connection in the coil tubing or where it joins the plumbing. The pressure and the amount of hot water will be reduced.
Mineral deposits and improperly adjusted mixing valve can be the cause for the insufficient hot water production.
Tankless coil water heaters are due to its inefficiency and other problems not a preferable way for heating.
Picture
is courtesy of energysavers.gov
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