Bradford White Hot
Water Heaters Review
Review of Extra Recovery
and Energy Saver models with Defender Safety System
Bradford White hot water heaters from Extra Recovery
series,
are designed as Energy
Saver
heaters, with atmospheric venting, with and without Defender Safety System,
with the standard and ultra low NOx burners. These
gas-powered water heaters are built for residential and light
duty commercial
use,
recommended for potable water heating and space heating, in homes where
the extra recovery is needed.
Why Extra Recovery
Extra
Recovery series, when compared to the standard
gas models, simply means more hot water for your shower and in
less time. No more waiting for hot water
and dealing with the models with low recovery rates.
Example: If we compare the recovery rise of the two 50-gal
Bradford White hot water
heaters;
Extra
Recovery
model provides 69-gallon per hour, while the standard model up to 53
GPH.
That is 16 gallons of hot water more per hour for Extra
Recovery models.
Features
Bradford White hot water heaters
with the Defender
System and from Extra
Recovery series can be found in three sizes only: 40, 48 and
65-gallon that provide the power from 40,000 to 65,000 BTU.
The main features found on water heaters from this
group are the FVIR
or Flammable
Vapor Ignition Resistant
system, Hydrojet
Total Performance System, Advanced ScreenLock Technology
and the ICON
system.
There is also one 75-gallon model that is available
without the Defender
System, but with the more advanced Hydrojet2
Total Performance System.
Ultra low NOx models from Extra Recovery
series are also found in four sizes, but when compare its technical
data
you will see that power, first hour rating and recovery rate are
similar or slightly lower than from the previous group (see the
comparison table below).
| Specs. --------- Model |
Input (Btu) x1000 |
First Hour Delivery (GPH) |
Recovery Rate (90F) (GPH) |
Efficie- ncy |
Approx. Height/ Type (Inch) |
Vent Type |
Warr anty |
| Energy Saver Series |
|||||||
| M-1- XR403S6FBN |
40 38 |
74 | 43 40 |
79% | 50 | A | 6, 10 |
| M-2- XR504T6FBN |
65 61 |
103 | 69 65 |
79% | 59 | A | 6, 10 |
| M-2- XR65T6FBN |
65 63 |
127 | 69 67 |
79% | 63 | A | 6, 10 |
| M-2- XR75S6BN |
76 | - | 82 | 80% | 62 | A | 6, 10 |
| Energy Saver Ultra Low NOx Series |
|||||||
| U1-XR- 403S6FRN |
40 | 72 | 43 | 78% | 50 | A | 6, 10 |
| U2-XR- 504T6FRN |
55 | 91 | 57 | 78% | 59 | A | 6, 10 |
| U2-XR- 65T6FRN |
55 | 116 | 57 | 78% | 63 | A | 6, 10 |
| U2-XR- 75S6RN |
76 | - | 82 | 78% | 64 | A | 6, 10 |
The main differences between the above groups are the ultra
low NOx burner with primary and secondary air distribution devices and
millivolt powered control so no electricity is required to run these
devices.
Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant System - FVIR
The main features of the FVIR system are:
-
Advanced flame arrestor
-
Re-settable Thermal Switch
-
Piezo igniter
-
Sight window
The calibrated multipurpose
thermal switch is used to recognize when the
flame arrestor stops the flammable vapors from traveling backwards and
its ignition outside the chamber; it shuts down the pilot
and main burner. The advanced flame arrestor uses ScreenLok Technology to
block the accidental fire.
Another dangerous situation is when the airflow is restricted
by lint,
dust or oil
accumulation on the arrestor plate. This switch, then,
deactivates the
burner and pilot flame.
Pilot
flame
and spark action can be checked thru the sight glass,
located on the inner door of the water heater.
Hydrojet Total Performance System
Hydrojet
Total Performance System,
helps in reducing the sediment
build-up. It uses the hydro-jets near the
bottom of the dip
tube to create the turbulence in water and therefore,
prevent deposits at the bottom of the tank.
Hydrojet2, which is found on 75-gal
models, works the same as the standard Hydrojet Total
Performance System; minimizes the sediment buildup,
increases delivery and reduces the thermal stress, but is designed for
higher input applications due to the presence of the additional
jetports.
ICON System
All the Extra Recovery
models are equipped
with the ICON
system, designed
for the enhanced
performance and intelligent
operation.
Thanks to the ICON
System, first-hour delivery is improved and advanced temperature
control system provides consistent and accurate hot water temperature
control, so the temperature
fluctuation is decreased and "cold
water sandwiches" during the shower are reduced.
Intelligent Electronics
Bradford White uses the built-in piezo igniter to light
the fire
and intelligent gas
control with millivolt powered technology to convert heat energy from
the
pilot flame into the electrical energy, needed to power the gas valve and
microprocessor. That means no external electricity is needed.
If having any problem with the
operation of the Bradford White water heater, intelligent diagnostics
with the LED light
provides diagnostic codes for easy water
heater troubleshooting.
Protection
Vitraglas Lining
is found on every metal tank from BW and it provides superior rust
protection from the
aggressive water action,
thanks to the exclusively enamel formula that is fused to the steel
tank surface.
The magnesium anode rod
is another element used to protect the metal tank from
corrosion.
Energy Saver
To keep the efficiency of the water heater high and reduce
energy
waste,
Bradford White uses the heat traps and 2" foam insulation.
Where BW can be used
Bradford White hot water heaters are factory set
to
work on natural or LP gas where the propane
water heaters are equipped with the titanium
stainless steel burner.
While the above units are designed for residential and light
commercial applications, these cannot be used in
mobile
homes.
Summary
Bradford White hot water heaters from the High
Recovery series
are more
expensive than standard models, but the power is almost double and
the first hour delivery much better. The heaters from this group sell
for over a thousand dollars, while
standard atmospheric Energy Saver models for a few hundred. See
the latest prices here
.
(Photos courtesy of Bradford White)
