Lochinvar Water Heaters Review
Lochinvar water heaters are designed and built by the Lochinvar Corporation, the American leader and manufacturer of water heating equipment, including boilers and pool heaters. They've been present on the HVAC market from early 20th century.
Lochinvar water heater
Corporation is owned by the Vallett family
with
headquarter in Lebanon, Tennessee. Lochinvar Company, to serve
better the European market, opened the UK branch, Lochinvar Ltd. Its
products are sold not only throughout the US and Europe, HVAC
equipment is in the offer in Middle East, Asia and Australia also.
Today, Lochinvar Company as an American manufacturer is
designing and
building products and technologies for residential and commercial water
heating, sanitary, pool and space heating purposes, with the focus on
energy efficiency, low NOx and eco-conscious manufacturing processes.
Based on the available fuel source or your preference, there
are two
types of Lochinvar water heaters for residential use you can choose
from; gas
fired and electric.
Lochinvar manufactures storage tank-type units only,
for different applications and with a
variety of
sizes.
Types
Lochinvar offers two series of electric units for hot water production; point of use electric heaters, with the sizes from 2 to 30 gallons and high efficiency residential electric models for the whole house application.
Point of use electric water heaters are known as Junior Electric group, designed in five different tank sizes; 2, 6, 12, 20 and 30 gallon capacity.
The other group covers capacities from 30 to 120 gallons, designed as tall and short where some of them are energy efficient.
Features of the point of use models
Lochinvar water heaters
for point of service
applications are equipped
with the durable fused glass lining to provide longer tank life and
together with the magnesium anode rod are protecting the steel tank
from
corrosion and aggressive water action.
Quality engineering and design allow high thermal efficiency and first-hour rating and less stand-by heat loss.
For easier and precise temperature control, thermostat on Lochinvar water heaters is adjustable. Before adjusting the thermostat you have to turn the power off, remove the cover and use the screwdriver to adjust the temperature. As all the Lochinvar water heaters are shipped with the preset temperature of 120 F, I can find that a simple change of the temperature of your hot water is actually inconvenient.
In order to use it for different applications, Junior Electric heaters are equipped with a variety of heating elements, voltages and wiring. Minimum power used is 1500 W for 2-gallon model JRC002E which works on 120 V, maximum wattages for 6 and 12-gallon models is 3000 W and for 19 and 30 gallon models is 6000 W.
As the energy factor is available only for capacities 30 gallons and up, just one water heater has the EF, which is 0.93. This is the largest point of use model and its recovery rate is 62 gph with the 40 F temperature rise.
Hot and cold water connections are standard 3/4" and for 6 and 12-gallon models they are found on the side of the heater with an alternative option, on the top. Temperature and pressure relief valve is included, and it is required as the safety element.
Lochinvar offers a standard 6-year warranty on the heater, while 10-year extended warranty has to be purchased.
Features of the high efficiency models
Lochinvar Company designs its high efficiency
residential water heaters
from 30 gallons and up to the 120-gallon tank size and in two sizes:
tall and short. Short models are available in sizes from 30 to
50-gallon tanks.
As the previous series from Lochinvar, high efficiency electric models are equipped with the thick NON-CFC foam insulation to protect the unit from significant heat loss through the tank walls. Factory installed heat traps are added to reduce the heat loss through the piping.
High efficiency Lochinvar water heaters are using screw-in, immersion type heating elements, upper and lower, which are designed for easy installation and longer life, even in hard water.
To control the temperature of hot water, use the adjustable thermostat which is a standard component on Lochinvar water heaters. This is what allows you to change the temperature of hot water, and the automatic overheat safety limit allows safe operation of the unit.
The inner surface of the metal tank is protected with the fused glass lining and sacrificial anode, but even with such a protection, the heater tank is subjected to corrosion. This is why Lochinvar provides six or ten year limited warranty on water heaters.
All the water connections are using the standard 3/4" size, brass drain valve at the bottom of the heater so you can drain the water when needed. Water inlet, hot water outlet and T&P valve are all located on the top of the heater, while the side connection for T&P is optional.
Summary
If you have decided to go with any of the above Lochinvar water heaters you won't mistake, as long as you have selected the correct size. All these electric units meet or exceed the NAECA and ASHRAE energy efficiency standards. They are all triple tested during fabrication so you are getting the water heater that meets the highest standards, quality and performance.
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