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Water Heating 1 September 2016

How to Choose a Hot Water System For Your Home

By far the most efficient way to heat hot water in your home is with natural gas. So the first thing you need to consider is whether you can connect to gas – and in particular, natural gas. Rinnai pioneered the introduction of continuous flow hot water in the New Zealand market over 40 years ago. However we also provide a range of electric hot water systems for a small number of New Zealand home owners who don’t have access to gas.

Rinnai’s INFINITY® range of gas water heaters only heat the hot water when you need it – and provide the peace of mind that the hot water won’t run out! It’s a nifty little system which is able to be installed outside so you won’t have to sacrifice any of your indoor living space. The gas hot water systems can be run on both natural gas and LPG bottles.

Rinnai’s range of electric cylinders are made of stainless steel, enamel or copper. These come in both mains pressure, low-med pressure and low pressure options. Mains pressure is the preferred option as you can have multiple taps and showers running hot water at once without the flow dropping significantly. Low pressure systems are common in older homes and typically it will take a long time to run a bath.

What’s the right size gas hot water system?

Once you have decided to have gas, you need to decide what sized unit you need.

The Rinnai INFINITY® gas hot water comes in the following three ranges:

• Rinnai INFINITY® A Series – designed for homes requiring endless hot water with a lower initial cost. Sizes available that deliver between 16 litres and 26 litres of hot water per minute.
• Rinnai INFINITY® HD – designed for applications that need higher flow rates or have larger water use requirements and can be used domestically or commercially. Sizes available that deliver between 26 litres and 32 litres of hot water per minute.
• Rinnai INFINITY® EF – designed for the environmentally conscious who want to significantly reduce running costs and lower energy usage whilst still having the luxury of endless hot water. Sizes available that will deliver between 24 litres and 32 litres of hot water per minute.

To determine the right sized gas hot water unit for your home, complete the following steps.

What’s the right size electric cylinder?

Rinnai offer a range of different cylinders. These can be broken down into the following:

• Mains pressure indoor stainless steel – designed for durability, the quality of these is outstanding and come with a 10-year warranty. For added efficiency and to save more on your running costs, you can upgrade to solar, heat pump or wetback.
• Mains pressure indoor enamel – designed to adapt to your installation needs these cylinders are available as indoor or outdoor models. There is also an under-sink model which is popular when the kitchen is a long way from the other hot water outlets in your house.
• Mains pressure indoor/outdoor enamel – designed to be placed outside your home to free up space for a new spacious kitchen, larger laundry or that extra storage cupboard you’ve been dreaming off.
• Low-medium pressure indoor stainless steel – designed to last. They can operate up to medium pressure giving you a better shower without having to upgrade to mains pressure. Built from duplex stainless steel, this range offers a 10-year warranty. For added efficiency and to save more on your running costs, solar and wetback options are available.
• Low pressure indoor copper - designed for those wanting an economical solution. These are the lowest cost cylinders and therefore ideal if you want a like for like replacement. The cylinder also comes in under-sink models, popular when the kitchen is a long way from the other hot water outlets in your house.

To determine the right sized cylinder for your home, refer to the following table: