There is a desire among some homeowners to move from an electric tank water heating system to a more compact electric tankless water heater. Ecosmart offers a full range of ECO tankless water heaters to provide continuous hot water while saving space and energy.
What are the costs?
A tankless water heater is expensive to buy and to install. You cannot simply plug it into an outlet because it uses too much electrical current. It needs to be hard-wired into the electrical panel with the right wire gauge and amp breakers. You should hire a plumber and an electrician to do the installation if you do not have the necessary skills and experience.
The water flow needs to reach a small amount of gallons per minute before the heater turns on. Therefore, the water has to run for a short while before achieving the desired temperature. If you want instant hot water for a single faucet, then you might consider installing a mini tank water heater.
What are the benefits?
- Uninterrupted supply of hot water: no tank that might run out of warm water.
- Heats water only after water flow reaches a certain rate, therefore no heat storage loss.
- Compact design, mounts on the wall out of the way and saves space.
- It can be installed at the point of use and therefore reduces waiting time.
Which ECO tankless water heater?
Ecosmart provides three basic steps for choosing the right model. The first step is determining the minimum inlet water temperature where you live in the United States of America. You can use the map that Ecosmart provides to determine the inlet temperature according to your location.
The next step is to determine the hot water needs of your household concerning faucets and water saving shower heads. Keep in mind that the suggestions are all based on an outlet hot water temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
All the ECO water heaters are 240-volt appliances. The ECO 8 is the smallest model in the ECO series. We are not going to bother with it because we do not think it is worth the money. It is simply too small. Let us spend our time on the other models.
ECO 11
The ECO 11 is the second-smallest model in the product range. It is an 11.8 kW unit with a 54-amp draw. It requires 6 AWG wire and a 60-amp breaker switch. The ECO 11 might provide hot water for two sink faucets in the coldest climates. If the climate is warmer, then it can support both a sink faucet and a water-saver shower.
ECO 18
The ECO 18 has enough power to provide you with a hot shower in the coldest climates. It might support two sinks and one shower in warmer climates. This might be enough for a family of three individuals. It draws 75 amps and needs two 40-amp breakers and two 8 AWG wires. This model is perfect for an apartment with only one bathroom.
ECO 24
This tankless water heater can handle the needs of an apartment or a small family home. It can supply hot water for a shower and two sinks in colder climates and two showers and two faucets in warmer climates.
ECO 27
This is another popular choice for a family home. It provides enough hot water for two showers and a sink faucet in colder climates. It can support two showers and two faucets in warmer climates.
ECO 36
The ECO 36 is the largest model in the series and provides hot water for two water efficient showers and one sink faucet in cold climates. Three showers and two faucets are possible in warmer climates. However, it draws a maximum amperage of 150A and requires four 40-amp breakers. Only install it if your household panel can handle the amps!
Conclusion
These Ecosmart ECO heaters require both plumbing and electrical skills. It is not easy to install, unless you have the necessary experience. You will have to install the correct size wires, circuit breakers and pipes. However, you will have to hire licensed professionals to do the installation in order for the lifetime warranty to be acceptable. Hiring professionals to do the job might cost a few hundred dollars. The unit also requires annual maintenance. If you have hard water, then this might void the warranty. Nevertheless, the lifetime warranty does not seem to be worth much anyway.
We recommend that you read some of the customer reviews for the ECO water heaters at Amazon. There you might learn more about experiences with installation and warranty problems.