The SioGreen electric infrared tankless water heater uses quartz heating tubes and far infrared rays instead of metallic heating chambers. The quartz heating tubes do not have problems with lime scale buildup, algae or bacteria. Therefore, it might be a solution for heating well water and hard water.
Advantages
The problem with electric tankless water heaters that use metallic heating tubes are corrosion and lime scale deposits. This means flushing the tubes at least once per year to remove lime scale deposits. You also have to replace the metallic heating tubes every few years due to corrosion. The only way to permanently solve the corrosion problem is to use a non-metallic heating chamber. This is where quartz tubes and infrared ray heating provide the solution.
Quartz heating tubes do not require flushing or regular replacement. Therefore, quartz heating chambers are maintenance free. No corrosion and no calcium deposits. Far infrared technology is used for heating the cold water flowing through the tubes. A special coating on the outside of the tubes reflects the infrared rays so that it only heats the water.
Disadvantages
It seems like the overall hot water flow rate is lower with quartz tubes when compared to metallic heating chambers. The higher the temperature rise between the cold inlet water and the hot outlet water, the lower the flow rate will be. Keep this in mind when deciding on a model. It might be better to get a bigger model than to be disappointed by low hot water flow.
SioGreen Infrared Tankless Water Heater Models
There are a four point of use (POU) and two residential or whole house infrared tankless water heaters. Here follows a short introduction to the SioGreen models.
IR30 POU
The IR30 is the smallest SioGreen point of use infrared tankless water heater. It is a 3.4 kW, 110V appliance and can be either plugged into a wall outlet with a 3-prong plug or hard-wired into an electrical panel (100A minimum). However, the unit does not come with a plug. You have to buy your own 3-prong plug and add it to the end of the included 3-foot power cord. Hard-wiring requires number 10 AWG wire and a 30A circuit breaker.
The IR30 POU infrared tankless water heater should be installed at the point of use. Its water connections are 1/2″ NPS, but 1/2″ NPT adapters might be included in the box.
The SioGreen IR30 POU is too small to heat water in the coldest climates of the United States. Nevertheless, it might provide water for one low flow sink faucet at 0.5 GPM in regions where the cold water inlet temperature is greater than 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
We would probably not install this model because we think it is too small. Of course, if you specifically want a 110V infrared tankless water heater, then the SioGreen IR30 POU is your only option.
IR245 POU
This is a 4.5kW, 240V, point of use infrared tankless water heater. It can provide hot water for one low flow sink faucet in regions where the cold water is above 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
IR260 POU
This is another point of use model for a single sink. It might heat enough hot water for a low flow shower head (1.5 GPM flow rate) in warm climates where the inlet water temperature exceeds 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
IR288 POU
The 8.8kW SioGreen IR288 is the largest point of use model. It is recommended for a high flow sink faucet in cold climates and a high flow shower head in warm climates.
SIO14 Residential
The SioGreen SIO14 is a residential whole house infrared tankless water heater. It can provide hot water for your house, but only if you use one or two outlets at a time. For example, it only supports one low flow shower head (about 1.5 GPM) in the coldest regions where the inlet temperature is below 52 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in warmer climates, it can support both a shower and a low flow sink faucet. Nevertheless, it might work if only one person showers at any given time.
SIO18 Residential
This is the largest residential infrared tankless water heater model made by SioGreen. Its voltage is 240 and its maximum amperage is 80. It has 3/4″ NPT water connections.
The SIO18 might provide enough hot water for both one low flow shower and one low flow sink in cold climates. It can support two low flow showers in warmer climates. This might just be enough for a house with two bathrooms which have water saver shower heads.
Conclusion
It is very important to do the installation with the correct water connections, electrical wires, circuit breakers and house panel size. An incorrectly installed unit will not heat the water efficiently, and you will be disappointed. The warranty will also be voided if you install it yourself. You have to hire a licensed plumber/electrician to install it. The warranty also requires you to register the product within 30 days. Warranties, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
There are point of use models and whole house models. Do not install a point of use infrared tankless water heater if you want to provide hot water for a whole house. The SIO14 and SIO18 are the residential models.
It seems like these SioGreen infrared tankless water heaters display the temperature in Celsius and not Fahrenheit. This is strange because the SioGreen company is supposed to be in Florida. These water heaters are made for the USA market, and Americans still use Fahrenheit. Not a big deal, but you have to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius when you want to change the temperature setting.
Bottom line: if you want the benefits of an infrared tankless water heater, then these SioGreen models might be your only option (check price on Amazon).