[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Re: Baxi Luna question

[Lawrence Lile]

Here's my take.  I've also had the same problems with tankless systems,
some brands worse than others.  

I set flow rates on my faucets and showers, when that is a possibility,
a little high, either by hacking the fixture (take out the flow
restrictor) or adjusting the fixture if that is a possibility.  I am
annoyed by long waits for hot water at one fixture in my house, and have
considered a little undercounter electric "instant" (this really means a
2 gallon tank) hot water heater, or other drastic means.  In my part of
the country, water conservation isn't as important as it might be in
California or Arizona.  Not to say we should waste the stuff.  

I also change the way I use the kitchen sink.  I used to hand wash by
setting a low dribble for a long time, now I try to use bursts of
full-blast, either filling a sink or a basin (I usually wash the dishes
in the biggest dirty pot available)  or for rinsing.  The tankless
always works better with more constant, higher rate flows than low,
not-constant flows.  

That being said, I always wish my kitchen sink was about two feet from
the tankless heater.  If you've got a long line to the kitchen, you've
got a problem.  

There is an outfit that makes a little pump that pumps the hot water
back into the cold water line, so it isn't wasted as you wait for hot
water.  If you are interested in knowing it one of us will look up the
name of it.  

Tankless should be more efficient than tanked, but a badly designed
plumbing system will make either kind of system annoying.  

 
 
Lawrence Lile, P.E., LEED AP

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Reuben
Deumling
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 6:52 PM
To: Linda Lloyd
Cc: Greenbuilding
Subject: [BULK] Re: [Greenbuilding] Baxi Luna question
Importance: Low

If this is a tankless unit you're talking about, then this issue has
come up several times before. The greenbuilding archives (which I have
not figured out how to search post-2002) should reveal past
discussions of minimum flow rates and one-handled faucet/shower valves
and the like. To me this seems one of the bugaboos of tankless systems
as presently designed. My water use practices (very low flow rates,
occasional one-handled valves) is a poor match for a tankless system.
Give me a small gas fired tank any day and I'll get by with less water
and energy than a tankless system.

Reuben Deumling

On 6/12/07, Linda Lloyd <greenshelter at madriver.com> wrote:
> I have been in my new hosue about 2 weeks - installed a Baxi Luna due
to energy efficiency
>
> I am a bit distressed that in order to get hot water, I need to turn
the water on full blast then wait 3-4 minutes wasting lots of water for
it to make it the 5 feet to my workshop sink (kitchen sink at other end
of house not yet hooked up)
>
> if I start with cold water, then turn lever over to hot, will not get
hot, or if I try to turn down the flow, the hot stops
>
> any suggestions ??? seems a little crazy to save propane but waste all
that water
> Thanks
> Linda Lloyd
> _______________________________________________
> Greenbuilding email list
> List info:
http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.or
g
> List email: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
> Managed by BuildingGreen, Inc. http://www.buildinggreen.com
>       publisher of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec(r)
> Hosted and archived by REPP / CREST http://www.crest.org
>

_______________________________________________
Greenbuilding email list
List info:
http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.or
g
List email: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Managed by BuildingGreen, Inc. http://www.buildinggreen.com
      publisher of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec(r)
Hosted and archived by REPP / CREST http://www.crest.org