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Plumbingaka: hot water heateraka: water heater tankaka: tankless water heateraka: on-demand heater

Water Heater

In Plain English

The appliance that heats water for showers, sinks, and appliances — either storing hot water in a tank or heating it on demand.

Definition

An appliance that heats and stores (storage type) or heats on demand (tankless type) domestic hot water for distribution throughout a building. Water heaters are fueled by natural gas, propane, electricity, or solar energy and are sized in gallons (storage) or BTU/hour input (tankless). First-hour rating and recovery rate determine performance for a given occupancy load.

Example

The hotel switched from a large-storage water heater to a cascade of three tankless units to eliminate standby heat loss.

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