Hybrid water heater
Encyclopedia
A hybrid water heater is a water heating system that integrates technology traits from both the Tank-type water heaters and the Tankless water heaters.
The hybrid water heater maintains water pressure and consistent supply of hot water across multiple hot water applications, and like its tankless cousins, the hybrid is efficient and can supply a continuous flow of hot water
on demand.
The hybrid approach is designed to eliminate general shortcomings of other technologies.
For example, hybrids are activated by either thermostat (similar to tanked) or flow (similar to tankless).
Hybrids have small storage tanks that temper incoming cold water. This means hybrids only have to increase water temperature from warm to hot as opposed to tankless which has to raise completely cold water to hot.
The defining characteristics of a "hybrid water heater" are:
During low-flow situations, the hybrid behaves like a tank-type heater by having minimum fixed fuel usage and thermostat activation. Although equipped with some storage capacity, the small volume minimizes standby fuel usage. Hybrids also share additional traits with tank-type heaters like a floor-standing installation, standard PVC venting, draining pan, and they can be installed with a recirculation pump for even more water efficiency.
During high demand, high-flow situations, hybrid technology behaves more like a tankless heater, with high BTU capacity and full modulation to supply continuous stream of hot water across multiple applications. This gives the hybrid fuel efficiency like the tankless, but with higher flow capacity.
The hybrid water heater maintains water pressure and consistent supply of hot water across multiple hot water applications, and like its tankless cousins, the hybrid is efficient and can supply a continuous flow of hot water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
on demand.
The hybrid approach is designed to eliminate general shortcomings of other technologies.
For example, hybrids are activated by either thermostat (similar to tanked) or flow (similar to tankless).
Hybrids have small storage tanks that temper incoming cold water. This means hybrids only have to increase water temperature from warm to hot as opposed to tankless which has to raise completely cold water to hot.
The defining characteristics of a "hybrid water heater" are:
- A combination of water flow of tank and efficiency of tankless of water heater;
- Built-in small storage water reservoir as part of heat exchanger (typically between two gallons to 20 gallons)
- Dual Activation: flow sensing and thermostat control.
Operation
Uses modulating infrared burner that is triggered by water-flow or thermostat. The mult-pass heat exchanger drives heat down then recycles it through baffled pipes for maximum efficiency. Water fills the reservoir from bottom up and spreads evenly around the heating pipes producing endless hot water with consistent pressure and temperature.During low-flow situations, the hybrid behaves like a tank-type heater by having minimum fixed fuel usage and thermostat activation. Although equipped with some storage capacity, the small volume minimizes standby fuel usage. Hybrids also share additional traits with tank-type heaters like a floor-standing installation, standard PVC venting, draining pan, and they can be installed with a recirculation pump for even more water efficiency.
During high demand, high-flow situations, hybrid technology behaves more like a tankless heater, with high BTU capacity and full modulation to supply continuous stream of hot water across multiple applications. This gives the hybrid fuel efficiency like the tankless, but with higher flow capacity.
Efficiency
| Hybrid | Tankless | Tank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | cast iron | Copper | cast iron |
| Efficiency | Average 86% | Average 80% | Average 60% |
| Nitrous Oxide Emissions (PPM) | 5-30 | 30-40 | 60-90 |
| Carbon Monoxide Emissions (PPM) | 40-45 | 190-200 | 200-250 |
| Exhaust Temp (°F) | 128-155 | 390-410 | 480-500 |
See also
- Combination boiler
- Energy conservationEnergy conservationEnergy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...
- Hot water heat recyclingHot water heat recyclingWater heat recycling is the use of a heat exchanger to recover energy and reuse heat from drain water from various activities such as dish-washing, clothes washing and especially showers...
- Water ConservationWater conservationWater conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.- Water conservation :Water conservation can be defined as:...
- Water heatingWater heatingWater heating is a thermodynamic process using an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water are for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating...