Have you ever tried to know how the hotels are able to provide you with an unlimited supply of hot water irrespective of the climatic condition?
Moreover, hotels are also able to provide you with hot water at a constant temperature with minimal to no fluctuations.
Will a tank-styled conventional water heater would be able to serve the purpose?
Well, I doubt it because most of the conventional tankless water heaters have a limitation in terms of hot water capacity.
Also, the efficiency of such water heaters can vary drastically as per the climatic condition.
Since hot water is stored in advance in the tank so there is a BIG issue of standby heat loss, that is, heat loss to the environment.
For example, in the cold climatic condition, more heat will be lost to the environment and vice-versa.
So, do hotels use tankless hot water heaters?
Definitely, quite a few hotels have upgraded their centralized system to commercial tankless water heaters so that guests can get an unlimited supply of hot water without any delay or temperature fluctuation.
Nowadays, most hotel rooms are having an on-demand or under-sink tankless water heater that can serve the hot water requirement instantly.
Moreover, having a quick supply and instant supply of hot water is a core service requirement to be provided for any guest, and in fact, in some places, it is a legal requirement by the official tourism body.
How do hotels not run out of hot water?
A premium quality hotel has quite a few approaches to hot water and heating.
- Each room comprise of portable electric tankless water heater like ECO 27 or very small tank-styled (10 gallon) water heater
- In most of the motels, you’ll find slightly larger electric tankless water heater (20 to 30 gallon) shared between a couple of rooms
- Quite a few hotels do have centralized heating system which is used for serving both the guests as well as laudry. Most these type of heaters are gas tankless water heaters and NOT the electric counterpart
In layman’s terms, most of the hotels either use individual tankless hot water heaters located in every room or a larger commercial tankless water heater or every floor.
The problem with any heating system other than the individual one located in every room is that there is a delay in the supply of hot water which may lead to wastage of water for the room that is farther away from the centralized heating system.
Well, some hotels do use a ring main hot water system wherein hot water is continuously circulating so whenever you’ll open the shower or faucet, you can instantly get hot water.
In such a system, the unused hot water is returned to the cylinder to be reheated and pumped back through the system.
The cylinder is constantly topped up and heated so the delay in the hot water supply is minimal.
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How do hotels and apartments get hot water to really high floors?
Well, hotels and apartments are able to get hot water to really high floors by optimizing the water supply pressure as well as flow requirements.
If needed, a booster pump is also installed.
For example, if the water pressure at grade is 80 psi (550kPa), then the water could technically reach a height of 180 feet or 55 meters but the flow rate would be very slow and may not serve the purpose.
So, in such a scenario a booster pump is installed to support the adequate flow rate.
Furthermore, depending upon system design and requirement, intermediate holding tanks might need to be installed on every floor to maintain adequate water pressure and flow rate.
How large, in volume, are the hot water heaters used by hotels?
- Gas – 180,000 BTU (~50KW). Max temp ~30 degC
- Electric – 3KW – (for emergency use only when boiler fails). ~25 degC
- Solar – Low power (variable) but will heat the water much hotter than either gas or electric. ~70degC
Benefits of Using Tankless Hot Water Heaters by Hotels
Let’s have a quick look at some of the important benefits of a tankless water heater that makes it the first choice of hotel owners.
Energy Efficient
Yes, you guessed it, right.
A tankless water heater like this one is highly energy-efficient and heats the water as and when it is needed.
Since a tankless hot water heater heats the water ONLY on-demand so you can expect a reduction in energy uses by up to 34 percent as compared to a traditional tank-styled water heater.
Lower Utility Bills
Since a tankless water heater uses less energy so utility bills get reduced drastically.
As per ENERGY STAR®, an average household can save hundreds of dollars by simply upgrading to a tankless water heater from a conventional one.
So, you can think of how much will a hotel consisting of hundred of rooms will save on utility bills simply by upgrading to tankless units.
Not only does a tankless water heater serve every high-demand point in a hotel such as a bathroom, laundry, etc but also conserves up to 50 percent more energy as compared to a traditional water heater.
Extended Life Span
A tankless water heater has a longer lifespan.
In fact, it can last up to 10 years longer than a conventional water heater.
Moreover, with proper maintenance, a tankless water heater can last up to even 20 years.
Endless Supply of Hot Water
A tankless water heater uses a heating element that makes it possible to heat water when it’s needed so a problem like standby heat loss is almost negligible.
On the other hand, a conventional tank-styled water heater comprises a tank with limited capacity so the hot water that you can get is limited.
Furthermore, since the hot water is stored in a tank so the probability of heat getting lost to the environment especially in the cold climatic conditions is quite high which isn’t the case with a tankless counterpart.
Save Space
In general, a conventional water heater is capable of holding hot water in the range of 40 to 60 gallons and usually measures about 60 inches tall and 24 inches wide so installing it can be a pain if the hotel has a scarcity of space.
On the other hand, a tankless hot water heater, in general, is 28 inches taller, 20 inches wider, and 10 inches deeper so it’s comparatively smaller and portable and requires very little space making it a good option when it comes to installing a water heater in every hotel room for the instant supply of hot water.
Less Maintenace
Last but not least, the maintenance cost of a tankless water heater is quite less as compared to a conventional water heater, thanks to its heating mechanism.
In fact, a tankless water heater can work non-stop with a need for maintenance for the first four to five years if the quality of the water supply is appropriate.
And, trust me, it is one of the main reasons why hotels are upgrading to a commercial tankless hot water heater.
However, if you’re a resident of an area with a hard water supply then an annual cleaning is a MUST in order to remove mineral and calcium buildup in and around the heating element.
Failing to do so can impact the efficiency of a tankless water heater adversely.
The standard maintenance is easy to expedite.
All you need to do is to use a vinegar solution to flush the tankless unit for approximately an hour or so and also, remove any lingering sediment if present.
Wrapping Up
First and foremost, I would like to thank you for being with us till the end.
Secondly, I would like to bring to your notice that I along with my core team have put loads and loads of effort into coming up with this idiosyncratic superlative piece of information on do hotels use tankless water heaters?
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That’s all, as of now :):):)
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