A. O. Smith launched the Adapt™ Premium Condensing Gas Tankless Water Heater, which promises unparalleled installation flexibility in the field—it can be conformed on the spot to fit the exact needs, no matter the install location, fuel type, or existing venting. It is the first tankless water heater designed and manufactured entirely by A. O. Smith.
To enhance installation flexibility, the Adapt line offers 2” and 3” dual pipe venting, ½” and ¾” gas line options, and universal indoor/outdoor installation. The units can be converted from natural gas to liquid propane in the field with an included kit.
“Innovation is at the heart of everything A. O. Smith does, and the Adapt tankless series is no exception. When designing and manufacturing this product, flexibility was our top priority. We’re providing contractors with the ultimate hot water toolkit,” said Isaac Wilson, A. O. Smith tankless senior product manager.
Watch a video about A. O. Smith’s approach to innovation and get a look inside their laboratories here.
Units are available in three sizes (160,000 BTU/hr, 180,000 BTU/hr, and 199,000-BTU/hr). They are equipped with A. O. Smith’s patented X3 Scale Prevention Technology, which inhibits scale build-up and corrosion to extend the life of the unit up to three times longer, with zero lifetime descaling maintenance. Adapt tankless water heaters also include Wi-Fi capability for remote monitoring and an integrated recirculation pump that provides hot water instantly. Units also qualify for state and local rebates and are ENERGY STAR certified.
Learn more about how X3 Scale Prevention Technology works here.
“We understand that contractors are not just in the field; they are also on the clock,” said Wilson. “With the Adapt tankless line, contractors can meet a homeowner’s needs without having to go back to their wholesaler to get a different unit or carry additional inventory in their truck— saving them both time and money.”
Which water heater will work? Try the Residential Water Heater Selector tool here.
LAARS, a Bradford White Company (and a benefactor of MCAA24), is working closely with MCAA and the United Association (UA) toward a shared vision of continuous support for a trained, skilled workforce that is committed to safety, quality, and productivity. LAARS and the UA have established more than 50 advanced water heater and boiler training labs across the United States, with many more in development.
“Training has always been important,” said Raymond Boyd, director of education and training for the UA. “It’s the life’s blood of what we do. And the most important result of training is safety. An educated workforce is a safe workforce.” Safe workers and a safe workplace are prerequisites for the quality and productivity that drive the industry.
Additionally, the industry is evolving. Dustin Bowerman, director of training services for Bradford White, explained, “The technology our products depend on and regulations are constantly in flux, and we all should commit to staying on top of those changes in order to continue meeting the needs of our customers and living up to our partner obligations.”
In Person, Hands On, and Online
Classroom learning is essential to transfer the foundational knowledge and principles of the skilled trades. UA apprentices, for example, experience 216 hours of in-class instruction related to their field. A growing range of online and virtual training options have emerged to supplement traditional in-class and hands-on training. Live online training sessions allow instructors and trainees to connect and interact directly, in real time. These sessions increase efficiency and substantially minimize travel costs. New and emerging tools such as virtual reality and online simulations provide trainees with unprecedented safe and convenient access to new information. Following up virtual training with hands-on practice is essential for fully translating information into actionable skill.
Learn about LAARS Academy, which offers in-person factory and regional training, mobile demos, and videos: https://www.laars.com/laars-academy
“There’s enormous opportunity for online training, but ultimately there’s nothing like picking up tools and working directly with equipment and material,” said Eric Ortega, training coordinator for UA Local 208 in Denver. “Hands-on, in-person training with real equipment is still the foundation for the apprenticeship model, and I don’t see that ever going away.”
Steve Moruzzi, national training manager for LAARS, added, “Technicians get more out of hands-on training than other methods. They retain far more information when they’re able to physically perform an action once or twice than if they just read it or watch someone else do it.”
Real-World Learning Labs
Learning labs that simulate the real-world environment are ideal for technical training. Bradford White and LAARS subsidized the purchase of equipment for the UA as it expands and enhances its training centers across the United States and Canada to build some of the most advanced training facilities in the world. The cost and access limitations of hands-on training make industry partnerships—such as those Bradford White and LAARS maintain with MCAA, the UA, and other organizations—critical to the well-being and future of the industry. Manufacturers offer a range of training resources and platforms, including equipment, personnel, and expertise.
“We took all the equipment that was available, and then we ordered more,” said John Sullivan of UA Plumbers and Gas-Fitters Local 1 Training Center in New York. “We wanted to make sure we had everything we needed to train the next generation of plumbers. We didn’t want to just set up a showroom where they could look at the equipment while someone tells them how it works. We designed a learning lab where every piece of equipment is fully piped and working, so we can teach someone how to fire it up, how to bring it online, and how to troubleshoot. They get real-world hands-on experience with the equipment they’ll see on the job.”
Sullivan continued, “This kind of training opportunity is essential for the future of our industry. Leveraging our partnership with Bradford White and LAARS has served as a catalyst for something that will have a meaningful impact on our members and their customers for years to come. It’s also strengthened our partnership, which will ensure continuing benefits for all of us in the future.”
A culture of training ensures that proven skills and best practices are passed on. It also ensures that learning is a priority and helps inspire new generations of dedicated, expert workers who will become the future trainers and leaders of the industry.
The UA’s Boyd noted that partnering with Bradford White and LAARS “has been critical in our development of state-of-the-art, world-class training facilities for our members. And that success positions us to envision more ways to leverage our shared strengths in the future.”
For more information, visit www.laars.com. MCAA thanks LAARS, a Bradford White Company, for being a benefactor of MCAA24 and providing the convention bag.
As the coronavirus pandemic flared up around the country, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rapidly built alternative care facilities to alleviate strain on local hospitals—and MCAA member contractors and manufacturer/supplier partners were there to help. In Chicago, Ferguson, Bradford White, Laars, and Sloan all provided needed materials in record time, and Helm Group (formerly Mechanical, Inc.) was among those working on the ground nonstop as the HVAC and plumbing contractor for the job. Ferguson; LAARS, a Bradford White Company; and SLOAN are all benefactor sponsors.
While most of the Army Corps facilities were designed to handle non-COVID-19 patients, Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center was planned to care for up to 3,000 people with mild or moderate coronavirus infection, freeing up hospital beds for more severe cases. Patients would be separated in the convention center halls by the level of care they required, spread throughout the facility’s 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. Construction for the first 500 beds was completed April 3. (As the pandemic spread, the project was scaled back to 1,000 beds, because the state lockdown “flattened the curve”—or slowed the pace of infection—and area hospitals were able to keep up with the cases.)
Plumbing Industry Responds
As construction got underway, a plumbing contractor reached out to Ferguson Enterprises for help sourcing 17 Bradford White, 120-gallon, 54 kW, 208-volt water heaters and five LAARS Heating Systems 200-gallon jacketed and insulated vertical storage tanks to generate and store sufficient hot water for the facility. The first treatment area, with 500 beds, needed water heaters and a storage tank for the staff showers and another heater for showers that met Americans with Disabilities Act standards—all within four days.
“We didn’t know what to expect, when we got the call to help on the COVID-19 Care Center project at McCormick Place,” said Jim Kuenn, director of commercial—Central Midwest, Ferguson Enterprises. “We got involved midday on March 31 and needed to turn around a huge amount of product in just a few days. We reviewed the mechanical schedule and specifications provided to us. It was a daunting task that most of our associates had not seen before. We said ‘yes’ because we wanted to not only help our customer but also the community during this time of need.”
While the factory could not supply the heaters in the timeframe required, one of Bradford White’s consigned inventory warehouses in Atlanta, GA, had a sufficient number in stock. The heaters were delivered within 17 hours of ordering. The plumbing contractor and sales representatives credit their long history and experience with Bradford White, along with a vast local and national distribution network, as crucial to overcoming the logistical challenges.
In addition to the water heaters themselves, conversion kits were flown by next-day air from Bradford White’s Middleville, MI, manufacturing facility.
A Team Effort
Those on the scene were impressed to see representatives from every trade working side by side with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and construction managers coordinating efforts. They would gather together throughout the day to reassess, resulting in constant coordination with FEMA.
“It was impressive to see everyone working together to get this project done quickly,” said Brian Helm, Helm Group (formerly Mechanical, Inc.) CEO and MCAA president. “You need to remember that this was the earliest stages of COVID-19 in the U.S., when we really didn’t know how the virus spread and what the mortality rate was. The trades saw it as their mission to get this facility built, and that’s exactly what they did.”
Helm Group (formerly Mechanical, Inc.) rapidly installed ductwork for the Chicago field hospital, recognizing that good ventilation is key to protecting against transmission of COVID-19.
Helm pointed out that the 500 people working in the space had to remember to stay at least 6′ apart at all times. “The biggest challenge was that all the trades were learning how to do their jobs while staying apart,” noted Helm. “For people’s entire careers, it was always the opposite—help someone out, watch out for the other guy, lift with a buddy, etc.”
As each stage of work was completed, FEMA required testing to make sure that everything worked, so the contractors coordinated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and others. Challenges arose, but the plumbing crews succeeded in providing enough hot water to service 3,000 beds. Some described themselves as proud to be able to respond during a time of crisis and noted that plumbing is essential to public health.
Ferguson Enterprises, Bradford White, Laars, and Sloan all provided needed materials in record time to contractors like Helm Group (formerly Mechanical, Inc.) to stand up a field hospital in Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center in just 4 days. Photo courtesy of Ferguson.
“The Ferguson team in Chicago stepped up to the challenge, rolled up their sleeves, and worked 24/7 to make it happen,” Kuenn stated. The tight deadlines were met because, Kuenn said, “everyone—from contractors like Helm Group (formerly Mechanical, Inc.) to various vendors—found a way to say ‘yes.’ I get prideful chills from what was accomplished.”
Bradford White supplied water heaters for several major field hospitals, including Javits Convention Center in New York City and McCormick Place, according to Mark Taylor, executive vice president and general manager at Bradford White.
“We are extremely proud of the work being done by our reps, as well as our wholesaler and contractor customers, who are making sure that medical facilities have the hot water they need to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Taylor. “Hot water is critical for cleaning, sanitizing, and hygienic purposes, and it’s important for us to do our part to support the health care workers on the front lines.
“In Michigan, where our water heaters are produced, we reached out to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and offered to provide products for any temporary field hospitals in the state of Michigan that need water heaters to help address the pandemic. Michigan is one of the states hit particularly hard by COVID-19,” Taylor noted.
Todd Young, vice president of commercial, Ferguson Enterprises, noted the crisis has undoubtedly changed the way everyone lives and works. “We’ve implemented new processes in order to help our customers and communities during this time,” he said.
“To support local hospitals and pop-up facilities across the country, we’ve organized a new response and product procurement system to handle the many inquiries coming in—because it’s the right thing to do,” Young explained. “From delivering jobsite trailers and emergency water heaters to providing products for field hospitals at facilities like CenturyLink Field and Sleep Train Arena, we’re working with a variety of essential businesses in different industries to help our communities push forward … and we’re happy to do it.”
Hygiene Is High Priority
Sloan provided touch-free commercial restroom products to the McCormick Place convention center to facilitate hygiene-friendly handwashing without the risk of cross-contamination.
Sloan also joined the effort, providing its touch-free commercial restroom products to the McCormick Place convention center to facilitate hygiene-friendly handwashing without the risk of cross-contamination.
“At Sloan, we understand that the touch-free products we manufacture across the entire commercial restroom play an essential role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Graham Allen, Sloan co-president and CEO. “We are proud to support those in our backyard of Chicago … and anyone in need across the country, and we will continue to do everything in our power to supply sensor-operated products.”
Plumbing requirements at McCormick Place called for over 200 Sloan sensor faucets in handwashing stations, and Sloan partnered with local suppliers to deliver these hygiene-friendly solutions.
Sloan Outfits Yale Gym with Touch-Free Fixtures
In New Haven, CT, Yale’s Payne Whitney Gym was also converted to a temporary field hospital and needed to retrofit its existing manual faucets and flushometers to provide a more sanitary environment for the influx of patients. The facility removed its existing faucets and replaced them with Sloan sensor-operated faucets, while also installing new Sloan sensor flushometers to provide a touch-free experience.
Northern Ohio Plumbing Co., Inc.’s (NOP’s) creative approach to mounting A. O. Smith tankless water heaters saved the contractor installation costs and saved floor space in the mechanical room. The water heaters themselves and the layout of the mechanical room promise to make maintenance a snap. The owners of the Holiday Inn-Cleveland Clinic, which opened in May, were inspired to use tankless water heaters because of the nearby Cleveland Clinic’s interest in energy efficiency and sustainability. The 199,000-BTU A. O. Smith units deliver a uniform energy factor of 0.93 and, working together, provide more than enough hot water for the guests and staff of the hotel. Ultimately, NOP put in 29 wall-mounted A. O. Smith ATI 540H-N fully modulating condensing tankless water heaters.
“We’ve done a number of tankless installations in Ohio, but never anything of this scope,” said Kevin Conyngham of LIBB Company, Inc., the manufacturer’s representative responsible for coordinating the project.
Located adjacent to the world-renowned medical center, the new Holiday Inn-Cleveland Clinic is designed to serve the many people who visit or serve the sprawling clinic campus. The hotel does not experience the type of morning “rush hours” that most hotels do, during which guests demand significant quantities of hot water for showers or bathing from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Suppliers to the nearby clinic, visiting physicians, and family members of patients make up the bulk of the hotel’s guests, and they tend to arrive and depart at all hours. The A. O. Smith units can meet their hot water needs throughout the day and night.
The 29 units are divided into two zones, Jim Roddy Jr., NOP president, explained. Eleven units supply 140° F hot water to the laundry and kitchen, while 18 units serve the 284 guest rooms with 110° F hot water. Not surprisingly, the laundry requires the most hot water, although the Mocé Café and Bar and the hotel’s event facilities also demand ample quantities. The A. O. Smith tankless water heaters’ modulating capability means the units can ramp up to meet peak demands while saving energy and costs for the owners.
The NOP team identified a number of creative approaches that saved space and reduced cost during the installation. The original specification called for installing the tankless units on a prefabricated rack system in the mechanical room. Instead, Ben Welton, NOP’s foreman for this project, came up with a unique wall-mounted configuration that saved mechanical room floor space. He staggered the units to make the most of the available walls, which better accommodated the water heaters’ piping and venting. “The finished job is nothing like the original drawings,” Conyngham noted.
NOP also maximized the venting capabilities of the tankless units. The contractor installed one large plenum that branched into individual air intake pipes to supply the 29 water heaters with fresh air. This method required creating just one hole in the mechanical room’s exterior wall. The units’ exhaust vents are collected into a set of four large exhaust vents that exit the building through one wall. PVC water lines from each of the tankless water heaters lead to a series of risers; one pair of risers serves each guest floor.
The modulating capability of the A. O. Smith condensing tankless water heaters eliminated the need for a hot water storage tank normally used in a hotel application. Roddy said that NOP tested the system, running multiple showers on multiple floors at the same time, and the water heaters were able to keep up with the demand.
The A. O. Smith 199,000-BTU tankless units are rated to deliver a maximum flow rate of 10 gallons of hot water per minute. Even during Cleveland’s cold winters, the water heaters can deliver a minimum of four gallons of hot water per minute or seven gallons of blended water, Conyngham pointed out.
“The nice part is the redundancy of the system. If one unit requires maintenance, you don’t have to shut down the system, and the hotel will still have hot water,” Welton noted.
To provide an energy-efficient system for a Kansas county jail, Lexington Plumbing employed Lochinvar’s exclusive SMART SYSTEM interface to simplify installation and operation of two new Lochinvar ARMOR water heaters. “We consistently recommend Lochinvar equipment because of their constant innovations and technologically advanced systems,” said Don Lawhon of Lexington Plumbing.
Lawhon explained, “With the installation of the ARMOR units with their SMART SYSTEM control, the facility managers here at the county jail can now adjust the firing rate of these units as opposed to using the 100-percent firing rate on their old water heaters. The ARMOR units will fire at the rate needed to keep the water supply at the right temperature—and energy bills where they should be.”
Kansas City-based Lexington Plumbing worked with Lochinvar to design an installation that would provide the utmost advancements in energy efficiency for the Wyandotte County Jail. With its ability to deliver thermal efficiencies as high as 98 percent and its turndown ratio of 5:1, the fully modulating ARMOR Condensing Water Heater was the ideal fit for the job.
The facility’s original system was comprised of two 70-percent efficient water heaters tied into a vent that extended up through the building. The Lexington Plumbing team removed the old units and installed two 800,000 BTU per hour ARMOR models, stacked with two 500-gallon insulated storage tanks to provide maximum savings. With ARMOR’s flexible venting options, the new units could be vented directly though the sidewall of the building.
Using Lochinvar’s exclusive SMART SYSTEM simplified Lexington Plumbing’s installation of two new Lochinvar ARMOR water heaters for the Wyandotte County Jail in Kansas.
Lochinvar’s SMART SYSTEM interface provides complete control of the system’s entire range of functions, offering full access to performance data and history. The SMART SYSTEM operating control also features a built-in cascading sequencer that allows the two ARMOR units to work together to fire as low as 10 percent of total maximum input and smoothly modulate up to 100 percent as demand increases, keeping operating costs to an absolute minimum.
Adding to the energy savings, the SMART SYSTEM’s night setback feature can be preprogrammed to shut off or slow down when the jail is less occupied. In addition, SMART SYSTEM enables ARMOR to communicate seamlessly in real time with building management systems by using an onboard Modbus protocol.
The unique ARMOR design also protects against the harmful effects of lime scale buildup, which can cause a traditional water heater to fail in as little as two to five years and substantially increase operating costs. For example, just 1/4″ of scale in the tank can increase operating costs by as much as 25 percent. Because ARMOR heats the water and then deposits it in an unfired storage tank, lime scale buildup does not impair the heat transfer efficiency.
Following the installation, facility managers were extremely pleased with the increase in efficiency delivered by the two ARMOR Condensing Water Heaters. “The facility management team at the Wyandotte County Jail was initially attracted to the fuel savings attributed to the Lochinvar units, and they haven’t been disappointed,” said Tom Axtell, president of Lexington Plumbing. “Having a highly efficient system is vital for a facility that uses this much hot water on a daily basis, and they will be able to pay back the cost for the new equipment in two-and-a-half to three years. Now that this project is completed, the facility personnel told us they wish they would have upgraded sooner.”
Cogeneration System Meets Ambitious Sustainability Goals
Lochinvar boilers installed more than 25 years ago on Finger Lakes Community College’s (FLCC’s) main campus delivered state-of-the-art high efficiency in their day, but the college needed to upgrade to meet its ambitious energy-reduction goals. EMCOR Services-Betlem recommended Lochinvar’s XRGI®25 combined heat and power system, integrated with a new KNIGHT® boiler system, to provide hot water and space heating across nearly 500,000 square feet of campus buildings—resulting in a cogeneration system that creates energy as it works.
FLCC has served upstate New York for more than 50 years. Annual enrollment is about 6,000, and most students attend classes at the 250-acre main campus in Canandaigua, NY. FLCC Forward, the school’s strategic plan through 2023, emphasizes FLCC’s commitment to “pursue innovations and partnerships that show the greatest promise for building a culture of sustainability and continuous improvement that mirror our values of inquiry, perseverance, and interconnectedness.”
EMCOR Services-Betlem helped Finger Lakes Community College move its ambitious sustainability plans forward by specifying a Lochinvar cogeneration system for hot water and heating, earning the college a $17,000 design/build incentive from the state utility and projected electricity savings of more than $11,000 per year.
Catherine Ahern, FLCC’s director of facilities and grounds, met with Bill Coe, director of project development for EMCOR Services-Betlem and Lochinvar sales representative WMS Sales to begin a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority study to identify capital projects to improve the college’s energy efficiency. When the study was completed, Ahern and Coe began exploring options for replacing the domestic hot water system.
After a visit to Lochinvar, Ahern and Coe decided to integrate the company’s Micro CHP XRGI25 cogeneration system into the capital project to increase savings further by connecting the school’s domestic hot water system to its space-heating hot water loop. Adding the cogeneration system allows FLCC to generate electricity onsite. FLCC received a $17,000 design/build incentive from New York State Energy & Gas, the first incentive ever given for a cogeneration project in the utility’s history.
The college removed its two old boilers and replaced them with two Lochinvar KNIGHT 399,000 BTU/hr high-efficiency boilers and two hot-water storage tanks. The Micro CHP system was then piped in, prioritizing domestic hot water while also supplying space heating for nearly 500,000 square feet of campus buildings. The Micro CHP system uses natural gas to simultaneously create heat for hot water and electricity that can be used on the campus. This capability is particularly important in regions of the country where there is a wide “spark spread”—the difference between the low cost of natural gas and the high cost of local electricity. By relying on the high-efficiency KNIGHT boilers during periods of peak demand, the system provides all the hot water required at the school. Simultaneously, it generates electricity to reduce grid dependence and lower electrical costs by using the same fuel used to produce hot water.
“The Micro CHP cogeneration project demonstrates FLCC’s commitment to the sustainability and energy-saving goals that are central to our FLCC Forward strategy,” said Ahern. “Adding the Micro CHP system along with the KNIGHT boilers will help FLCC achieve significant savings long term by improving the efficiency of both space heating and domestic hot water delivery while simultaneously generating electricity on campus,” said Coe. EMCOR Services-Betlem estimated that the school will reduce its annual electric bill by $11,074 per year by generating electricity onsite with the Micro CHP system. Cogeneration projects typically have a return on investment payback time of four years—sometimes significantly sooner if the business is located in an area with a high spark spread.
The cogeneration system is the first commercial product released in Lochinvar’s partnership with EC POWER, Europe’s leading producer of combined heat and power plants. The partnership aims to meet the fast-growing need for cogeneration products that can reduce the environmental impact and electricity costs for commercial businesses across North America.
Nashville Machine Company took on the complicated task of removing and replacing an aging water heating system so large it would not fit through the mechanical room doors. Installing a new system from Lochinvar went smoothly thanks to the flexibility of the Lochinvar products, which also promised excellent energy efficiency, making them the ideal choice for the project.
Vanderbilt University has made great strides toward sustainability thanks to its SustainVU program to improve the university’s impact on the community and the environment. When its Student Recreation Center needed a new water heating system, Vanderbilt’s Plant Operations team worked with Ferguson in Nashville, TN, to find an efficient solution. Having had extensive experience with high-efficiency Lochinvar equipment, the Ferguson representatives invited Chris Dickerson of Lochinvar to check out the existing equipment and provide a recommendation for a retrofit system.
After inspecting the equipment and the size of the mechanical room, Dickerson recommended replacing the 2.4-million-Btu/hr water heater and its 1,000-gallon storage tank with four 500,000 Btu/hr ARMOR® Water Heaters (AWN501PM) and five Lock-Temp® Round Jacketed Storage Tanks (RJA200). Space constraints influenced the recommendations; the five 200-gallon storage tanks were the largest units that would fit through the mechanical room doorway.
The Vanderbilt and Ferguson teams had great confidence in the Lochinvar ARMOR water heaters, which offer thermal efficiency up to 98 percent, and they agreed that this was the ideal replacement system for the recreation center.
When it came time to remove the old equipment, Nashville Machine Company had to cut the old, large water heater into pieces to get it out of the mechanical room. Despite the complex piping arrangement, the expertise of the installation team and the flexibility of ARMOR’s venting options allowed for a smooth, successful installation.
Nashville Machine Company had to cut Vanderbilt University’s old water heater and storage tank into pieces to get it out of the mechanical room. They replaced it with four Lochinvar ARMOR water heaters and five storage tanks small enough to fit through the mechanical room doors. The flexibility of ARMOR’s venting options allowed for a smooth, successful installation.
Since installing the Lochinvar ARMOR Water Heaters and Lock- Temp Storage Tanks at the Student Recreation Center, Vanderbilt University has seen an average savings of 26 percent on monthly gas bills because of the significant increase in efficiency.
“We’re continuously working towards improving sustainability on campus, and projects like this one help us to greatly reduce our impact on the environment,” said Samuel Hirt, director of campus recreation at Vanderbilt University. “The Lochinvar equipment has been operating perfectly since day one, and the energy savings are incredible.”
A hospitality industry veteran opted for A.O. Smith for a dependable water heating solution for a new four-story Hampton Inn in Ashland City, TN. “Hampton Inns thrive on being local,” said hotel general manager Sammy Naquin, “so it made sense to turn to A. O. Smith, who is right here in Ashland City, for a solution.” Naquin worked closely with A. O. Smith, which specified two 750,000 Btu/hr Cyclone® XL commercial gas water heaters, recommended for the hotel’s size and water heating demands.
Just 30 minutes from downtown Nashville, the new hotel opened to the public on March 3, 2022. During planning and construction, Naquin wanted a continuous supply of hot water for the 75-room hotel, which also includes a full-size kitchen and industrial laundry facilities.
After 15 years in the industry, Naquin is familiar with the pain points guests sometimes experience. “In the past, I’ve had problems getting enough hot water up to the top floors at peak hours when more people are showering,” he said. The water heaters he chose for the Hampton Inn had to guarantee hot water for every room at all times of the day.
A. O. Smith’s Cyclone XL water heater was the ideal solution for the small mechanical room of a four-story hotel, reliably providing hot water to all rooms while taking up minimal floor space.
The hotel mechanical room’s size posed some constraints. With a smaller footprint than other large commercial properties, the Cyclone XL water heater was the ideal solution to ensure ample hot water and allow adequate room for installation and maintenance.
The Cyclone XL water heater excels in applications with maximum hot water requirements by adjusting the firing rate to meet demand. The unit has a unique dual stainless steel heat exchange system that uses a two-step heat transfer process to deliver thermal efficiencies of 97 percent. It also comes equipped with A. O. Smith’s iCOMM™ Connectivity Platform, allowing hotel management to remotely monitor and adjust each unit’s settings.
“We have been incredibly pleased with the consistency the Cyclone XL units have provided—the water temperature you get on the first floor is the same temperature you get on the fourth floor,” said Naquin. “We’ve been busy since opening and even with reaching room capacity on multiple occasions, we have received positive feedback from guests about always having hot water. It’s good to have one worry off my shoulders and know that we can count on the Cyclone XL units to provide reliable hot water 24 hours a day.”
Based on his experience with A. O. Smith, Naquin said he would recommend the Cyclone XL water heater to others in the hospitality industry. “The communication from A. O. Smith was the best I’ve ever experienced from a vendor,” Naquin noted. “Every time I had a question or needed support, someone from A. O. Smith was there to help. That was a big deal for me.”
Bradford White Highlights Potential Pitfalls, Opportunities
The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) new energy efficiency mandates, which take effect April 16, 2015, will require higher energy factor (EF) ratings on virtually all residential gas, electric, oil, and tankless gas water heaters. These changes will impact how water heaters are manufactured, distributed, and installed.
Energy Efficiency Requirements Increase
The EF is the ratio of useful energy output from the water heater to the total amount of energy delivered to the water heater. The higher the EF, the more efficient the water heater. While all affected models will see an increase in the EF requirement, the most dramatic changes are in larger capacity models (see the table). The DOE established the EF requirement for residential gas and electric water heaters over 55 gallons to drive manufacturers to implement new, more energy-efficient technologies. While the new rule does not require a specific technology, the only currently viable options to meet the EF requirement over 55 gallons are heat pump water heaters for electric and high-efficiency condensing technology for gas water heaters.
Potential Changes in Size, Other Factors
Electric water heaters, already very efficient, will likely require more insulation, increasing the diameter or height of the water heater or both. Additional insulation may be required for piping and fittings such as drain, temperature, and pressure valves. For electric water heaters over 55 gallons, the only currently available technology that meets the EF requirement is a heat pump water heater.
To meet the required minimum EF, gas models may need additional insulation, newer flue baffling technologies (including flue dampers), electronic ignition in lieu of the standing pilot, or a combination of these. Again, the likely impact will be an increase in the overall product size, especially in diameter. For gas water heaters over 55 gallons, high-efficiency, fully condensing combustion technology will be required, so line voltage and a means for condensate disposal will be needed. Much like gas products, oil-fired water heaters will likely incorporate additional insulation or completely new combustion systems. The new minimum EF for tankless (instantaneous) gas will increase from .62 to .82. Most tankless water heaters currently have EF ratings of .82 or better.
Impact on the Installer
Employees will need training to get up to speed on the new technologies. While manufacturers and distributors will provide resources to train installers, training will be time-consuming and may eat into employee productivity.
As water heaters get larger and heavier, installation may require more workers or larger trucks. Under the new regulations, some water heaters may now require electricity, drains for the condensate, or new ventilation systems, so installers will have to have the training, tools, and expertise to address these needs. In addition, new water heaters may require more space or be noisier than the models they replace, so installers should pay attention to the location of new equipment.
Prepare for Changes
The 2015 DOE rule could pose challenges for manufacturers, wholesalers, installers, and customers. However, when products become more complex, it is less likely that do-it-yourself consumers will install them. Therefore, the 2015 water heater changes may increase the share of water heaters sold through wholesale distributors and thereby increase installation opportunities. You should spend the time to become well-versed in the changes resulting from the new rule. The time to prepare for these changes is now.
