Apr
17
The Takagi T-H1 water heater is one of their newest models and certainly their greenest – its average efficiency is an impressive 95% with propane and 92% with natural gas. It is meant to meet the needs of just about any large family as Takagi states, "The T-H1 can provide at least three showers' worth of water simultaneously along with one appliance at input temperature of 60ºF or greater." This does mean that in colder places in the winter, where the incoming water will be below 60 degrees, that you might have to get by with only two showers and another use!
Where you live does make quite a difference in the flow rate that any tankless water heater can deliver. With this one, for instance, let's say that you have the hot water output set at 120 degrees. If the incoming water is 60ºF then you can expect about 6.1 gallons per minute. In contrast, if that incoming water is 40ºF or less, your flow rate would likely be about 4.3 GPM – a significant difference, but still a lot of hot water! And under ideal conditions, this water heater can put out over 10 gallons a minute.
I mentioned an output setting. The T-H1 has four preset temperatures: 113ºF, 122ºF, 140ºF, and 182ºF. If those don't suit your needs for some reason, there is an add-on temperature controller available.
This is more than just a home unit. It can be used in small businesses and industries. That's why there is the very hot 182ºF water setting; sometimes codes require water that hot for sanitary applications.
The gas input is variable, with the maximum being 199,000 BTU per hour. This will require some good-sized gas pipes to the unit. It then uses two heat exchangers rather than the more ordinary one, and this is how Takagi achieved the unusually high average efficiencies. As explained on their website, "Takagi has added a stainless steel secondary heat exchanger to recover waste heat from the vent stack before it leaves the unit to preheat the incoming ground water. This second heat exchanger and the resulting condensation that forms from the high efficiency operation, classify it as a "Condensing" Water Heater. The condensate that these types of heaters produce can be slightly acidic, so it's collected and sent through a built-in neutralizer, allowing for disposal into standard drainpipe."
If any units of the Takagi water heater T-H1 are currently at eBay, they should show up here:
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Apr
5
The T-K3
The Takagi heater T-K3 is a very small tankless water heater — at 13.8 inches wide, it can fit between wall studs. It is also small another good way – it is able to activate at only one half a gallon per minute, which means that less water is wasted than with many units of various brands. This also helps with temperature stability.
It can be installed in several ways – as a direct vent model for indoors, with a vent pipe up to 50 feet with 5 elbows. You have a choice of eight different temperature settings, ranging from 104 degrees F all the way up to 185.
It can be used in parallel with up to three other units to generate more flow. This makes the water heater suitable for commercial applications.
There are two variations on the T-K3:
The T-K3-SP
Here SP means something: special projects. This model, which first came out in 2008, is meant for light residential use. It has a built-in power venting system which you attach to the appropriate venting. It can start heating water at .5 gallons per minute and has a maximum flow rate of 7 gallons per minute. Its four temperature settings range from 113 to 167 degrees F. Unlike other Takagi models, the T-K3-SP cannot be linked, nor is it direct vent convertible.
The T-K3-OS
The T-K3-OS model is the outdoor model, designed for use out of doors. Its the same small size as the other T-K3 heaters, and like them it weighs only 40 pounds. Since it is only installable outside, it is meant for milder climates. It does have a power venting system built in, but this doesn't need to be attached to further venting. Its thermal rating is 83% for both natural gas (NG) and propane (LP). Like the SP model above, it has four temperature settings ranging from 113 to 167 degrees.
Takagi tankless water heaters are popular with buyers on eBay. Here are some listings:
Apr
2
A Takagi heater can be a good choice for a tankless hot water heater. Four of their residential models qualify for the Energy Star designation of the US Department of Energy and thus also for the US federal income tax credit of up to 30% of your cost -- that is not only a percentage of what you pay for a Takagi heater but also the cost of the installation.
To me, when a company has several of their product line meeting Energy Star standards, it warrants my attention. The models that qualify are the ones I will describe here. Some of their older models don't qualify but may be good choices too, if their energy efficiency isn't much less. (I saw a lot of favorable comments online from owners of the older T-K2.)
- TAKAGI T-K3: This small unit weighs 40 pounds and is 13.8 inches wide so it can fit between studs. It starts heating water at .5 GPM (gallons per minute), and it comes with eight temperature settings from 104 degrees F all the way up to 185.
- TAKAGI T-K3-OS: This is the outdoor variation of the T-K3, suitable for warmer climates.
- TAKIGI T-K3-SP: this unit is for smaller residential situations.
- TAKIGI T-H1: The T-H1 is extremely energy efficient, and is meant for large houses.
Installation of a Takagi Heater
An employee of Takagi demonstrates how to install a Takagi heater. Since installation is so crucial to customer satisfaction with any tankless water heater, this is a good thing to explain.
And here is a selection of Takagi heaters currently on eBay:
