Water Heater Add on "Seisco Supercharger" What do you think of this?

[Wisneaky]

I read this article today and checked out the website. I think it could potentially be a good add on item. Same as adding a tank less but lower initial cost.
(broken link removed to http://www.ssuchronicle.com/2015/09/24/former-nasa-space-shuttle-mars-rover-engineers-invent-a-smart-device-to-deliver-endless-hot-water-from-any-water-heater-announced-by-seisco)

(broken link removed)

 

[woodgeek]

No way. I'm ok with NASA building rockets, but I want the to keep away from my water heater.

What kind of water heater do you have now?

 

[Circus]

OK if needed, just isn't needed. My brother just tossed his tankless. Tankless water heaters have too many safeguard shut downs requiring expensive service calls for minor conditions. $ Great idea if your a repair technician $

How's your hot house faring in this cool weather?

 

[peakbagger]

So, the brilliant idea is to install a electric instantaneous hot water heater on the discharge of the hot water tank. So exactly what is the brilliant idea?

 

[brenndatomu]

So exactly what is the brilliant idea?

Endless hot water? I guess the insta-hot would kick on when the main tank runs out of hot water?
So that would allow you to install a lil smaller water heater is 'spose...just spitballin here

 

[Wisneaky]

No way. I'm ok with NASA building rockets, but I want the to keep away from my water heater.

What kind of water heater do you have now?

My water heater setup works fine. I was just posting this to hear other's thoughts about it. As first I thought what a stupid idea, but I went to the video section on the website and watched the second video with it in use and after watching it work it changed my perspective on it. I than tried to figure out an electricity cost if it was used for an extra 10 gallons of water a day and it came to around $7 a month. So in reality if your water heater won't keep up it is a fairly low cost option to extend your hot water needs.

 

[Wisneaky]

Endless hot water? I guess the insta-hot would kick on when the main tank runs out of hot water?
So that would allow you to install a lil smaller water heater is 'spose...just spitballin here

If you go to the website to the video section and watch the second video it kicks on at a user defined set point. So you can have it kick on when the main water tank temp drops below a certain temp for example you could have it turn on at 115 degrees so it would maintain that temp even though your main water heater temp could drop to below 100 degrees.

 

[jebatty]

Seems to me that most of us already have add-ons that instantly solve the problem -- the faucet plus the flow restricter. Slow it down and then shut it off. Plenty of hot water to meet all needs. Or probably better because this solution would also teach hot water users what hot water really costs: charge the user for use of the shower. A 10 minute daily shower at 2.2 gpm and a temperature rise of 75 degrees (from 45 to 125) uses 13,761 btus (10 x 2.2 x 8.34 x 75) to heat the water, and then add 15% for heat loss in the plumbing, for a total of 15,825 btus. At my electric rate of $0.126/kwh and 3412 btu/kwh, that's 4.64 kwh x 0.126 = $0.55/day or $16.50/mo.

$16.50 per month per person is no small change to me, and adding more hot water to feed the habit of long showers and wasted water is not really a solution to a problem that is behavioral, not lack of hot water.

 

[Circus]

I can imagine it being useful in line with solar. My roof isn't steep enough for optimal solar in the winter. A step up heater would work nicely for those few months. Now I just use a conventional electric water heater to step up the water from 90sh to 120sh.

 

[maple1]

Seems to me that most of us already have add-ons that instantly solve the problem -- the faucet plus the flow restricter. Slow it down and then shut it off. Plenty of hot water to meet all needs. Or probably better because this solution would also teach hot water users what hot water really costs: charge the user for use of the shower. A 10 minute daily shower at 2.2 gpm and a temperature rise of 75 degrees (from 45 to 125) uses 13,761 btus (10 x 2.2 x 8.34 x 75) to heat the water, and then add 15% for heat loss in the plumbing, for a total of 15,825 btus. At my electric rate of $0.126/kwh and 3412 btu/kwh, that's 4.64 kwh x 0.126 = $0.55/day or $16.50/mo.

$16.50 per month per person is no small change to me, and adding more hot water to feed the habit of long showers and wasted water is not really a solution to a problem that is behavioral, not lack of hot water.

Not sure where the figuring diverts, but our electric water heater costs us about $20-25/mo to run at $0.18/kwh. Currently 3 people on it, but didn't seem much different with 5. That's for a shower a day each plus whatever else is going on (laundry & dishwasher).

But I also don't see much use for one of these gadgets, for us at least. I also could maybe see where it might increase hot water use, but I don't think it would at our house as there is always enough hot coming out the taps now with an 80 gallon tank.

 

[Wisneaky]

Seems to me that most of us already have add-ons that instantly solve the problem -- the faucet plus the flow restricter. Slow it down and then shut it off. Plenty of hot water to meet all needs. Or probably better because this solution would also teach hot water users what hot water really costs: charge the user for use of the shower. A 10 minute daily shower at 2.2 gpm and a temperature rise of 75 degrees (from 45 to 125) uses 13,761 btus (10 x 2.2 x 8.34 x 75) to heat the water, and then add 15% for heat loss in the plumbing, for a total of 15,825 btus. At my electric rate of $0.126/kwh and 3412 btu/kwh, that's 4.64 kwh x 0.126 = $0.55/day or $16.50/mo.

$16.50 per month per person is no small change to me, and adding more hot water to feed the habit of long showers and wasted water is not really a solution to a problem that is behavioral, not lack of hot water.

I'm glad I don't live at your house. Do you charge your guest's when they stay?

 

[peakbagger]

I tend to look at this with amusement as I have all the hot water I could possibly use for about 8 months a year direct from solar and the rest of the time I use the SHW for preheat and use an Amtrol hot water maker to get rid of excess heat in my wood boiler when I have topped up the storage. My solar hot water tank is a 80 gallon hot water heater complete with one heating element. I have had the wire to wire it up and the breaker for about 10 years hanging on the wall and haven't even hooked it up.

If I were to do it again I would skip the SHW system, add a couple of spare PV panels and buy a heat pump hot water heater.

 

[jebatty]

Do you charge your guest's when they stay?

No, they voluntarily and happily put coins in the meter that limits the shower to 5 minutes!

You understand that the point is human behavior that demands long, hot showers of potable water running down the drain. We have a septic system, and one of the things to avoid with a septic system is excessive water into the system. Another thing common sense seems to advise is not to waste good water. The "navy" shower deals with both of these goals.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

No, they voluntarily and happily put coins in the meter that limits the shower to 5 minutes!

Do you actually have such a meter on your showers? Or are you jesting? If you do, please share a link to such a beast - I'm interested in getting one!

 

[jebatty]

Jesting .... We use very little hot water, about 100kwh/mo. The family already is well-trained to conserve all water, including hot water.