New water heater efficiency regulations taking effect April 16, 2015 are impacting homeowners in Midlothian and Chesterfield. They also affect plumbers, contractors, designers and engineers. The regulations require higher energy factor (EF) ratings on almost all residential water heating products including oil-fired, gas-fired, electric, tabletop, instantaneous gas-fired and instantaneous electric. The most dramatic change will be in larger capacity water heaters; due to the fact that the only 55+ gallon units that now meet the EF requirements are the electronic heat pump units and the high-efficiency condensing gas units.
How new water heater regulations impact homeowners?
Cost
- Homeowners will likely see increased product and installation costs for replacing a water heater that meets the new regulations. The increase in price will depend on the type and size of the unit needed to meet their demand. Homeowners may have additional costs for installation of a water heater that is physically larger than their old unit.
- Homeowners can expect to see a decrease in operating costs due to the increased energy efficiency. Maintenance costs, however, will increase due to the more sophisticated designs.
Water Delivery
- You may need a water heater with less input to obtain higher efficiency. This may result in less hot water capacity.
Space
- The new regulations state that the height of new units with the same gallon capacity as an existing unit may be two or more inches taller and wider. For units under 55 gallons, homeowners can expect to add a minimum of three or more inches when planning for space.
- When space is not an issue, units of similar gallon size but larger in physical size can be installed. When space is an issue, a similar unit with smaller gallon capacity may be installed or a unit with different technology may be a good option for homeowners.