Natural Gas Water Heaters

California couple incorporates cutting-edge water-savers in their home

LOS ANGELES — At first glance, there's little about this modern house in the Los Angeles suburb of Mount Washington to indicate its extreme sustainability. Beyond the small front yard, xeriscaped with succulents, the short driveway leads to a yellow, three-story house with a windowed garage door.

To see the radical conservation mandate, you have to look more closely. Beneath the desert landscaping lies a cistern that can store 1,500 gallons of rainwater. Behind the garage door are controls for a solar water heater, photovoltaic panels and gray water system -- the first to receive a permit from the city of Los Angeles after California updated its gray water regulations in August 2009.

Those who follow sustainable design say the new residence could very well be one of the most water-efficient houses in the region, a milestone for L.A. as the city seeks better models of conservation. The Nob Hill Haus, as its owner-designers call it, could serve as a template for the house of the future here.

"With new design elements, architects have to try it out themselves as guinea pigs," said Frank Pasker, the architect who designed and built the house and lives in it with his partner, designer Grit Leipert. "If an architect wants to do something new, he very often has to do it for himself first to have proof that it works. That's a good thing about being an architect. You actually can do it yourself."

Pasker, 38, and Leipert, 36, moved to L.A. in 2000, just as California was experiencing rolling blackouts. That crisis was soon followed by drought. The two had met while pursuing master's degrees at the University of Kassel in Germany, whose architectural program has a long history of emphasizing sustainability, Pasker said.

Lured by the work of early modernists Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra, among others, as well as internships they had landed with Mark Mack in Venice, Calif., and Eric Owen Moss in Culver City, Calif., the couple relocated to the West Coast and earned additional master's degrees from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Pasker is now a project manager with Dvoretzky Bardovi Bunnell Architects, Leipert an associate senior designer with AC Martin Partners.

Looking for a new home and a new challenge, the couple decided to distill everything they had learned into a house they could call their own. They bought a hillside lot in Mount Washington in early 2008, broke ground on the project in 2009 and moved into the new house this April.

Rinnai R75LSi Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater Models – What You ...

Rinnai R75LSi is thought to be to be one of the top tankless water heaters, available in natural gas. Rinnai is well known for its tank-free water heaters and has a prominent selection of small to large units ready to deliver hot water immediately without having a huge retention tank to store hot water, like standard water heaters.

The R75LSi is a streamlined and modernistic stainless steel silver unit, designed to be put anywhere, in any space. This unit is a natural gas no-tank water heater, but there’s a propane unit obtainable too.

features of the R75LSi:

Instant Hot Water on request

There’s no waiting time for warming the water and waiting for it to arrive out of the faucet, if installed correctly. The waiting time is around as long as standard water heaters. In some cases it’s even faster. This is good news for our modern, hurried times, no waiting for hot water use.

Smaller, Space-Efficient appliance

Space-preservation is one of the huge benefits of the tankless water heater. Regular hot water heaters take up about 75% additional space than these tank-free heaters. This will grant you plenty more space for storage that you didn’t have before. It’s an outstanding water heater for modest spaces. Good for basement, attic, closet, or installation in any space in your home.

Quiet

This Rinnai R75LSi is an exceedingly quiet hot water heater. It’s so quiet you won’t even know it’s on. That hot water tank gurgling as it warms up hot water won’t even be there any more. Your house will sound more quiet, too.

Endless Supply of Hot H2O

Not only do you get instantaneous hot water, but you get an endless supply. You can be running the shower, the dishwasher, and the laundry, and still never run out of hot water. There’s no storage tank with the no-tank unit, to keep hot water in. As water is sent through the unit, it’s heated up. So you only heat up the water as you’re using it.

Savings on Gas

You’ll discover some reports that say that the Rinnai water heater does not have much gas savings. But most reports state that there is up to a 15% savings on the gas bill and on utilization. A Federal energy tax credit is attainable on this energy-saving unit. Local and state tax credits are attainable in some areas of the country.

Price is good

Compared to other tankless water heaters, this Rinnai has a good price. Associated with the respectable price is outstanding quality.

Hand book gas water heaters ..., tables of standards and other useful information, for the use of architects, engineers, gas men, plumbers and all others engaged in construction and building

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