AquaStar 125 BS [RE-wrenches]

[Graham Owen]

Jeff,

I agree, tank-less water heaters are a great product.  I haven't
installed many mostly because as a retrofit they require a 1" gas pipe
and a 5" exhaust flue.  I have 7 glazed panels and two 120 gallon solar
storage tanks at my house and I have often thought that it would be nice
to remove the 40 gallon gas heater and replace it with an Aquastar.
Fortunately my solar storage is located very close to the gas heater so
only a small section of pipe which cools to ambient has to be purged
before the hot water enters the gas heater.  My gas bills are very low
in comparison to my neighbors and we have a seemingly endless supply of
hot water.

The point I was trying to make about not installing Aquastar's is from
experience with people who purchase a home with a solar Aquastar
combination previously installed.  As the systems age and a couple of
Aquastar service calls are needed these people start having second
thoughts about solar heating in general.  I have met homeowners who had
a negative opinion of the solar water heating system due to tankless
water heater problems even though the solar has performed flawlessly.

Some installers plumb in a bypass valve above the gas heater as well as
the solar tank.  This can allow for direct flow from the solar storage
into the house.  I advise customers who do this to keep the pilot lit,
otherwise the odorization added to the gas can attract insects into the
pilot assembly, where they can die and clog it up.  I try and do
whatever possible to eliminate the need for service calls.

Every household is different and for some an Aquastar is most likely the
best solution for a number of reasons.

Graham

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