A Condensing Tankless Water Heater by Rheem

Rheem is one
of the top water heater brands in the market today and RTGH-95DVLN that I will
be reviewing on this article is one of its most polished products. RTGH-95DVLN
is basically a condensing tankless water and one of the largest ones available
for home use. Possibly due to the power and reliability that comes with its
size, this model has become one of the best-selling tankless water heaters in
USA. To better explain why so many people are installing this one, let me first
explain what condensing means.
Now that you are reading this article, you should already know what a
tankless water heater is and why it is more efficient than a storage type water
heater. Well, a condensing tankless water goes beyond that efficiency by moving
the hot fumes through a second heat exchanger so that the heat absorbed to the
degree that the fumes partially condense. While a similar sized mid-efficiency
unit from Rheem has an energy factor of 0.84, RTGH-95DVLN has 0.94 efficiency.
This means RTGH-95DVLN uses about 10 percent less gas to make the same amount
of hot water. It is also capable of producing a 199,000 BTU heat output and
this is enough for any reasonably sized home with any tap water temperature. With
this monster at your disposal, you will have no reason to worry about hot water
even if you are living in Alaska.

And It Is The Best

Like all Rheem
gas tankless water heaters, RTGH-95DVLN has an activation flow rate of 0.4
gallons per minute and minimum flow rate of 0.26 gallons per minute. No tankless
water heater from any other brand can work at such low water flow rates. The
minimum heat output is 11,000 BTU, which is again very low. Now, perhaps you
wonder why I am listing all these minimums and why you should care. One of the
most common issues with tankless heaters is what is called the cold water
sandwich. This happens when the heaters stops when it should be working an you
get a cold shower for a short period. What creates these cold water sandwiches
is some drop in the hot water draw that makes water heater fall below its
minimum threshold. Obviously, if the threshold is very low, it is unlikely that
the units will stop at some point. This is one of the key points that put Rheem
a step beyond other brand names in the competition and it is why Rheem tankless
water heaters are getting all those great reviews.
Another
feature that you will not find in every tankless water heater but your will in
Rheem is what they call the hot start program. This means the water heater
keeps the hot fumes inside for a munite or so after the hot water use has
ended. If you need hot water again during that time, you will not have to wait
for the tankless unit to heat up because it is already filled hot fumes inside.
This is another bonus to reduce the hot water sandwiches and increase
efficiency.
The price of RTGH-95DVLN
is not low but it is still a competitive price when compared to a similar unit
from Rinnai. It appears that the extra few hundred dollars you will be paying for
Rinnai will go to the brand name as the customer reviews indicate Rheem is as
reliable as Rinnai.
All in all, if
you want to invest your money in the best tankless water heater, Rheem RTGH-95DVLN
is a model you do not want to miss. It is available on Amazon.