Name – Default component text and counters are automatically added. This entry may be edited to include other descriptive or identifying text.

 

Fuel Type – The type of fuel used to heat water. Pull-down menu selections:  Electricity or Gas.


Heat Pump Water Heater – Check box: Select if a heat pump water heater is present. Heat pump water heaters pull heat from the surrounding air to heat water stored in the water heater tank. They may be two to three times more energy efficient than conventional electric resistance water heaters.

  

Water heater efficiency – Energy efficiency of storage, demand, and heat pump water  heaters is  determined by energy factor, which indicates the overall efficiency of the water heater and is based on the amount  of  hot water produced per unit of fuel consumed over a typical day. This includes recovery efficiency, standby losses,  and cycling losses.

 

Note: The heater thermal efficiency is the thermal conversion efficiency from fuel energy to heat energy for the  heater element or burner. This is not the same as the overall efficiency of the water heater.

  

Tank insulation thickness. – Thickness of insulating material used in inches.

 

Tank insulation R-value – Measure of thermal resistance: the reciprocal of the time rate  of  heat flow through a unit area induced by a unit temperature difference between two defined surfaces of material or  construction under steady-state conditions. R-value is in units of ft2*ft°F*h/Btu.

 

Use of Low Flow Faucets – Check box: Menu item available by clicking on a building block after assigning a water heater. Select if low-flow fixtures such as showerheads with flow restrictors, high-efficiency  low-flow faucet and aerators, and auto-flush and ultra-low-flow toilets are installed and in use. Significant  water  and energy savings may result through the use of low-flow fixtures and equipment.