The SuperStor Ultra Stainless Steel Indirect Water Heater is a great product for people who use a boiler to supply their domestic hot water needs. “Indirect” water heaters do not heat the water by passing it through the boiler, rather there is a separate tank which both stores and heats the water. The water is heated by a coil in the tank that has hot water from the boiler passing through the coil which heats the water. The indirect water heater offers storage so more hot water can be used without the boiler turning on, and offers more constant temperatures of hot water during peak usage than a domestic hot water coil in a boiler can provide. Heat Transfer Products Inc. which manufactures the SuperStor Ultra has been manufacturing and designing heat exchangers since 1974 and offers a full array of products including highly efficient boilers, gas water heaters, solar water heaters, indirect water heaters, electric water heaters, and hot water storage tanks.
When a SuperStor Ultra Indirect Water Heater is used it is installed in a separate heating zone off the boiler with its own circulator and zone valve. The boiler will only turn on for other heating needs or, when you need to make additional hot water in the SuperStor Ultra. Many boilers have a coil in the boiler through which the domestic hot water passes being heated. Although there is a small amount of energy stored in the tankless coil of the boiler it is rapidly depleted even with a small domestic hot water usage causing the boiler to fire. An indirect water heater offers much more storage and will not fire the boiler until a more substantial amount of water is used. This increases the economy of your water heating system and saves you money.
The tankless coil in a boiler has limitations on how much water can be heated up in one pass and high demands can result in a lower temperature of your hot water. The limitations of the tankless coils heat transfer capacity will be more apparent in the winter when water supply temperatures are low and as the age of the tankless coil in the boiler increases. One of the effects of heating water is as water is heated the water molecules increase in size and minerals precipitate out of the water. These minerals build up in the tankless coil and are detrimental to its effective heat transfer. When the heat transfer ability declines enough you will notice a decline in the water temperature as flow rates increase. The tankless coil can sometimes be cleaned by a service tech using acid coil cleaners but this may not always be successful and the acids may eventually cause the coil to leak. When the tankless coil can no longer be cleaned or, leaks you are looking at having the coil replaced an in some cases a new boiler. Indirect water heating is an excellent solution for those homeowners who are facing this problem.
Indirect water heater installation while costly offers many benefits such increased economy and better delivery over the tankless coil in a boiler. The SuperStor Ultra Stainless Steel Indirect Water Heater is a great choice for you to install. The rugged corrosion resistant construction and the economy of operation of the SuperStor Ultra makes the choice of the SuperStor Ultra a “No Brainer” decision. The SuperStor Ultra offers a tank constructed out of 316L Stainless Steel, with an attractive silver finish Plastic Outer Jacket, and the Cupronickel Heat Exchanger give the SuperStor Ultra great corrosion resistant properties even in a moist basement. The High Output Cupronickel Heat Exchanger with its 15 – 30 sq. ft. surface area (depending on size tank) delivers larger amounts of hot water often 3–5 times more recovery compared to conventional water heaters. A 40 gallon electric water heater will give you about 40 gallons of hot water in the first hour, A 40 gallon gas water heater with a 40,000 btu burner will give you about 75 gallons in the first hour. A 45 gallon SuperStor Ultra has a whopping 292 gallon first hour recovery rating. The SuperStor Ultra also has 2” thick CFC-Free Foam Insulation to minimize heat loss vs. 1” typically found in conventional water heaters and does not have the temperature loss associated with a flue in a gas water heater. Conventional water heaters offer a typical service life of about 12 years vs. the long life of the Stainless Steel SuperStor Ultra with its Lifetime Warrantee Protection for residential use.