Tank Water Heaters In A Circulation Loop; Additional Guidelines - A.O. Smith On Demand 305 Series 100 Design Manual

Tank Water Heaters in a Circulation Loop

The following applies when using a tank water heater (gas or electric) to provide heat for a circulation
loop. Drawing H-1-RP is an example.
The heat output of the tank must be equal to or greater than the calculated circulation loop heat loss.
(Reference page 5, Step 1 on calculating heat loss).
Electric Tank Water Heater
Since the input and output are the same for an electric tank water heater, this can be expressed as:
Electric Tank Input (Kw) > Circulation loop heat loss (Btu/h)
(1 Kilowatt = 3,413 BTU)
Gas Tank Water Heater
When using a gas style water heater, the efficiency of the tank must be taken into account.
Available Btu output = (Btu input of tank) x (efficiency) > Circulation loop heat loss (Btu/h)
Example:
30,000 Btu input gas tank
0.62 Efficiency
30,000 x .62 = 18,600 available Btu output
On-demand water heaters not recovering a storage tank: In applications involving a commercial
dishwasher, a hot water circulation loop feeding the dishwasher is required.
On-demand water heater recovering a storage tank: In applications involving a commercial dishwasher,
a hot water circulation loop feeding the dishwasher may be required depending on the distance between
the dishwasher and the storage tank. Refer to local codes when determining the need for circulation
loops to dishwashers.
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Additional Guidelines

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