Effect of water quality on residential water heater life-cycle efficiency. Annual report, September 1983-August 1984

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:5943862

Stickford, G H; Talbert, S G; Newman, D C; Payer, J H; Vigon, B W

A 3-year field test program is under way for the Gas Research Institute to quantify the effect of scale buildup on the performance of residential water heaters, and to determine the benefits and limitations of common water-treatment methods. In this program, the performance of gas and electric heaters is being monitored in test laboratories set up in selected U.S. cities. The efficiency of heaters operating on hard water is measured and compared with the performance of heaters operating on treated water. Corrosion tests are also being conducted on each type of water tested to determine the effect of water treatment on the corrosion of the water heating system. During this reporting period Battelle has established operating hard water test facilities at four test sites: (1) Battelle, (2) the Roswell Test Facility in Roswell, New Mexico, (3) the Water Quality Association in Lisle, Illinois, and (4) the Marshall Municipal Utilities in Marshall, Minnesota. At each of these sites 12 water heaters have been installed and are operating on accelerated draw cycles. The recovery efficiency of each heater has been carefully measured, and the heaters have been operating from 4 months at one site to 7 months at another. At two of the test sites, the recovery efficiency of each heater has been remeasured after 6 months of operation. No significant degradation in heater performance due to scale buildup was observed in these heaters for the equivalent of 2 to 3 years of typical residential use.

• Research Organization: Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5943862
• Report Number(s): PB-85-149847/XAB
• Resource Relation: Other Information: See also PB84-143098
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
WATER HEATERS
FIELD TESTS
WATER QUALITY
CORROSION
EFFICIENCY
APPLIANCES
BUILDINGS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HEATERS
TESTING
320101* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Residential Buildings- (-1987)