Hot Water System and
Home, Building, Condo, and
Co-op Inspections Performed by
Licensed Engineer Inspectors

Licensed Engineer Inspectors performing Home, Building, Condo, and Co-op
Inspections in New York City (Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx,
and Staten Island), Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk),
and Upstate New York (Rockland, Putnam, and Westchester)

Insight Only An Engineer Inspector Offers

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Professional Engineer Inspector

In residences (including home, condo units, and co-op units), the hot water is used for bathing and cleaning.  In some buildings, the hot water serves to sterilize equipment that is used by the general public.  Besides comfort, hot water serves a vital role in maintaining good health.  To serve this role, the hot water must be produced at an appropriate temperature.

Most homes, buildings, condo units, and co-op units have a tankless hot water heater, a hot water heater with a storage tank, a hot water booster tank, or an indirect-fired hot water heater.  A comparison of the different types of hot water systems is found later on this page.

The Licensed Professional Engineers of Heimer Engineering evaluate the hot water system in the home or building you are considering purchasing and advises you if it is sufficient.  You are also advised of the need to budget for upcoming replacement of the hot water heater.  The expense analysis in the engineering report helps you.

Hot Water Temperature

In homes, buildings, condo units, and co-op units, the temperature of the hot water should be around 120 degrees Fahrenheit, although some dishwasher manufacturers recommend 130 degrees Fahrenheit to assure that the dishes will be properly cleaned and sterilized.  Lower temperatures are recommended by others to reduce the risk of scalding and reduce energy consumption.  A lower temperature, however, increases the risk of bacteria growth.

Hot water that would scald in seconds at 140 degrees Fahrenheit will take minutes to cause the same level of injury at less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  Many hot water systems produce hot water at well over 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

The risk of scalding or serious burns, especially to children and elderly people, is high.  When possible, Heimer Engineering's Engineers measure the hot water temperature and advises you of hazards.

Hot Water Heater Life Expectancy

Hot water heater life expectancy varies dramatically depending on the type of hot water heater.  A tankless hot water heater can last as long as the heating system in which it is mounted, although effectiveness may diminish over time.  An automatic storage hot water heater, hot water booster tank, or an indirect-fired hot water heater typically lasts from seven to 15 years.  Heimer Engineering evaluates the hot water system, and advises you of remaining life expectancy.

Tankless Hot Water Heaters

A tankless hot water heater heats the water by circulating it through coils inside a boiler.  As the water circulates through the coils, it is heated.

Tankless hot water heaters often suffer from performance problems, especially as they age.  Many systems start out at an initial temperature hot enough to scald.  After running for a short time, this hot temperature may fall to a relatively low temperature.  To help overcome this problem, many people install hot water booster tanks in conjunction with a tankless hot water heater.

A variation of the tankless hot water heater is the instant hot water heater, sometimes called the demand hot water heater.  In an instant hot water heater, water passes over a heat exchanger.  The heat exchanger is kept warm, usually by a gas flame or electric coil.  See the hot water heater comparison below for more information on tankless hot water heaters.

Hot Water Booster Tanks

A hot water booster tank works in conjunction with a tankless hot water heater.  Most hot water booster tanks are small hot water heaters.  The water is pre-heated in the tankless hot water heater.  The heated water than circulates into the hot water booster tank.  The hot water booster tank stores the hot water, and warms it if necessary.  This increases the amount of available hot water, although at the cost of greater energy consumption.  Often, hot water boosted booster tanks are electric, which makes them expensive to operate.

See the hot water heater comparison below for more information on hot water booster tanks.

Hot Water Heaters With Storage Tanks

When many people say hot water heater, they are typically referring to a single unit that both heats and stores the water.  This type of unit is sometimes called an automatic storage hot water heater.  This type of unit must have some method of heating the water (typically oil, gas, or electricity) along with a tank to store the heated water.

The size of the storage tank typically varies between 30 gallons and 120 gallons, depending on the type of fuel used and the amount of hot water needed. The Engineers of Heimer Engineering evaluate both the fuel and the hot water demands to determine if the hot water heater is sufficient in size.  See the hot water heater comparison below for more information on hot water heaters with storage tanks.

Indirect-Fired Hot Water Heaters

An indirect-fired hot water heater consists of a storage tank, a circulator pump, and a boiler that serves as a heat source.  The boiler (and the water is contains) is kept hot.  When the storage tank of hot water falls below a certain temperature, an aquastat activates the circulator pump.  The boiler-heated water is circulated through coils in the hot water storage tank.  This process heats the water in the storage tank.  The water heated in the boiler never contacts the water in the storage tank.

In the Metro New York area (with its half-year heating season), an indirect-fired hot water heater might be less expensive to operate than a separate hot water heater.  See the hot water heater comparison below for more information on indirect-fired hot water heaters.

Comparison of Hot Water Heaters