SPECIAL FEATURES: TANKLESS HOT WATER SYSTEMS

Posted on: Friday, September 19, 2008

Tom and Brenda Woodruff have building quality custom homes in Midland since 1993. “Building a new home is a complicated process, with numerous decisions to be made over a period of months,” Tom said. “Our Quality by Design process maintains order with trade contractors and allows the home buyer to make decisions in manageable phases.”

Tom said he designs each home around the owners’ family lifestyle and in harmony with the site. In recent years the Woodruffs have been involved in developing the Briarwood, Holiday Hill Village and Woodland Park subdivisions. Custom homes are now under construction in Woodland Park and Holiday Hill Village. Their website provides virtual tours of Woodruff Signature custom homes presently on the market. (Visit www.tjwoodruff.com)

Among the many unique features they offer is on-demand hot water. Imagine having hot water as soon as you turn on the tap in your shower, kitchen or bathroom sink. Imagine saving on the cost of gas or electricity and water. This could be a reality with one or more tankless water heaters installed in your new Tom Woodruff Signature home.

Nationally, homeowners will average 30 percent savings on energy with tankless water heaters, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. While these units are more expensive than conventional tank water heaters, they have a 20-year life expectancy—when maintained regularly.

Hot Water on Demand
With a tankless heater, water is heated only to meet actual demand, as when someone turns on the shower or washes a load of clothes.

When a hot water tap is opened, the tankless water heater is switched on and the hot water will be a constant temperature. Tankless heaters can also be used with water softening systems.

Not having a water tank eliminates the problem of mineral or scale buildup in the storage tank. While conventional water heaters have an expected life of 12 years nationally, scale buildup often leads to having to replace them more frequently.

Tankless heaters do not necessarily need to be installed as the primary source of hot water for the home, and therefore can be installed throughout the house. They can be connected in parallel to provide water for large appliances that are being used simultaneously.

They come in a variety of sizes for different applications including “point of use” (POU) hot water sources for remote bathrooms, laundries and hot tubs.

Tom wants to make sure that everyone knows that the hard water in West Texas reduces both conventional and tankless water heater expected life. He suggests that an experienced plumbing contractor be contacted to discuss the maintenance and expected performance for each application.

Tom Woodruff Signature Homes, www.tjwoodruff.com.