We asked a couple of questions regarding innovation whether it be through manufacturing, engineering and product development. Here are verbatim answers:

“To further support corporate sustainability initiatives and ensure that facilities adhere to local regulation, we are introducing new models that will have lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants. 

“Newly patented X3 Scale Prevention Technology is being integrated into our tankless gas units to extend the life of heat exchangers and eliminate efficiency loss over time due to scale build-up. 

“Our mobile app connects to the A. O. Smith iCOMM Remote Monitoring Platform and allows service professionals and homeowners to remotely monitor and control their water heaters to improve performance, increase savings and reduce downtime.” 

— Robert Aldrich, Residential Segment Development Leader, A.O. Smith  

“Our exclusive Vitraglas enamel tank lining provides unsurpassed protection from the corrosive effects of water. Our tank lining, now with Microban, an antimicrobial technology, provides additional product protection by helping to protect the growth of bacterial, mold and mildew on the surface of the tank lining. The enamel tank lining and product features are effective for the lifetime of our water heaters and included as standard equipment on nearly all Bradford White tank water heaters.” 

—Rebecca Owens, senior communications manager, Bradford White Corp.  

“We managed to engineer several groundbreaking components for our Electron series, which was first unveiled to the public at AHR earlier this year. The Electron units use a CO₂-based refrigerant (R744) paired with a specially designed water-propylene-glycol based thermal battery. The R744 refrigerant is environmentally friendly, with an extremely low Global Warming Potential of 1. It has superior heat transfer characteristics compared to synthetic refrigerants. It’s a naturally occurring substance and abundant in the atmosphere, and it’s safe because it’s non-flammable and non-toxic. The specially-designed thermal battery stores heat energy and enables heating water on-demand without the need to store large quantities of potable water.  

“All of our products are tankless, and the simple act of eliminating stored water greatly reduces the potential for Legionella. We recently introduced the Legionator, which is the world’s first point-of-use disinfecting tankless water heater. It reduces the potential for Legionella at point-of-use fixtures by using a built-in ozone generator and scale-free heating using quartz tubes. As hot water is exiting the unit, ozone gas is injected into the water. This has two effects: 1) it kills the bacteria in water; and 2) the ozone is also carried in the water to the faucets to kill the bacteria present within the faucet valve seats and aerators.” 

—Amy Turner, director of marketing, Intellihot, Inc.  

“As one of the leaders in the industry, Navien is always implementing new ways to improve efficiency and quality in both our products, including, better manufacturing processes, sourcing quality raw materials, implementing automation and setting high quality standards.  

“Navien has always been a leader in tankless water heaters with our built-in recirculation pump plus buffer tank, which addresses issues such as hot water delivery time and inconsistent flow rates.” 

—Chia Lin, product manager, water heaters, Navien, Inc.  

“Rheem Thermaforce Platform’s patented, labyrinth aluminum block heat exchanger with integrated copper waterways reduces thermal stress on copper tubing limiting lime scale and damage. (Platform consists of combi boilers, boilers and tankless water heaters.) 

“Rheem’s AllClear Water Treatment system is an optional accessory for the Rheem tankless water heater portfolio designed to help prevent scale from building up in the heat exchanger. This device is installed on the cold-water line just prior to the tankless water heater. As water passes through the filter cartridge located inside the clear plastic casing, a treatment medium slowly dissolves into the water supply to provide scale protection. 

“Additionally, Rheem tankless gas water heaters notify the homeowner through the Rheem EcoNet app and the on-unit display of both hard water and maintenance alerts.” 

—Ashley Pincott, senior product marketing manager, Rheem

“Scaling due to hard water minerals can be an issue in tankless water heaters. Our Direct Coil heating system in our newest electric tankless water heaters was designed to help prevent limescale buildup. The heating coil in our Direct Coil system was carefully engineered to noiselessly vibrate every time the water heater activates. This self-cleaning action vibrates any minerals that may have settled on the heating coils. While not preventing liming in every situation, these are the models to install in hard water areas. 

“In addition, we sell a Template Assisted Crystallization water conditioning system that has been proven to provide protection against scaling in the entire hot water system without the use of salts or other chemicals.  

“While not exactly a new development — as we invented and patented the technology decades ago — the DHC-E Plus series is the first point-of-use model to include our Advanced Flow Control. This technology guarantees hot water at the set temperature, extending what has been an exclusive feature of our whole house models to point-of-use models that guarantee water at the set temperature for multiple sinks at the same time.” 

—Julius Goodman, head of marketing, Stiebel Eltron Inc.