M&E contractors and consultants that can offer water heating solutions as part of the specification process can position themselves as knowledgeable and competitive players in today's difficult market. Nick Taylor outlines the most popular types of water heating solutions.
Tailoring a water heating system to meet the needs of an individual business doesn't have to be complicated. There are a number of solutions available to provide hot water for hand washing, showering and drinking.


Using modern methods of water heating such as on-wall boiling systems or instantaneous water heating units can result in significant financial savings and a lower carbon footprint.

Wall-mounted instant boiling systems save energy, improve workplace efficiency and are an attractive option for use in offices, factories, schools and a host of other applications. Instant water delivery means that there is less time wasted waiting for hot drinks, particularly at times of peak demand, such as structured tea breaks.

Counter-mounted taps are a more contemporary solution and suit a wide variety of applications, including office kitchens and breakout areas. Counter-mounted taps are up to 40 per cent more energy efficient than kettles. They instantly dispense the amount of water required whenever needed. This eliminates time wasted waiting for the kettle to boil and reduces energy usage.

Reducing costs

The latest versions of both counter and wall-mounted systems can also dispense chilled filtered water, replacing the bottled water cooler. This further reduces costs, waste and admin and frees up commercial space.

Waiting for hot water from central heating systems can take time and wastes water, as users have to draw off a certain amount of water before it reaches the desired temperature. Instantaneous systems heat the water close to the point of delivery which makes them an energy efficient and cost effective way of providing hot water for hand washing and showering in commercial premises.

Many manufactures now offer instantaneous hand wash units that can sit underneath the sink and out of view. Instantaneous systems eliminate the standing heat losses associated with storage water heaters as well as energy and water wastage associated with long pipe runs.

In fact, up to 43 Watts of energy per metre can be lost as hot water travels through pipe work, with further energy wasted after draw-off as the pipes cool down.

Many instantaneous models have bare-wire heating elements, which offer faster heat up times and increased efficiency as the heating element is positioned directly in the water flow path. Market-leading units also have sophisticated electronics which continually monitor and adjust the power required to maintain the set temperature, compensating for variations in supply pressure or temperature.