Available beginning this spring, the shoebox-size HeatWorks water heater from ISI Technology features unique technology that protects it from common water heater issues.
Instead of convection to heat water, HeatWorks passes an electrical current through graphite electrodes. The water’s electrical resistance heats itself. “By using this technology, we don’t have elements that fail due to overheating or deposited minerals,” says company CEO Jerry Callahan.
Small enough to tuck into a cabinet, Callahan says it’s less expensive to install several HeatWorks appliances, with cold water piping and wiring where they’re needed, than to maintain a storage water heater and run hot and cold water all over the house.
“Eighty-gallon water heaters don’t have 80 gallons of usable hot water,” Callahan says. “When hot water is removed, it’s replaced with cold water… that needs to come to temperature again.” HeatWorks can use the pre-heated water from the household supply and heat it to the right temperature when needed. This can extend a storage water heater’s usable capacity by 25% to 35%, Callahan says. And not having to wait for cold water to pull through the pipes first means HeatWorks can offer 40% energy savings and 10% water savings.
