Essency EXR On-Demand Tank Water Heater

Color TV. Microwave Ovens. Smart Phones.
Before they existed, there were perfectly acceptable predecessors. No one minded watching black and white TV shows, spending hours preparing a meal, or talking for hours on the kitchen phone. They were all incredible conveniences, but there was room for improvement.

Nick’s Plumbing Introduces the Essency EXR On-Demand Tank-Type Water Heater

The water heater is probably the most important and most-used appliance in any home. It takes endless abuse from mineral rich hard water that leaves behind layers of sediment, ages faster than it should from a lack of maintenance, plus it takes forever for the water to get hot.
Imagine a tank-type water heater that you only fill once, never have to maintain, and that provides instant hot water when you open the tap.
You’re imagining the Essency EXR On-Demand tank-type water heater. Developed over the last decade, this product combines the standby heating of a tank-type water heater, the efficiency of a tankless that only heats water as needed and incorporates new features never before available in any water heater. 

Water Heaters Haven’t Changed Much in 100 Years

Since the invention of the residential tank-type water heater in the mid-1930s, they have remained essentially unchanged. They’re still giant steel tanks filled with any metal’s mortal enemy—water. We ask these tanks to hold between 40 and 100 gallons of its own version of Kryptonite that is repeatedly heated, drained, refilled and re-heated again and again for decades.
The repetitive temperature changes cause the metal in the tank to expand and contract, with this flexing creating minuscule cracks in the metal tank. Water begins to seep into these cracks, causing the metal shell to start to rust, creating water leaks that continue to waste water until you replace it or it bursts. One of the two will happen.

What About Tankless Water Heaters?

Tankless water heaters have increased in popularity in the last decade, but at Nick’s Plumbing, 80% of our water heater installations are still for tank-type units. The primary reason is the initial cost of installing a tankless unit versus a tank-type can run as high as $5,000 depending on make and model. Additional costs to expect with a tank-type to the tankless conversion will be the plumbing renovations that will be necessary to connect your unit.
Tankless water heater manufacturers choose to highlight features like endless hot water or on-demand hot water. Half of this statement is valid for a tankless unit straight out of the box. Since the tankless unit has no storage tank, the water is heated by passing it across several steel heating elements before sending it to the tap. You’ll have hot water if the elements remain hot and the water keeps flowing.

The On-Demand Hot Water Myth of Tankless Units

The idea of instant hot water is the other myth often associated with promoting tankless units, and it’s a fantastic marketing tool that often disappoints new tankless owners. You could also say your current tank-type water heater provides on demand hot water, and that’s an accurate statement. When you “demand” hot water by turning on the faucet, the water heater sends it. Trouble is, tankless water heaters suffer from the same problem as their tank-type ancestors.
When the hot water tap gets turned off, the hot water gets trapped between the heater and the faucet. When the tap is next opened, the water in the line will have cooled and needs to escape and get out of the hot water’s way.
For tankless units to deliver instant hot water, a costly re-circulating pump and additional water lines will need to be installed.

Why Not Combine the Best of Both Systems?

Well, that’s what Essency has done. In 2010 they began investigating innovative alternative solutions to residential hot water delivery. Shocked by the overall inefficiency, poor performance, and the realization that water heater technology never made any solid progress, Essency knew there had to be a better way. Their goal was a storage-tank water heater that would not rust and could also provide both on-demand and instant hot water.

The Essency EXR is the First On-Demand Tank-Type Water Heater!

Well, it’s technically a tank-type water heater, except that this tank never empties.
Instead of being made of steel, the Essency EXR Water Heater uses an anti-microbial polymer composite that isn’t broken down by water and has a three times longer lifespan than metal. When your Essency EXR is installed, the tank is filled once, and that same water remains for its entire lifespan. The tank’s pair of 4,500-watt heating elements are made of high-quality titanium and brass that maintain a temperature range of 150°F to 158°F.
The stored heat in the water tank is transferred via the 199,990 BTU heat exchanger with an impressive 80-gallon-per-hour flow rate at a set temperature. When you open a hot water tap, the home’s cold water supply is run through the titanium heat exchanger, where heat from the water in the storage tank is transferred to the water coming from the tap.

Key Features That Make the Essency EXR On Demand Water Heater Different

1. AC Powered

The Essency EXR uses a 240-volt electrical connection to power its dual 4500-watt heating elements, so there’s no worrying about pilot lights or gas leaks.

2. Internally Insulated

You’ve probably heard that wrapping your water heater with insulation during winter is a good idea, and it’s true. The Essency EXR takes care of that for you by surrounding its internal 55-gallon tank with high-density foam insulation, resulting in an additional energy saving through reduced standby heat losses.

3. Maintenance Free

If you’ve read other water heater-related pages on this website, you’ll notice that we always advocate for customers to keep up on water heater maintenance. With the Essency EXR, the water never leaves the plastic tank, so there’s no opportunity for scale or mold growth.
There’s also no metal in the tank, so there won’t be any rust or corrosion to be concerned with, so say goodbye to replacing corroded anode rods and smelly hot water.

4. 20-Year Transferrable Tank Warranty

No matter who owns the home for the next twenty years, Essency guarantees their EXR tank against failure. 6-year warranty of the rest of the unit. Industry-leading warranty.

5. Of Course, it Has an App!

The MyEssency app allows the homeowner to adjust the water heater directly via the installed touch screen or from any wi-fi-connected device. MyEssency will boost tank temperatures to maximum just before peak time of day usage, will monitor your hot water system for leaks, and turn off the water if one is detected.
Monitor water temperature, and hot water usage, change set temperatures, and even turn the water heater off when you are away for a while. Don’t worry about the pipes freezing. Essency EXR will automatically turn itself back on when it detects temperatures low enough to be of concern.

Call Nick’s Plumbing for More Information About Essency EXR!

Are you interested in determining if the Essency EXR water heater is a good fit for your home in Houston? Call Nick’s Plumbing today to set up an appointment with one of our licensed and experienced plumbing technicians  who can answer your questions, determine the proper sized model, and show you how to enjoy the enhanced features of your new EXR.

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