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Old 08-03-12, 06:30 PM   #11
strider3700
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picture this stuff
Amazon.com: WATERHEATER BLANKET: Home Improvement

with white plastic on one side and the shiny foil on the other. foil side goes in. It comes with a narrow strip so hat the foil is actually spaced off of the tank to give a bit of an air space. How they determined that it's R5 I have no idea. It just has a big R5 on the packaging

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Old 08-03-12, 06:59 PM   #12
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I have my doubts about it's R Value. I'm assuming that they are making the assumption based on it's reflective properties. Is the cavity you mentioned air sealed? Otherwise it's just a big gap for any temperature air to move through.

Recently I was talking with a home owner who was thinking about installing vinyl siding under the influence of a "contractor" who was also an "engineer". He mentioned one of the perks of vinyl siding to be that it has rigid foam insulation under it which increases the efficiency of the house. He didn't mention, or maybe even understand, several important facts: One, the foam used is so thin that it basically has no value as insulation. Two, it simply lays against the existing siding, which is never flat, and outside air moves quite freely behind it. Three, that the foam is not air sealed to adjacent pieces, so again there is massive air leakage negating any possible value as insulation. And fourth, it's there simply to smooth out any uneven surfaces so the siding isn't bumpy or wavy.

Oooh, Shiny Stuff!
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Old 08-03-12, 07:08 PM   #13
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Yeah I have my doubts about the rating as well. I have previously noticed an improvement using similar wrap on part of my old heater however so I decided to do it again. I'll see if I can find the link to my measurements when I partially wrapped the old one.

If you install with what they provide then no you don't have an air seal. I taped every joint with that foil duct tape I've been using to seal my furnace ducting. It's basically now a big airtight shiny bubblewrap bag that is taped to the bottom of the Tank. Very little air movement should be happening.

The only time I replaced siding with vinyl we stripped the old wood off and wrapped the house in 1-1/2" foam taping the joints. I assumed that's how it was always done.
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Old 08-03-12, 07:14 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by strider3700 View Post
The only time I replaced siding with vinyl we stripped the old wood off and wrapped the house in 1-1/2" foam taping the joints. I assumed that's how it was always done.
I have never seen that done. Not once. And I take siding off of houses every day. There's always something under the foam that I find much more pleasing than the vinyl.
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Old 08-03-12, 08:31 PM   #15
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Well my dad's the carpenter and it was his house.

Now that I think about it my first house was a mobile where they had stripped the aluminum and put foam then vinyl on the outside. I don't remember if it was taped at the seams though.
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Old 08-07-12, 10:50 AM   #16
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I emailed the manufacturer about top vs bottom entry

They responded
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The information provided to you is slightly incorrect.
There have been some new energy efficiency requirements for the province of BC which has changed the list of tanks available in BC.
There are still top entry models available in British Columbia.
The 60 gallon tank is available with a top entry in BC.

The Watt loss per hour is what determines whether a tank is available in BC or not.

The 60 gallon top entry has a watt loss of 75 Watts / hour
The 60 gallon bottom entry has a watt loss of 96 Watts / hour

The top entry is slightly more efficient.
I need to look but if I remember correctly the top entry 60 with a loss of 75 watts is a longer warranty model which probably means more insulation.
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Old 08-07-12, 11:31 AM   #17
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Ok I found the spec sheet. The bottom entry 6 year base model is 91 watts standing loss. The top entry 6 year base model is 91 watts. the 6 year top entry comfort smart model is 75 watts. the 9 year top entry base model is 75 watts. Looking at the measurements the 9 year and the comfort smart models are both larger in dimension which probably means more insulation...

So there is no real gain by going to a bottom entry. Our government is just legislating the really inefficient ones out which is a shame because the price difference between a 6 and a 9 year was close to $150 but the insulation difference can easily be made up for $50.
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Old 08-09-12, 01:12 PM   #18
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...legislating the really inefficient ones out which is a shame because the price difference between a 6 and a 9 year was close to $150...
I'll bet you fifteen cents (US) that within two years of the phase-out, the higher performers (of the standard you saw above) will become cheaper, and will be priced similar to what the low performers are now, and that ultra-high performers will be introduced to fill the higher priced tier.

If you can improve the insulation on a water heater for $50, a manufacturer can do it for $5 or less, due to economy of scale.

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