“How do I choose which Takagi Water Heater to use?”

Light Residential Usage:

A typical situation would be two people living in a small home, condominium or apartment with one bathroom, a washing machine and maybe a dishwasher. The Takagi T-KJr. will supply enough hot water to run both the shower and one of those appliances at the same time, provided the incoming water is wall above 40°F, otherwise you may have to run only one fixture at a time.

Standard Residential Usage:

If you have a family or say five people and you live in a mid-sized home, eg; two parents working full-time, and three teenagers.. (shower hogs), two showers and a sink or a washer could well be in use simultaneously each weekday; i.e. in the morning when everyone is getting ready for work or school. If this describes your family, the T-K3 is the best choice provide the showers are low-flow (2.0 to 2.5 GPM) and incoming water is around 50°F or higher. For warmer water 60°F or higher, two showers and one appliance can easily be used at the same time without anyone screaming that their water is going cold.

Heavy Residential or Commercial Usage:

This would be larger homes with three or more showers being used simultaneously. It could also include a single master bathroom having a shower with multiple heads or body sprays. For this situation you need to work out the exact maximum flow rate, using the flow chart for the T-K3, T-M32 or the T-M50, (not currently stocked) or the T-H2-DV, T-H2-OS. The chart will help you work out which Takagi water heater is best for your application and possibly how many of them you will need.
In most situations the T-M32, the T-M1 and the T-H2-DV will supply three to four showers at once, provided the incoming water temperature is not too low. Using low flow shower heads can have a huge benefit as well, as you will notice when you work with the chart.

If you decide you need a higher flow, multiple T-K3, T-M32, T-M1, T-M50 or T-H2-DV, T-H2-OS units will provide more than enough hot water. To work out the exact number:

1. Add up all of the flow rates of all the hot-water fixtures and appliances.
2. Multiply by the “usage factor” which will probably be between 30% & 60%.
3. Determine your ideal output temperature, it is usually 122°F for residential use. It is also the default temperature setting for Takagi water heaters.
4. Select your coldest water temperature, summer is easy, winter creates the biggest temperature increase and will determine your output flow. The Flow Rate is the expected maximum rate of hot water flow of all fixtures that you think will be in use at peak-demand times. Don’t under-rate, work on a worst case scenario, like when you have guests or the kids have sleep-overs.

Remember: Although your home may have two or three bathrooms but only one or two occupants right now, this number may increase if your family changes or decide to sell. Size for the house, rather than the number of occupants.

Here is an overview of some of the most powerful units in the Takagi line, to help you chose the right one for larger situation:

• T-K3: Relatively small…easy installation without needing the TM-RE20 multi-unit controller, you can connect up to four units per application…convertible to direct vent. Inside or outside units available plus the T-K3-SP for boosting Solar hot water.
• T-M32: Higher maximum flow rate than the T-K3…connect up to 20 units with the MC01…convertible to direct vent.
• T-M1: Slightly higher flow than the T-M32, can be connected to up to 20 units. Propane only.
• T-H2: The most energy efficient gas tankless water heater on the market, offering upto 95% efficiency on Propane.
• T-M50: The biggest gas Takagi tankless water heater available. Mostly commercial use but great for big houses.