Aquanta turns your hot water heater into a smart hot water heater

[fasttimes]

I’m anxiously waiting on my Aquanta to arrive. So anxious that I’m frittering away the hours by posting a sneak-peak review of the product. BTW, I’m not associated with Aquanta in any manner, so sorry if it sounds like I’m shilling for them. I get no kickbacks or discounts of any kind.

 

The Aqunata is a small box that mounts to the top of your hot water heater. It has a enthalpy sensor that plugs into your TP port of your hot water heater. Supposedly if you can replace a sink faucet, you should be able to do this on your own. I believe the sensor measures temperature, but it might measure things as well. This sensor is plugged into the Aquanta unit. The unit comes with a cold water sensor, which you attach to your heater’s cold input supply. The unit uses these two sensors in conjunction to determine your hot water usage patterns. You can also purchase an optional leak sensor.

 

There are three different versions of Aquanta: Electric, Power-vented gas, Atmospheric gas. When ordering, you also need to tell them how tall your tank is. It should work on most newer heaters, though older gas style systems (ones without electronic control) are not supported. If you are unsure, take a picture and email support. They have a 60 day guarantee, so I wouldn’t worry about returns being an issue.

 

I have an atomospheric gas heater, and that is connected from the Aquanta unit to the COM port on the heater. The electric heater version is installed between the heater’s power supply (see the video at the end of this post). I have no idea how the Aquanta controls the gas powered vented version. I’m waiting for a response from support, even though I don’t have that type of heater. I’m just curious. Both gas versions plug into a power outlet, so make sure you have one available if you want to buy this.

 

The installation procedure looks pretty simple:

 

https://portal.aquanta.io/images/install/Aquanta_Installation_Instruction.pdf

 

Once you’ve hooked everything up, you connect to the Aquanta using it’s built in wifi hotspot using their mobile app. You then create an account online and register the unit. There are no subscription fees. It appears to be similar to the Nest model. In fact, one of the best things about this is it will work with your existing Nest thermostats. So when your house is set to “away”, it turns your heater off. The unit is supposed to learn your water usage habits (similar to Nest), and you can control your heater remotely over the internet.

 

Now why do all this? Because you can! You love gadgets, right? But energy savings is the obvious reason. I NEVER turn my heater to vacation mode, because I always forget. And I don’t want to come home to cold water after a trip. I wish Nest would have an app that scans your email and sees a travel itinerary and automatically controls your temperature so it’s at your desired levels by the time you get home. This would also turn on you hot water heater as well. I keep bugging Nest for that. But back to energy savings. This is from Aquanta’s website:

 

“Residential water heaters in the US use on average 2662 kWh (for electric water heaters) or 210 therms (for gas) of energy a year according to the US Energy Information Administration, and our data suggest that at least 20% and up to 50% of that energy in a typical home is wasted through "standby loss". We are being careful to not overpromise, and have 3rd party testing underway to more specifically quantify the saving opportunity. However, our internal studies and modeling suggest that between 10-30% of water heating energy can be saved by intelligent control through Aquanta. The economic value of intelligent control of water heaters is much higher when factoring in peak or time-of-use pricing and utility peak demand reduction and similar incentives.”

 

I’ll post pictures and possibly video after my unit arrives and is installed.

 

Their website is: https://aquanta.io

 

There is also an install video (for electric heaters) here:

 

https://youtu.be/QIyo8y7v2MU

[Teken]

I've been a long time Alpha / Beta tester for the company since the project launched. 

 

 

 

 

 

[fasttimes]

What sort of energy savings do you think you’ve obtained?

 

Does Aquanta allow you to set the desired temperate of the tank? Does this require you to put the dial at the hottest setting?

[Teken]

What sort of energy savings do you think you’ve obtained?

 

 

I might not be a good example of *How Much Savings* because my primary goal(s) has always been to limit and save energy for more than 25 years. I can offer a little more detail later on but perhaps showing you some real world hard stats would be much better. For illustration purposes only this is just a random month I selected to provide some insight.

 

The following metrics are for the hot water tank which spans many years . . .

 

You can decide whether or not what I have done has resulted in any positive changes in energy consumption.

 

I have an electric Bradford White 60 gallon tank and there are three adults who live in this home. January 2014 the HWT consumption was 217.610 KWH 

 

 

January 2015 HWT energy consumption is 147.180 KWH

 

 

January 2016 HWT energy consumption is 121.340 KWH

 

 

January 2017 HWT energy consumption is 105.940 KWH. The difference between 2014 to 2017 is 111.67 KWH

 

 

 

 

Does Aquanta allow you to set the desired temperate of the tank? 

 

The Aquanta hardware regulates when the device comes on and off. It does not directly control or manage the temperature at all. I will touch upon this a little more later on and what other elements are at play.

 

 

 

Does this require you to put the dial at the hottest setting?

 

Ideally, you set the hot water tank to the highest setting while keeping in mind safety aspects for all occupants. Meaning you will never set the TSTAT to a level that will scald little ones etc. You will of course need to balance the upper limit to ensure when hot water is called upon for baths and showers the temps are sufficient to meet WAF.

 

Let me know if you have more questions or require more insight . . . 

[fasttimes]

When did you install your Aquanta? Your graphs don’t indicate this.

 

Does the Aquanta’s sensors have the ability to determine the tank temperature?

[Teken]

When did you install your Aquanta? Your graphs don’t indicate this.

 

Does the Aquanta’s sensors have the ability to determine the tank temperature?

 

I've had three systems in place and the charts would not reflect that period of time. The system(s) were installed (approx) in 2014 and the production unit was deployed sometime in 2016.

 

The system has three probes the primary one is the *Enthalpy* which goes inside of the hot water tank. Essentially this is a super long temperature probe which can determine the amount and height of the hot water via thermal resistance.

 

A 1 Wire probe is affixed to the incoming cold water line to help calculate the metrics from draw, output, to thermal. The last 1 wire probe is currently not in use but I have stressed to the team to enable and deploy this sensor array to allow the ambient room temperature to be monitored. Doing so would allow a person to have another method to determine a out of band environmental condition like freezing due to a HVAC failure.

 

The web based portal service now includes a temperature indicator because I pushed for it to be present. 

 

There are many other elements on the *To Do List* which I hope the developers incorporate from my rolling list.  

 

[KeviNH]

Before spending money and effort on something like this, I strongly recommend collecting the data on how much you are spending on water heating, how much of that is "standby loss", and also think about whether your usage pattern is consistent enough for Aquanta to be effective. 

 

When I had a tank-type water heater, the 80 gallon tank consumed between 3 and 6 kWh/day, at a cost of $16-$25 per month, with the low end of that range being months when I was almost never home to use hot water.    I figure 3 kWh is the high end for my total standby loss for a 24 hour period, not leaving a lot of room for energy savings by trying to model my usage pattern (Aquanta suggests that standby loss is 20-50% of water heating costs and the device can save you 10-30% off the total cost of water heating).

 

For somebody who already hads an ISY994 setup for home/away and geofencing and uses an electric tank-type heater, you might want to invest $50 in an Insteon 2477SA2 relay before putting $150 towards Aquanta.  Or better yet, spend your money on a means to track how much you're spending on water heating, then decide if standby loss is even a priority.

 

All that aside, Aquanta does look pretty cool. 

[Teken]

Before spending money and effort on something like this, I strongly recommend collecting the data on how much you are spending on water heating, how much of that is "standby loss", and also think about whether your usage pattern is consistent enough for Aquanta to be effective.

 

When I had a tank-type water heater, the 80 gallon tank consumed between 3 and 6 kWh/day, at a cost of $16-$25 per month, with the low end of that range being months when I was almost never home to use hot water. I figure 3 kWh is the high end for my total standby loss for a 24 hour period, not leaving a lot of room for energy savings by trying to model my usage pattern (Aquanta suggests that standby loss is 20-50% of water heating costs and the device can save you 10-30% off the total cost of water heating).

 

For somebody who already hads an ISY994 setup for home/away and geofencing and uses an electric tank-type heater, you might want to invest $50 in an Insteon 2477SA2 relay before putting $150 towards Aquanta. Or better yet, spend your money on a means to track how much you're spending on water heating, then decide if standby loss is even a priority.

 

All that aside, Aquanta does look pretty cool.

I agree with KevinNH on several points. If the primary goal was to save money and reduce energy consumption there are many aspects that need to considered.

 

In my home the largest energy consumer has always been the HWT. In the ideal world my home should be using a tankless system which is sized appropriately. The next best solution would be a gas type HWT.

 

As KevinNH correctly noted also standby loss is another factor to be considered. Regardless of all the above the hard facts are direct savings comes from energy star appliances & changing ones usage behavior which is a lifestyle modification lots of people won't or can't do over the long run.

 

Every appliance in my home is energy star rated or exceeds the standards. With respect to the HWT my unit is super insulated from top to bottom. The high limit is set to balance real world needs and use.

 

The majority of the hot water usage is done in bulk and timed. All the laundry is washed using HFE cold water detergent which limits hot water use.

 

Every water fixture is high pressure low flow hardware which again limits hot water use. Anything that can increase hot water temperature like the dishwasher is utilized.

 

Nobody in my home squanders the water resources.

 

The Aquanta system is a great micro product to offer insight into one single appliance.

 

To add more real world value and capability an energy monitor from Brultech which ties directly in to the ISY Series Controller is really

the only way to go.

 

Remember knowing and monitoring is just the first step. The next step is energy management in such a way that is seamless and tangible to the users pocket book.

 

Lastly, ROI should not be the main driver in any of this as it will NOT pencil out in the short term.

 

This is a lifestyle change not a passing fad.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fasttimes]

I don’t do lifestyle changes

 

But I do love me gadgets. Nest has definitely saved me the cost of the units because I never adjusted my thermostats. Comparing previous years usage to before a Nest I dropped my heating and cooling bills about 25%. The Aquanta might not be worth the cost savings over the short term, but even 10% over the next 8 years should see me come out ahead. I have a gas HW heater and replaced it about 2 years ago. By the time I need a new one I’m sure every heater will have them built in. I hope Aquanta is able to license their technology before that happens. One of the reasons I bought it was because they are a local company, and I like to support my neighbors.

 

When my tank died a few years ago, I was tempted to buy an electric instant on heater. But the life of the those are significantly shorter, cost more to install, so I think I’m saving more by staying with gas. I suspect as technology improves, that will change.

[larryllix]

An excerpt from the Canadian Safety Council about this sometimes fatal attempt to save money.

 

https://canadasafetycouncil.org/home-safety/heated-debate-about-hot-water

 

 

 

Bacteria

In 2000, the Walkerton disaster had sent a wake-up call about the safety of Canada’s drinking water. While standards for domestic hot water must consider scald prevention, they must also address the broad spectrum of public health and safety issues. To minimize bacteria contamination, water must be stored at 60 C or higher. 

For example, temperatures under 50 C may increase the risk of Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, due to bacterial growth in the tank. That disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which live in water. Temperature is a critical factor for Legionella to grow. The risk of colonization in hot water tanks is significant between 40 and 50 C. 

Legionella bacteria most often enter the lungs due to aspiration. (Aspiration means choking such that secretions in the mouth bypass the choking reflexes and enter the lung.) Drinking contaminated water is not a major cause of Legionnaire’s disease. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 8,000 to 18,000 Americans contract the disease annually. Five to 30 percent of the cases are fatal. While Canada has no national statistics, Hydro-Québec says about 100 people a year are hospitalized in that province for pneumonia caused by contaminated residential water heaters.

[io_guy]

Agree with Larry on this.  There are an endless number of articles on the web about the dangers of a low temperature in a hot water tank.  Do a quick Google on Legionnaire's Disease.

 

Keep your tank above 130 or better yet go tankless.  Turning off a tank is pure stupidity.

[larryllix]

IIRC there was a two year study involving testing on hot water heaters in Quebec Canada, some years back after the Legionnaire deaths disaster.

 

After some confusion why about 40% of all hot water heater tanks contained Legionella bacteria accumulations, it was discovered that electrical hot water tanks were the offenders. Electrical hot water heaters typically contain a zone below the immersion, or strap heaters, that contains cooler temperature water, enabling   bacteria to breed quite easily. Gas water heaters are typically heated from the bottom and do not contain this same zone for bacteria to breed,

 

Excerpt from wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionnaires%27_disease

 

"Legionnaires' disease acquired its name in July 1976, when an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among people attending a convention of the American Legion at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. Of the 182 reported cases, mostly men, 29 died"

[apostolakisl]

The legionella issue, has, I believe only been tested when the hot water tank is consistently set to a lower temp.  I'm not sure if anyone has tested this when you periodically (like a couple times per day), heat it up, then let it cool.

 

Please realize that I am not endorsing any method of temp control on your hot water tank and am only speculating.

 

However, it is often the case with bacteria that a fluctuating environment (temp goes up and down) is more hostile than a steady state environment.  I also read that 140 (60C) kills legionella in 32 minutes.  (I know this is true because it is on the internet )

 

If it were me, I would be cautious.  But at the very least, I would set the tank to a good hot temp so when it is on, it gets hot enough to kill the bacteria.  You may also consider putting a mixing valve on the hot water outlet to prevent scald injuries.  Then you could set the tank to go up to 150 while on but have the water delivered at 120 to 130.  You'll also be able to take a longer shower when the water is hotter and you mix in cold water.

 

For myself, I have all tankless. . . .no idle time heat losses at all.

 

EDIT:  Also, consider that you may not really be saving as much money as you think.  It appears you are in Canada, and that means you are probably heating your house most of the year.  I assume your hot water tank is inside your house, so the heat loss is lost into the house, which you are heating anyway.  Now the hot water heater may not be as efficient as your furnace at heating your house, but still . . . .

[Teken]

The legionella issue, has, I believe only been tested when the hot water tank is consistently set to a lower temp.  I'm not sure if anyone has tested this when you periodically (like a couple times per day), heat it up, then let it cool.

 

Please realize that I am not endorsing any method of temp control on your hot water tank and am only speculating.

 

However, it is often the case with bacteria that a fluctuating environment (temp goes up and down) is more hostile than a steady state environment.  I also read that 140 (60C) kills legionella in 32 minutes.  (I know this is true because it is on the internet )

 

If it were me, I would be cautious.  But at the very least, I would set the tank to a good hot temp so when it is on, it gets hot enough to kill the bacteria.  You may also consider putting a mixing valve on the hot water outlet to prevent scald injuries.  Then you could set the tank to go up to 150 while on but have the water delivered at 120 to 130.  You'll also be able to take a longer shower when the water is hotter and you mix in cold water.

 

For myself, I have all tankless. . . .no idle time heat losses at all.

 

EDIT:  Also, consider that you may not really be saving as much money as you think.  It appears you are in Canada, and that means you are probably heating your house most of the year.  I assume your hot water tank is inside your house, so the heat loss is lost into the house, which you are heating anyway.  Now the hot water heater may not be as efficient as your furnace at heating your house, but still . . . .

 

I've seen and read various comments about the whole legionella issue and can't name a time this is something that has impacted people I know personally or those indirectly. I guess the question comes down to how people are using the water are people actually ingesting the water??

 

In my home we don't drink any water from the tap and of course not from the hot water tank.

 

Even though our city has one of the safest and clean water in North America my SOP has always been to boil the tap water and than consume it. The water is drawn from the cold side and not the hot water side. Maybe its just me but it really makes little sense drinking water from a hot water tank given the amount of debris that accumulates over the long run.

 

Which goes back directly to how many people or in this case the lack thereof complete an annual flush and fill.

 

I can guarantee that the percentage of people who got so called poisoned and sick from these HWT are the same people who consumed water from the tank. They are the same people who have NEVER flushed and filled their tank on a annual basis. Or based on how hard the water content is never mind these are the same people who have NEVER completed a annual inspection of their GDO.

 

I would put these people at zero for completing any of the two above . . .

 

Regardless of the above the Aquanta system is a micro device which provides insight to consumption with out the need for other more expensive energy monitoring devices if they are not present. The Aquanta company will need to change their business philosophy and direction if they intend to capture the market though. As their current business model is a none starter for those of us who are cloud adverse or who seek direct API connectivity.

 

I'll never understand how so called smart people can't grasp this basic principle . . .

[apostolakisl]

I've seen and read various comments about the whole legionella issue and can't name a time this is something that has impacted people I know personally or those indirectly. I guess the question comes down to how people are using the water are people actually ingesting the water??

 

In my home we don't drink any water from the tap and of course not from the hot water tank.

 

Even though our city has one of the safest and clean water in North America my SOP has always been to boil the tap water and than consume it. The water is drawn from the cold side and not the hot water side. Maybe its just me but it really makes little sense drinking water from a hot water tank given the amount of debris that accumulates over the long run.

 

Which goes back directly to how many people or in this case the lack thereof complete an annual flush and fill.

 

I can guarantee that the percentage of people who got so called poisoned and sick from these HWT are the same people who consumed water from the tank. They are the same people who have NEVER flushed and filled their tank on a annual basis. Or based on how hard the water content is never mind these are the same people who have NEVER completed a annual inspection of their GDO.

 

I would put these people at zero for completing any of the two above . . .

 

Regardless of the above the Aquanta system is a micro device which provides insight to consumption with out the need for other more expensive energy monitoring devices if they are not present. The Aquanta company will need to change their business philosophy and direction if they intend to capture the market though. As their current business model is a none starter for those of us who are cloud adverse or who seek direct API connectivity.

 

I'll never understand how so called smart people can't grasp this basic principle . . .

Legionella pneumonia occurs when you inhale the bacteria.  This happens when you shower and micro-droplets get in the air.  To the best of my knowledge taking into your GI tract does not cause disease.

 

And true for me, I have never known anyone who get legionnella.  But it happens.  If you are otherwise in good shape, you will likely recover just fine, but if you are elderly or otherwise compromised, there is a reasonable chance of death.

[Teken]

Legionella pneumonia occurs when you inhale the bacteria.  This happens when you shower and micro-droplets get in the air.  To the best of my knowledge taking into your GI tract does not cause disease.

 

And true for me, I have never known anyone who get legionnella.  But it happens.  If you are otherwise in good shape, you will likely recover just fine, but if you are elderly or otherwise compromised, there is a reasonable chance of death.

 

A *Flush & Fill* would be high on the list for those concerned about such issues. Even if that wasn't top of mind a flush & fill will extend the service life of the HWT. I can tell you every year when I do it the sight of that orange goo is truly disgusting!

[larryllix]

I have experienced the same thing as a neighbour in the last few years.

 

Shu your hot water heater off and vacation for a week or two.

Arrive home and have a shower wondering why the single handle lever has to be further to the hot side.

Water goes cold prematurely while in the shower and then you remember you turned the hotwater tank off

Turn tank heater back on.

 

Now I run tankless and they have their own problems but saving money by turning the hotwater heater off each day may save you a few pennies in energy per year. The ROI will be never.

 

 

Modern insulation has made these techniques fairly obsolete. I dropped my home from 23 down to 17 degrees while on vacation in December. The house took four days to reach the 6 degree C drop temperature and the ouside temperature was about -10 each day and completely overcast with snow storms.

[KeviNH]

I don’t do lifestyle changes

I do the opposite of lifestyle changes -- I went with a gas-fired tankless to remove the need to adjust my lifestyle around hot water tank capacity.

 

When my tank died a few years ago, I was tempted to buy an electric instant on heater. But the life of the those are significantly shorter, cost more to install, so I think I’m saving more by staying with gas.

It is tough to supply an electric tankless with sufficient wattage for a single unit to serve as a whole house solution (Here's a handy chart)

 

IMHO, best application of Electric "instant" is as a  "point of use" device, like the suicide heaters you see attached to shower heads in less safety-conscious countries. 

 

[apostolakisl]

I do the opposite of lifestyle changes -- I went with a gas-fired tankless to remove the need to adjust my lifestyle around hot water tank capacity.

 

It is tough to supply an electric tankless with sufficient wattage for a single unit to serve as a whole house solution (Here's a handy chart)

 

IMHO, best application of Electric "instant" is as a  "point of use" device, like the suicide heaters you see attached to shower heads in less safety-conscious countries. 

Totally agree.  If you look at their whole house unit for 3 or 4 baths, that bugger pulls 150 amps.  That is a crazy lot of electricityfor one appliance in a residential setting.

 

I was looking at putting in an electric point of use for a sink that is kind of far from the water heater so I can wash my hands in warm water.  To me, that is about the only reasonable electric tankless.

[larryllix]

Totally agree.  If you look at their whole house unit for 3 or 4 baths, that bugger pulls 150 amps.  That is a crazy lot of electricityfor one appliance in a residential setting.

 

I was looking at putting in an electric point of use for a sink that is kind of far from the water heater so I can wash my hands in warm water.  To me, that is about the only reasonable electric tankless.

The manufacturers like to stretch the figures also. They base incoming water temperatures on cold water at 65 F degrees. I live on a well and the incoming water comes in at about 45 F degrees. With a limit on the BTUHR capacity, and a usable flow rate, that limits the temperature rise that can be performed.

 

With a huge draw like 150 amperes you will also not be getting the full 120 volts at the appliance either. Since power is the square of the voltage divided by the resistance the voltage drop becomes very significant to the BTUHR capacity, and lowers all these BTU heating figures much more than rated in the sales propaganda.

[apostolakisl]

The manufacturers like to stretch the figures also. They base incoming water temperatures on cold water at 65 F degrees. I live on a well and the incoming water comes in at about 45 F degrees. With a limit on the BTUHR capacity, and a usable flow rate, that limits the temperature rise that can be performed.

 

With a huge draw like 150 amperes you will also not be getting the full 120 volts at the appliance either. Since power is the square of the voltage divided by the resistance the voltage drop becomes very significant to the BTUHR capacity, and lowers all these BTU heating figures much more than rated in the sales propaganda

That is 150 amps at 240v, not 120.  

 

The electric company hates that kind of thing.  Huge draws for super short periods of time means lots of capacity that sits idle most of the time.

 

Not sure I understand your power calc.  I would say that power is volts time current and if you have ample gauge wire, you shouldn't see any voltage drop.  But that is another consideration, you'll need to pull 1/0 wire from your panel to your heater.  The wire could cost you more than the heater.

[larryllix]

That is 150 amps at 240v, not 120.

 

The electric company hates that kind of thing. Huge draws for super short periods of time means lots of capacity that sits idle most of the time.

 

Not sure I understand your power calc. I would say that power is volts time current and if you have ample gauge wire, you shouldn't see any voltage drop. But that is another consideration, you'll need to pull 1/0 wire from your panel to your heater. The wire could cost you more than the heater.

The resistance of the element is constant, basically butvwhen the voltage drops do does the current. V x A means that the power consumed is proportionsl to the suare of the voltage divided by the resistance.

 

Eg. Drop the voltage to half and the power draw drops to one quarter. This is s problem with heating loads made for 240v running on 208v.

 

Most circuits are designed to have less than 10% voltage drop but when the street supplies you with 10% low the power drop becomes more than most would think.

 

Square 0.80 and you get your resultant with legal specs. 64% of the rated power

 

Sent from my SGH-I257M using Tapatalk

[fasttimes]

I’m just glad that I ordered natural gas for hot water, stove and dryer.

[Teken]

Once the system is connected and up and running please do follow up how the NEST integration works out. I have a friend who is eager to read your review of the two systems married together. He has absolutely nothing right now and would like to move forward with something that integrates well together. 

 

RE: Gas dryer -> I won't lie I've never been a fan of gas appliances. Having said this for hot water and heating nothing beats NG in terms of value per cost ratio. 

 

At some point a hybrid system will be incorporated into my system because this electric HWT is simply a pig. 

[Ajax]

Back in when I lived in South Africa this is how we had hot water! As a kid that was your job in the evenings to fire it up so we could all have hot showers, it was called a "Hot Water Donkey"

 

 

Then we switched to tankless propane, I have built 3 homes in the USA and would never install anything besides a tankless NG system especially with 3 kids....not running out of hot water by the time I get to shower is worth the cost!