A condensing gas water heater differs significantly from a standard gas storage heater. A standard heater is a water tank sitting on top of a burner with the flue running straight from the bottom and exiting through the top. The flue in a condensing unit is designed with a larger surface area and an indirect route through the tank. This allows the heat from combustion gases to travel longer before exiting the tank, transferring an increased amount of heat to the water while using the same amount of energy.

 

The BTU rating on condensing heaters is higher than on standard heaters, allowing much faster recovery time in addition to it’s increased efficiency. This combination allows a 50 gallon condensing heater to provide more hot water than a 75 gallon standard gas heater, while having the energy costs of a standard 50 gallon gas water heater. These heaters are ideal for homes with hot water circulating systems, large soaking tubs, or any other high volume hot water usage.