When it comes to a commercial environment, the demand for hot water is more often than not constant and substantial, especially when compared to residential water heaters. Commercial water heater systems are specifically designed to provide industrial businesses with an efficient and reliable supply of hot water across multiple outlets, making them ideal for various applications that may require a water heater for commercial use.
Our article below will explain how they work in commercial settings, along with the top brands across Canada that offer and support large-scale water heaters for businesses.
What to look for in water heaters
Choosing the right commercial hot water heater is crucial, as getting one that may not suit your needs can lead to large problems later down the line. In commercial settings, as mentioned before, managing large-scale heating demands while being easy to maintain is important. Choosing the right system for your needs, whether it’s for a hotel or resort that may use hot water for guests, pools, spas, etc. Industrial settings utilize hot water for cleaning, processing, or production operations that require precise temperature control. Hospitals may use hot water needs for sterilization, kitchens, laboratories, and patient care areas, as examples.
With that in mind, when choosing a proper fit for your needs, take into account the aspects needed such as the size of the building, the required hot water volume use that you’re expecting to go through, and the available energy sources. Essentially you should focus on:
- Capacity: How much is the system capable of efficiently handling during a peak demand?
- Compatibility: Not all systems are the same and they may not be compatible with your current setups. Look for systems that can integrate with renewable energy sources for water heaters for commercial use.
- Water quality and location: Across Canada hard water is an issue, which can be more of a dilemma when it comes to using it commercially. Opt for any systems that are specifically engineered to handle hard water that will reduce scale accumulation and prevents corrosion.
- Durability and maintenance: Durability is an important factor to keep in mind, but so is maintenance. Look for a system that is low maintenance and can be easily upkept without having to decrease much production time for cleaning and other technical issues that may arise over time.
Our methodology
When looking for commercial water heaters, the brand and system you’re looking for can be complex and require a lot of research to find the correct information for what you’re looking for.
For our research, we researched some of the most popular and well-reviewed commercial hot water brands across Canada that cover a variety of needs and other things that you may want to know when searching for commercial hot water heaters. Consistent and efficient run time, energy efficiency, warranties, hard water scale reduction features, maintenance, and more factors that are taken into consideration and accounted for.
Canada’s best commercial water heaters
Rheem
Features
Rheem offers a complete line of heavy and light duty commercial hot water heaters for all of your commercial needs. Their products feature a diverse range of tank components in the industry, including glass, stainless steel, and polybutylene. They strive to meet whatever your hot water needs and requirements demand. They also offer a CertiSpec tool that can help quickly specify, select, and document all of your Rheem equipment tools. Rheem has been in the industry for over 100 years, innovating and designing their range and hot water heaters that work for commercial and industrial applications, along with a great customer support system that allows customers to reach out and ask questions when needed, along with any suggestions or advice that you might have when looking up any of their products.
Bradford White
Features
Bradford White offers multiple kinds of industrial hot water heaters including gas, electric, indirect water heaters, tankless water heaters, and also storage tanks as well for any commercial application where a high demand of water is required to work alongside their large volume water heaters. Their durable stock tanks come in a variety of capacities, including jacketed and unjacketed (with or without topcoating), it can also be custom made for your needs. Bradford White innovates, engineers, and manufactures high quality water, space heating, and storage products installed for millions of customers across the country. They have history dating back to 1881, they have evolved over the years and over decades have product refinements to introduce some of the most high-performing, technologically advanced, and energy-saving productions.
Lochinvar
Features
Lochinvar provides a large selection of commercial gas-fired water heaters each delivering innovative functionality and efficient performance. They offer a wide range of options all designed to meet the unique needs and demands of commercial applications. They offer commercial circulating condensing gas water heaters, circulating non-condensing gas hot water heaters, gas tank-type water heaters, and electric models as well. There are commercial boilers available, water heaters, and tanks as well for storage and other business needs. Lochinvar offers customer support on their website, along with recall notifications if anything happens to their systems or if there are any other news that may need to be said online. Any questions about their product or what may work best for you, they can be contacted directly and they also have an ePortal that customers can use for further information and contact.
Navien
Features
Navien has commercial solutions and are a leader in condensing technology. Their high-efficiency and eco-friendly condensing technology can reduce energy consumption by 20% and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their condensing tankless water heaters and condensing boilers solve issues that can arise from other types of commercial hot water heaters, such as durability, operating efficiency, energy and water consumption, installation, and customer service support across the country and throughout North America as a whole. Architects and designs that work along with commercial builders, link together to ensure that contractors can save hours of installation time by using economical PVC venting and Navien’s new ready link rack system for wall mounted or free standing mounting of multiple units. They have a strong commercial warranty and customer support that offers a peace of mind.
Giant
Features
GIANT manufactures commercial electric water heaters and commercial storage tanks using some of the best raw materials in Canada. They manufacture most of their components and on their website, it says that they are the only manufacturer operating in Canada and has been around for 80 years. Their automated plants allow them to continuously innovate within in the industry with competitive prices that can meet the demand of daily hot water needs for commercial uses. They are all CSA certified, and are based in Montreal, QC. They offer electric based hot water heaters, along with storage tanks as well if needed for your commercial business. They are available to talk to online and be contacted if you have any questions about sizes or models that may suit your needs as well.
Laars
Features
For more than 75 years, Laars has been engineering, designing, and innovating commercial water heating products to exceed the demands of project requirements. Their products have been used in sports stadiums, hospitals, universities, and schools across Canada. Their innovation on controls, combustion, and heat exchange designs keep them at the top of their class. Laars portfolio of available commercial water heaters is built to meet the varied applications and challenges of heating water in large volumes for industrial and business use, such as for restaurants, hospitals, industrial settings, machinery, etc. Hotels and more, to process plants and mines. Laars has products that can provide fast and efficient hot water to meet your specific needs and strives to exceed expectations. They have links on their website to their full portfolio of products, and their different water heater types as well. They have tankless models, heat pump water heaters, fast and efficient models that can fit to whatever size space you may need, condensing models, and more. They also have stainless steel easy to clean and maintain types of water heaters available for commercial use.
A. O. Smith
Features
The AO Smith line of commercial natural gas and liquid propane tank water heaters provides ideal water heating solutions for businesses, and they also recommend for restaurants.
They have a quick quiz style query on their website that allows you to choose and pick what size and type of water heater you need based on your business needs and wants. There are sizes from 1-10 gallons all the way up to 200+ and they offer limited warranties on their products as well, which vary from product to product. There are many different types of water heater available, with multiple filter options to find exactly what you may be looking for, including searching by model number or keyword if you have an idea of specific commercial hot water heaters.
They also offer oil-fired commercial hot water heaters, and there are contacts available on thir website for any questions or concerns that you may have.
How water heaters work in commercial settings & their benefits
A commercial water heater system is a heat exchanger that transfers heat from an external source, such as a solar panel or boiler, to water stored in a tank. Unlike residential water heaters that generate heat directly, commercial systems rely on an external heat source, making them suitable for large-scale setups for industries and other commercial uses.
Fundamentally, a commercial water heater functions on the base concept of heat exchange.
- Heat transfer medium: The process starts with a heat transfer medium, like steam or heated water, which is warmed using an external boiler or heat pump.
- Heat exchanger tubes: The heated water is stored and prepared for distribution throughout the building. Control valves ensure that the system maintains a consistent water temperature, catering to high demands without having to deal with waste.
- Recirculation system: Many commercial setups incorporate recirculation systems with commercial water heater systems to provide immediate access to hot water at all outlets, enhancing efficiency and convivence.
As stated before, a commercial water heater system is preferred in commercial setting for its flexibility and ability to handle large hot water demands on a constant supply run. Some key benefits of this are:
- Energy efficiency: Since these systems use external heat sources such as solar energy, they continue operating at peak efficiency, reducing overall energy consumption. It makes for a budget-friendly option for businesses that are seeking a water heater designed for commercial applications.
- Scalability: Commercial water heaters can be tailored to meet the demands and needs of any sized commercial building/business. Smaller office spaces, large hospitals, industrial processing plants, and more.
- Low maintenance: Traditional systems have a large amount of components and are much harder to keep maintained. Commercial water heater systems tend to have longer lifespans and lower maintenance requirements, since they have fewer components to keep track of. Making them reliable and worth their costs in the long run.
How long do commercial hot water heaters last?
Commercial hot water heaters can typically last anywhere from 8 to 13 years. That being said, the lifespan of any water heater whether commercial or residential, will depend on many factors, including how often it is used and how well it stays maintained. Hard water and other factors can also affect the lifespan, as well as hot water tank materials.
How long does it take for a commercial hot water heater to heat up?
Typically, this will depend on what type of commercial hot water heater you are using. Gas heaters will heat up faster than electric ones, sometimes nearly twice as fast. There are other types as well, and these will also have their own time frame. The size of the hot water tank also factors into how long it will take to warm up for use. The average 80-gallon gas tank heats up in 60-70 minutes, while an electric tank that is the same size, can take closer to two hours. This is also assuming that any water that enters the tank for heating is starting at 62F/16C degrees.
What shortens a water heater’s lifespan?
As with most answers to these questions, it will depend on multiple factors. Overloading the unit can lead to unnecessary stress and potentially reduce its lifespan. Using hot water efficiently and effectively with moderation will help maintain the unit’s health. Excessive water pressure can be detrimental, along with not maintaining certain cleaning operations, such as any mineral buildups or tank cleaning, including the pipes.
