E – 1788 Improving Hot Water System Performance in Commercial Kitchens

This course reviews the fundamentals of water heating for commercial food service and describes the design process. It concludes with real-world design examples, illustrating the potential for a high performance, energy and water efficient system. It is a supplemental guideline that complements current design practices (ASHRAE Handbook 2007) and codes.

This 3 – hour course requires studying the document titled “Design Guide – Energy Efficient Water Heating, Delivery and Use” prepared by Fisher-Nickel, Inc. The document guides the designer through high-efficiency hot water system design and equipment specifications.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, the student should understand:

• reduce hot water use of equipment and faucets while maintaining performance;
• increase the efficiency of water heaters and distribution systems;
• improve hot water delivery performance to hand washing sinks;
• incorporate “free-heating” technologies like waste heat recovery and solar pre-heating;
• Understand the role of condensing heaters;
• Understand the pros and cons of tankless vs. storage heaters.