​Access to hot water is essential. We depend on it for comfort and for cleanliness, whether it’s for showers or for washing the evening’s dishes.

Senior living communities are no exception. In fact, access to reliably hot water may be especially important for these facilities, where it’s a major aspect of daily care routines.

From resident showers and laundry services to kitchen operations and infection control, access to hot water promotes a positive resident experience and allows caregivers to complete their work efficiently. To ensure that kind of access, it’s important to have the right equipment, including a water heating system that’s correctly sized to match the facility’s needs.

When the Water Heater Is the Wrong Size

When senior living communities have inadequate water heating systems, it can cause a number of unwanted complications.

• Inconsistent water temperatures can disrupt the daily routines of residents—leading to dissatisfaction and even hygiene concerns.
• Similarly, there may be complaints from employees, whose ability to fulfill their daily caregiving functions can be compromised by inconsistent water temperatures.
• Trying to serve the entire community with undersized or inefficient equipment can put a strain on the entire plumbing apparatus, contributing to expensive repair needs and premature equipment failure.
• Outdated or poorly sized equipment may also elevate utility bills, meaning it can be an ongoing budgetary concern for the entire facility.

For these reasons, it’s crucial for the management and facilities teams of any senior living community to verify that their water hearing system is appropriately sized to meet everyday needs.

Key Considerations for Water Heater Selection

When it comes to choosing the right water setup, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Different senior living communities will have different needs, and it’s important to work with a trusted installer who can provide some guidance.

One factor that will always prove determinative is demand. Water heater sizing depends on the number of rooms and appliances within the community, but also peak demand times—for example, if there are certain blocks of the day when most residents bathe or shower, it’s important to have a water heating system that can accommodate.

Setpoint delivery is a common concern when selecting a water heating system, and in most commercial contexts, a setpoint temperature of 140 degrees is recommended. Because senior living communities need water hot enough for sanitization purposes, a setpoint temperature of 180 degrees may be required.

Still another major concern is the footprint of the mechanical room itself. Simply put, it’s important to choose water heaters that can get the job done while still fitting in the allocated space—leaving some room for maintenance and servicing. Take into account piping, venting clearance and more, remembering that the spatial limitations of the mechanical room may dictate the number and size of tanks used (or in some cases, dictate the need for tankless heaters).

Optimizing Hot Water Delivery in a Senior Living Community

There are a number of things facilities managers can do to optimize the performance of their water heating system, both during the initial system setup and over the long haul.

First things first: For any kind of residential facility, water heater redundancy is highly recommended. Sharing the load between multiple units not only ensures greater consistency for residents, but it also means that if one unit malfunctions, there can still be at least some measure of hot water availability for the broader facility.

A particular concern in senior living communities is resident safety; scalding may be a real concern, but there are ways to minimize danger. Installing mixing valves can regulate water temperature before it reaches the tap, a critical way of averting potential accidents among the most vulnerable residents.

When investing in new water heating equipment, it’s always important to ask about maintenance—not just the required maintenance (necessary to keep the warranty valid) but also suggested maintenance, which can extend the unit’s longevity. Visual assessment and anode rod inspections are critical for keeping water heaters in good working order.

For larger facilities, integration with a building management system is another important way to remain vigilant about preventing significant issues—potentially addressing them before they become serious, and before they disrupt daily operations.

The Right Hot Water System Is Key

Having a dependable hot water source is necessary for any residential space—and it may be particularly important in senior living centers, where safety and sanitation concerns loom large. Facility managers have plenty of options to consider, including different fuel types, tank sizes and tankless options—and making the right choice for the facility can yield many long-term benefits.

Keith Kuliga is the mechanical sales support – commercial products for Bradford White Water Heaters, an American manufacturer and five-time ENERGY STAR^® Partner of the Year.