use Perl

• Vive la difference! (Score:2)

  by drhyde (1683)

  FWIW, it's probably not a Brazilian vs USian thing, it's a small vs large thing. Your hot water tank is in a house, which has enough space for such a beastie to be big enough to be efficient. Shrink the hot water tank so that it doesn't take up too much space in an apartment and it will become less efficient because the ratio of surface area to volume will be much bigger. I would expect that small apartments in the US would use on-demand heat for the same reason. That's certainly the case here in the UK
  • 220V lives in US Re:Vive la difference! (Score:1)

    by n1vux (1492)

    unfortunately, is probably not feasible in 120V-land, because it would require *very* high current.

    that's why in the US we normally have a 2-phase main domestic service feed to the household circuit breaker panel. In addition to running mulitiple 110v single-phase circuits off each phase, we run a few discrete 2-phase, 220-V circuits with monster plugs for electric ranges (stoves) and electric clothes driers (and ham radio kW amplifiers).

    We have instant-hot water devices available here that either are pa

    --
    Bill
    # I had a sig when sigs were cool
    use Sig;
• Efficiency and progress is ours once more (Score:1)

  by mr_stru (1383)

  The other main benefit of them is that heating the water on demand is a much more efficient system. At least in the context of domestic water usage.
• Re: (Score:1)

  by Aristotle (5147)

  In Germany, two systems are common: continuous-flow heaters, where the water runs through a very pipe helix heated by electricity, or district heating, where hot water is delivered from afar.

  In both cases, you get hot water as soon as you run it, and for as long as you run it. And no funky “less is more” business – if you run it faster, it’s hotter.