(PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – Jan. 11, 2012) - Rinnai Corporation, manufacturer of the No. 1 selling tankless water heater brand in North America, is pleased to announce that four of its comfort-enhancing, energy-saving products are featured in the HGTV Dream Home 2012. Located at River Meadows Ranch in Midway, Utah, the first-ever riverfront HGTV Dream Home is a modern yet rustic ranch house nestled on the banks of the Provo River. On the interior of the HGTV Dream Home, three Rinnai® RC98i condensing tankless water heaters, the ES38 ENERGYSAVER® direct vent wall furnace and the ENERGYSAVER® Intelligent indoor fireplace supply energy-efficient water heating and home heating, while five Rinnai Impression® outdoor fireplaces add warmth and ambiance to the outdoor living areas.

“By showcasing home products and technologies that are both inspirational and attainable, the HGTV Dream Home serves as a design resource for millions of homeowners,” said Brad Sweet, vice president of marketing for Rinnai. “The far-reaching impact of the HGTV Dream Home provides an excellent opportunity to educate consumers about the lifestyle benefits of Rinnai’s tankless water heaters and other home heating products, and we’re thrilled to participate in the project for the fifth consecutive year.”

ENERGY-EFFICIENT HEATING TECHNOLOGY

Winter temperatures in Utah are capable of dropping as low as 50 degrees below zero, so home heating and water heating products that can efficiently insulate residents from the cold are a must. In order to meet this demand, the HGTV Dream Home 2012 incorporates two of Rinnai’s most energy-efficient products—the RC98i condensing tankless water heater and the ES38 ENERGYSAVER direct vent wall furnace. Both products feature Rinnai’s gas-modulating technology, which adjusts energy usage according to a unit’s hot water or temperature demands, resulting in improved energy savings and excellent performance.

Three Rinnai RC98i condensing tankless water heaters, conveniently located in the garage mechanical room, provide the HGTV Dream Home’s master bathroom, three guest bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry room with endless hot water. Delivering up to 97 percent thermal efficiency, Rinnai’s condensing tankless units offer significant energy savings when compared to traditional gas tank water heaters, which are only 60 percent efficient on average. Condensing tankless water heaters conserve energy by operating only when the unit senses a demand for hot water. In addition, they recapture residual heat from flue gases and transfer it to the water being heated, so less energy is needed to heat the water to its desired temperature. This process minimizes the amount of wasted heat, resulting in exceptional energy savings. Rinnai’s condensing tankless models, as well as its standard tankless units, offer ample lifestyle benefits, including the ability to run multiple hot water appliances at one time and a product lifespan that is up to twice as long as tank-style units.

Rinnai’s ENERGYSAVER ES38 direct vent wall furnace utilizes a stainless steel heat exchanger, modulating gas valve and variable speed blower to ensure that the HGTV Dream Home’s garage is warm and usable year-round. The unit differs from conventional heating systems because it does not rely on ductwork to distribute heat. Instead, the furnace disperses warm air directly from the base of the unit, creating a more consistent room temperature than traditional heating units and reducing troublesome cold spots.

Rinnai recently enhanced the ES38, its most popular ENERGYSAVER direct vent wall furnace model, with the addition of a redesigned digital control panel, which has enabled the unit to obtain certification from the International Code Council, a safety organization recognized worldwide. Featuring a new timer function that lets consumers pre-set the unit for two separate, timed heating events during a 24-hour period, the updated model enables maximum heating comfort and energy efficiency because a space may be heated only during times of anticipated occupancy. The redesigned control panel also offers a set back feature, which allows for a minimum temperature to be pre-set and maintained between timed events, and an override option to temporarily turn on or turn off a programmed timer event. Thanks to the unit’s flexibility, the Rinnai direct vent wall furnace may serve as the primary heat source for a home or it can provide zoned heat for room additions, basements, cabins or virtually any space that requires heat.

FEATURED RINNAI FIREPLACES

The outdoor living room and entertainment deck of the HGTV Dream Home 2012 feature various constructions of the elegant and versatile Rinnai Impression® outdoor fireplace. On the entertainment deck, four separate open fireplace units, set side-by-side and encased in glass and Utah limestone, create a modern fire pit that evokes the feeling of gathering around a luxurious campfire. Appearing to burn “liquid glass,” the propane-powered units utilize a unique burn media that resembles melting ice when the flames reflect on it. In the outdoor living room, a fifth, single-sided Impression fireplace with a sleek silver façade sits nestled in thin-set Utah limestone and serves as a warming focal point for the space. In addition to the settings shown in the HGTV Dream Home 2012, the Rinnai Impression outdoor fireplace also comes in a two-sided, see-through model, which can be used to create a dramatic visual effect while also providing warmth to multiple gathering areas.

The HGTV Dream Home 2012 also includes Rinnai’s ENERGYSAVER Intelligent fireplace in the home’s great room. Housed in a striking hearth made of Utah limestone, the fireplace provides a natural-looking flame picture that adds to the room’s farmhouse-inspired design. On top of its visual appeal, the fireplace provides added heat for the great room through a warm air outlet located at the bottom of the unit’s stainless steel front panel. The outlet’s special design enables the most comfortable, effective heat circulation and allows plasma screens and other heat-sensitive décor items to be placed above the fireplace. The remote-controlled unit’s precise temperature control uses Rinnai’s unique seven-stage modulating gas valve technology, which operates at up to 83 percent AFUE efficiency, to generate only the energy necessary to reach and maintain a room’s desired temperature.

To learn more about the Rinnai products in the HGTV Dream Home 2012, visit HGTV.com/dreamhome and Rinnai.us/HGTV. For more information about Rinnai, visit rinnai.us.