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About PVI
WORLD CLASS WATER HEATING MANUFACTURER In 1961, PVI began building commercial, institutional and industrial water heaters. Now a leading manufacturer of industry-best commercial ASME water heaters, PVI has systems installed across a broad range of applications and industries nationwide including universities, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, apartments, correctional facilities, military barracks and more.
Trusted brand in
critical applications
critical applications
Designed highly efficient
to lower operating costs
to lower operating costs
Is your water heater undersized?
*Give us a call at (888) 652-4587 to size your water heater
We support you in every step of your journey switch to your water heater to the Brigade. Here's how we will support you:
1) Free custom-sizing specifically based on your application's flow rate requirement, seating capacity, and fixture count
2) We will gaurantee that you will never run out of hot water when we size your Brigade
3) Are you concerned about not having system redundancy? We will help you size additional water heaters so you will never have to worry about downtime and loss of revenue
Why is condensation an important topic in water heating appliances ?
What is condensation?
Condensation is the conversion of gas phase into the liquid phase. In the combustion process fuel is burned and that energy was used to heat the water, although not all of it. Because the hot exhausting gases contain heating energy that is not used to heat the water and are wasted by exhausting them to the open. The hotter the exhaust gases are the less energy is used in heating the water and hence lower efficiency.
Where to condense?
Condensing the water vapor present in the exhaust gas of combustion installations releases quite a lot of energy. Capturing this latent heat in the combustion process is essential in achieving higher system efficiency. Alternatively, non-condensing applications do not capture this latent, thus operating with far less overall efficiency. Condensing equipment are objectively more efficient than non-condensing. This means condensing equipment will deliver more output while also maintaining lower overall emissions which can save the environment.
When to condense?
Condensation occurs when the hot flue gases get cooled down typically below 130F. Condensing equipment are designed with robust materials that can handle the acidity of the condensate. However, condensation, formation of carbonic acid, in non-condensing equipment can be extremely catastrophic.
Why condensing equipment is important?
The condensation of the flue gas enables the recovery of roughly 1000 Btu/lb of latent energy, which is used to increase efficiency. This fuel energy savings can equate to thousands of dollars over the lifespan of the equipment. Moreover, in applications with larger changes in temperature, condensing equipment can condense more and provide a better system efficiency. It is crucial to point out that manufacturers show their confidence in their heat exchanger when it can handle larger ΔTs. Furthermore, condensing equipment are often significantly more compact than non-condensing with longer life expectancy. Therefore, it is important to factor in these parameters when selecting a condensing equipment.
How Well Can You Handle
The Heat?
OUR UNIT CAN MODULATE THE FIRING RATE BASED ON DEMAND
How does turndown work?
Modulation
Turndown is extremely important because it allows for the smallest hot water need to be satisfied without wasting fuel! As shown in the footage above, an advanced water heater can modulate the firing rate based on demand. With the turndown ratio, the unit will modulate from full fire to its lowest firing point before it shuts off.
Turndown ratio
The Brigade has a 7:1 turndown ratio allowing it to fire as LOW as 29,000 BTU. While the other competitors offer 3:1 or no turndown capability which results in lower efficiency and higher cycling.
Higher efficiency
Turndown ratios are important for water heaters that must operate over a wide range of demands. In general, the higher the turndown ratio the MORE energy is saved which means a SMALLER energy bill.
Why bigger is not always better?
A two-unit Brigade installation takes up only about 6 Sq. Ft. which saves up plenty of space. The Brigade was designed to be ultra-compact in footprint.
Meanwhile the other guys...!
The other tank-type water heaters in the 199 MBTU range take up at least 83% or more space to deliver the same output. In this example the two-unit installation is about 11 Sq. Ft.
What is the hype about ultra low footprint ?
How do we compare in footprint against the competition?
Our mission was to create a product that challenges the market with it's excellent performance and reliability. So of course, our engineers found a way to enhance the Brigade by designing an ultra compact, modulating water heater specifically built for commercial applications. The Brigade is about 50% slimmer in width than the competition in the 199 MBTU size range. Making the Brigade the ideal restaurant water heater.
How does the ultra low footprint benefit you?
The fundamental issue with tank-type water heaters is the continuous replacement cycle due to tank failures. So Brigade eliminated that issue which resulted in a more robust product that is more efficient and reliable. In commercial settings, this saved space can be repurposed for other equipment. We designed the Brigade with all the connections at the top, allowing for a true zero side clearance installation.
How can the Brigade save you $$$ on installation cost?
Because the unit weighs only 340 lb. (dry weight), it can easily be transported to the job site. Whether the mechanical room is in the basement, kitchen, or rooftop, the Brigade can be delivered with a dolly. No need for renting a motorized stair climber just to move the water heater.
How does AquaPLEX make the Brigade stronger, yet remain lighter?
With our revolutionary design, the AquaPLEX is more resistant to chloride corrosion stress cracking while also maintaining a higher tensile strength than 316L. With superior tensile strength of AquaPLEX, this means thinner wall thickness in the tubes of the heat exchanger. This ultimately results in better heat transfer properties and lighter weight.