Rheem's continuing commitment to safeguarding the environment and bringing energy saving to consumers leads to a partnership with ENERGY STAR^® to provide products that meet stringent new ENERGY STAR criteria in this critical category.

Rheem Manufacturing Company is one of the newest ENERGY STAR^® partners, providing water heaters in every product category that safeguard the environment, save consumers money and meet stringent ENERGY STAR criteria.

Virtually all of Rheem’s tankless models qualify for the new program. “ENERGY STAR labeling helps both our contractor customers and the homeowner,” explains Bob Hitchner, Director of Tankless Sales. “This designation creates a filter for the product category, making it easier for the contractor to upgrade the sale and for the consumer to get an improved product with a lower lifetime operating cost. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

ENERGY STAR criteria for water heaters, which the Department of Energy (DOE) made effective on January 1, 2009, cover five residential product categories: high-performance gas storage; whole-house gas tankless; advanced drop-in or integrated heat pump; solar; and gas condensing. Water heaters that carry the ENERGY STAR label must meet the following specifications:

• a minimum Energy Factor of 0.62 for gas storage-type models;
• a minimum Energy Factor of 0.82 for whole-home gas tankless water heaters;
• a minimum First-Hour Rating requirement of 67 gallons-per-hour, to ensure models earning the label provide sufficient hot water delivery for gas storage models;
• a minimum six-year limited warranty for tank type equipment; and
• compliance with ANSI Z21.10.1/CSA 4.1.

“Rheem offers ENERGY STAR-compliant, gas storage-type models in all the most popular configurations,” says Brad Johnson, Rheem residential tank product manager. “Through our participation with ENERGY STAR labeling, we want potential customers to understand that Rheem supports the program’s ideals of reducing energy consumption through improved product offerings.”

By the end of January, Rheem will also introduce two new solar water heating systems that qualify for ENERGY STAR, with a regional introduction on the West Coast and in the South, followed by a national rollout. “We are in the final stages of completing the project and waiting for paperwork to be completed by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation,” explains Jeff Mahoney, Alternative Energy Market Manager at Rheem.

According to DOE projections, after being in effect for five years, the new water heater criteria are expected to save Americans approximately $780 million in utility costs, avoid 4.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and achieve cumulative energy savings of more than 3.9 kilowatt-hours and 270 million therms of natural gas. Water heating currently represents up to 17 percent of national residential energy consumption, making it the third-largest energy user in homes, behind heating and cooling and kitchen appliances.

“Rheem has a long and proud history of product innovation built on durability and energy efficiency — both in our products and in our manufacturing processes,” says Peter Reynolds, vice president and general manager of the Water Heating Division. “Incorporating the ENERGY STAR label across our residential water heating lines affirms our corporate commitments to safeguard the environment and to produce the industry’s most complete line of energy-saving products.”

NOTE: Publication-quality photograph of the image(s) shown in this press release is/are on the included CD-ROM.

About Rheem Manufacturing Company
Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is a privately held company with headquarters in Atlanta. In its 81st year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of high-quality residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless and solar water heaters; swimming pool heaters and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The premium brands of Rheem Manufacturing Company include Raypak, Ruud and Rheem. Rheem Manufacturing Company is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc. as well as the major associate sponsor of the No. 29 Sprint Cup^® car driven by Kevin Harvick, 2007 Daytona 500 Champion, 2007 Craftsman Truck Series Champion and 2006 Busch Series Champion. Rheem is also the primary sponsor of Kevin Harvick Inc.’s No. 33 and No. 77 cars in Nationwide^® Series and sponsor of KHI’s 2 and 33 entries in The Craftsman Truck Series.