Water heaters for new apartment buildings in Los Angeles.

[Remington]

In the city of Los Angeles, for newly built apartment buildings, does each unit require it's own water heater? Is this a new title 24 requirement?

 

[mark handler]

There are options for a central heating systems in the energy code. But the energy code sets an energy use budget, this budget can be helped by instantaneous heaters. Also a lot of water goes down the drain waiting for hot water to reach apartments from central hot water systems.
Centrally heated hot water is normally pumped continually around a ‘recirculating loop’ so that hot water is never too far away when it is needed. The loop (always full of hot water) extends throughout the building, with individual feeds radiating to each apartment. High losses can result from hot water system pipes - from the storage tank and long pipe runs making up the loop and apartment feeds..