California’s sweeping effort to improve air quality goes well beyond car emissions. In particular, gas-fired water heaters sold in California emit greatly reduced levels of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide (NOx) as a result of requirements set forth by the state’s South Coast Air Quality Management District. The local low-NOx solution for all manufacturers of gas-fired water heaters is to swap out aluminum burners for heavier and less durable cast-iron units.
Since April, however, water heaters from State Industries Inc., Ashland City, Tenn., are using even cleaner gas-fired burners made from conventional aluminum parts. More important, they are doing so not only in California but all of the country.
Whereas a typical 40,000-Btu unit emits 1,655 grams of NOx annually, the State product — also sold under the Maytag brand — emits 1,158 grams of NOx per year. State Industries says that if every water heater in the United States were equipped with its Green Choice low-NOx burner, the resulting reduction would equal the removal of more than 400,000 cars from the nation’s highways. Visit www.stateind.com.