Bosch Universal Hydro Generator

The Bosch universal Hydro Generator, part number 8707406104 (87074061040 or 8-707-406-104-0) is designed to work with all newer Bosch Therm 520HN heaters as well as all older model hydro generated units.  The universal hydrogenerator comes with miscellaneous water pipes, gaskets and bushings to adapt to the older units. The hydro generator works with water flow and has a small wheel that spins when the water starts to flow. The small wheel inside has a magnet on it that when spinning produces a certain amount of mili volts that is transferred through a couple wires to the ignition unit and that in turn lets the ignition unit light the pilot and then the main burner.  There is no need for any electrical power to operate the heater.

The older units that would require the universal hydro generator are the Bosch model 125HX, 425HN, 425HNO, 1600H and the Bosch WR400 series heater WR400-7K V1G23S3195.  The new universal Hydro Generator part replaces all older hydrogenerators such as 8707406043 (87074060430 or 8-707-406-043-0), 8707426026 (87074260260 or 8-707-426-026-0), 8707406059 (87074060590 or 8-707-406-059-0), 8707406069 (87074060690 or 8-707-406-069-0), 8707406095 (87074060950 or 8-707-406-095-0) and 8707406071 (87074060710 or 8-707-406-071-0).

New 2015 Energy Factor Changes affecting Bosch Tankless Water Heaters

A major change to the water heater market is on the way, creating both challenges and opportunities for plumbing, heating and HVAC contractors, designers and engineers.

New energy efficiency mandates from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will take effect on April 16, 2015. They require higher energy factor (EF) ratings on virtually all residential water heating products including gas-fired, oil-fired, electric, tabletop, instantaneous gas-fired and instantaneous electric.  Tankless systems already exceed these EF requirements, and all other water heating products manufactured before the DOE mandates take effect can still be bought and installed after the changeover date.

“It’s important for contractors to become familiar with the new rules and the technology options,” said Ralph Perez, director of product management, A.O. Smith, in an interview with Perspective Media. “There are products available that comply with the 2015 regulations, but they are generally not yet in the mass market.”

While all affected models will see an increase in the EF requirement, the most dramatic changes are in larger capacity models (see accompanying chart).  That’s because the only technologies that now meet the EF requirements over 55 gallons are electric heat pump water heaters and high-efficiency condensing gas water heaters.

The Bosch gas fired tankless water heaters affected by the new energy factor are the Bosch 330PN LP & NG, Bosch 520HN LP & NG and the Bosch 520PN LP & NG.

Freeze Prevention Kit for Bosch Therm 520PN & 520HN Models

The Bosch Freeze Prevention Kit, part number 7709003775 is sold as an accessory and is approved for the Bosch Therm 520PN & 520HN heaters.  The Freeze Prevention Kit is designed to provide protection for the water heater down to approximately 5 degrees F for short term conditions only.  Power is required for the freeze prevention kit and plugs directly into a 110V outlet.   It will not protect the appliance in areas where the temperature is routinely expected to be below freezing.

The Freeze Prevention Kit will not protect plumbing outside the appliance from freezing.  Precautions should be taken to prevent this.

For more information and to order the Bosch Freeze prevention kit please call us at 866-289-4652.

Discrepancy in Dimensions for Bosch Therm 520HN & 520PN

There was recently a discrepancy found in the dimensions (HxDxW) for the Bosch Therm 520 series gas tankless water heaters in the product selection guide.  The discrepancy has been corrected.   Please always follow the instructions in the installation manual for a safe and proper installation of the gas tankless water heater.  The dimensions in the installation manual for the Bosch Therm 520 series heaters is correct and is:  H 25.75 x D 8.66 x W 16.73.

Bosch Therm 520PN NG & LP Tankless Water Heater

The new Bosch Therm 520PN comes set for either NG (Natural Gas) or LP (Liquid Propane).  The 520PN has a standing pilot and is a naturally drafting heater and requires no power to operate.  This unit is basically for 1 major application at a time such as 1 shower at a time.  The Bosch 520 PN Needs to be vented vertically with a 5" B-vent up through the roof for a minimum of 6' to the raincap.  If the heater has to be vented out the sidewall then you must use the AQ4 Powervent kit and this kit would require 110V power.  The gas connection at the bottom of the heater is a standard 3/4" connection.

The new Bosch Therm 520PN is a direct replacement for many of the older model heaters.  Below is a list of the units that the 520PN would replace.  Please keep in mind to always be aware of gas line sizing and the length of the gas line run.

The Bosch Therm 520PN could replace:

Bosch 1600P or 1600H: (If either one of these units was vented horizontally out the sidewall with the AQ4 powervent kit then that same AQ4 powervent kit can be used for the new Bosch Therm 520PN)

Bosch Aquastar 125B, 125X, 125HX, 425PN or the 425HN: (If any of these units was vented horizontally out the sidewall with the AQ1 powervent kit then that AQ1 powervent kit WILL NOT work for the new Bosch Therm 520PN.  You would need to install the new AQ4 powervent kit for the new Bosch Therm 520PN)

ELM Le Blanc 170VP or 125VP:  (If either one of these units was vented horizontally out the sidewall with the AQ1 powervent kit then that AQ1 powervent kit WILL NOT work for the new Bosch Therm 520PN.  You would need to install the new AQ4 powervent kit for the new Bosch Therm 520PN)

The Bosch Therm 520PN is a direct replacement for the older tankless water heaters listed above but you still always want to make sure and refer to the installation manual and follow the gas line sizing chart and venting requirements.  Please also refer to local code for all other restrictions and approvals.

Venting requirement for Bosch AQ4 Powervent kit

The Bosch AQ4 Powervent Kit with built-in freeze protection is designed for the Bosch Therm 520HN (Hydro Ignition) and 520PN (Pilot) tankless water heaters. This accessory allows the Bosch 520HN and 520PN tankless heaters to vent horizontally out the sidewall of the home.  The AQ4 does require power to operate and operates on 120V and comes with a 3' cord to plug into the outlet.  

  The AQ4 is a power vent kit and will allow a horizontal vent run of up to 25 feet with one elbow (subtract 5 feet for every elbow). This kit includes the power vent motor.  There is also a vent hood with damper that gets mounted on the outside of the home and this built in flapper prevents the cold air from coming in when the heater is not in use.  Please make sure to refer to the installation manual and that the hood is properly installed so that the flapper stays closed all the way when not in use.  

The AQ4 powervent kit comes with a 5" to 4" reducer. This reducer fits right on top of the heater and then you would use 4" type B, C or stainless steel AL29-4C venting (not included) to go to the powervent motor.  There is a minimum of 2 feet of straight pipe required between the reducer and the blower motor.  Any venting (if needed) "after" the powervent motor must be 4" sealed stainless steel AL29-4C.  The Blower motor should be placed right at the opening where the termination hood with damper is to be installed on the sidewall of the home.

The AQ4 powervent kit is activated by a flow switch and gets attached to the cold water pipe on the right side of the unit just before it goes into the heat exchanger. 

The blower motor for the AQ4 has a new design and includes a delay setting that goes from #1 - #5 and this lets the installer set the blower motor so that when it senses flow it can be delayed for 1 - 5 seconds before the blower comes on.  This will help to ensure the pilot and burners light without getting sucked out by the blower motor. 

There is also a built in safety spill switch that gets attached to the tankless water heater and this will detect high temperatures from any flue gases in the case the blower motor does not activate and will shut the unit completely down.

Bosch Therm 520PN & 520HN vs Bosch Therm 660EF

This blog entry compares the Bosch Therm series 520PN & 520HN models to the Bosch Therm 660EF heater.  The Bosch Therm 520PN & 520HN gas tankless water heaters are 117,000 BTUs as the Bosch Therm 660EF is 140,000 BTUs.  These tankless water heaters are designed for 1 major application at a time such as 1 shower at a time or maybe 2 small sinks at once. They all are available in natural gas or propane models.

The Bosch Therm 520 PN, 520HN and the 660EF all take thier combustion air from the space where they are installed in.  You will want to make sure you refer to the installation manual for these units and make sure you have enough combustion air for the area where these are to be installed.  You can always consult a HVAC technician to calculate and make sure you have enough air supply.  These units should NEVER be installed in a bathroom or bedroom where the door is normally kept closed as the heaters while running would deplete the oxygen from the room causing illness and death.  This statement is on the front of the heaters and also noted in the installation manual.  The National Fuel Gas Code states this also but the installer would also want to go by local code.

The Bosch Therm 520PN has a standing pilot light and is a naturally drafting unit as the P stands for standing pilot and the N stands for naturally drafting.  The Bosch Therm 520HN has a hydro generator ignition and is a naturally drafting unit as the H stands for Hydro generated and the N stands for naturally drafting.  The Bosch Therm 660EF requires power and plugs into 120V outlet.  The 660EF has electronic ignition and is fan assisted which makes it a direct vent unit and the E stands for electronic ignition and the F stands for fan assisted.

The Bosch Therm 520PN and the Bosch Therm 520HN both use an exhaust vent of 5" diameter double wall type B-vent and should be vented vertically up through the roof for a minimum of 6' to the raincap.  There is a vertical vent kit called the H/P VVT Vertical Vent kit and has all the material for penatrating the roof.  If venting the 520PN or 520HN up through the roof is not an option then the heaters could be vented horizontally out the sidewall but MUST use the AQ4 Powervent kit.  The 660EF is a direct vent unit and requires to be vented verically or horizontally with 3" stainless steel sealed vent pipe.  The 660EF requires a 660EF adapter first on top of the heater to accomadate the venting.

There is also the Bosch Therm 660EFO Outdoor unit and it is just the same as the 660EF but is designed specifically for outdoor installations.  The 660EFO has a special top that it exhausts out of and also has the electronic ignition and is fan assisted.  The Bosch Therm 660EF/EFO heaters plug into a 120V outlet.

Gas Conversion of Pro Gas Tankless Water Heaters

Some of the Bosch Professional gas tankless water heaters can be converted from one gas type to the next, i.e. from Natural Gas (NG) - Liquid Propane (LPG) and also from LPG - NG.  The Gas Conversion Kit, part #8719002176 includes a jumper for placement on the control board, a set of instructions for calibrating the gas and air mix and also some stickers to be placed on the heater stating it has been converted. 

The tools required for the gas conversion are:

• Flat and Phillips Screwdrivers
• #40 torx driver
• Digital CO2 Gas Combustion Analyzer
• This procedure must be performed by a licensed gas technician

The Bosch Professional Non-condensing heaters such as the 940ES/940ESO/830ES/715ES/635ES and the Evolution 500 CAN be converted using the gas conversion kit.

All of the Bosch Therm condensing heaters such as the C1210ESC/C1210ES/C1050ES/C950ES/C800ES and Integra 500 CANNOT be converted as the units have a special plate built into the burner tray.  This extra plate in the burner tray was designed and instlled to give the heater the ability to be installed at higher elevations up to 8000'.

Also the Bosch Therm 660EF/660EFO/520PN/520HN/425HN/425EF/330PN CANNOT be converted as they are not designed at all for gas conversion.

Bosch 520HN Power & Temperature Control knobs

The new Bosch Therm 520HN that comes in either natural gas or liquid propane has 2 new control knobs for adjusting temperature and flow on the front of the heater as the older Bosch AquaStar 125 series heaters only had 1 control knob to adjust flow.

The Bosch 520HN has 2 control knobs on the front of the heater. The control knob on the left is the Power control knob and allows you to set the height of the burners for hotter temperatures or cooler temperatures. The control knob on the right is the Temperature Adjustment knob and is for adjusting the flow of water through the heater which has the ability to speed the flow of water up making it cooler or slowing it down and making it hotter.

Below is how turning the Temperature Adjustment knob effects the heater:

Knob Position		Clockwise		Counter-clockwise
Degree Rise		90° F		45° F
Activation Rate		0.5 GPM		1.1 GPM
Max Flow Rate		2.0 GPM		3 .7 GPM

As the temperature adjustment knob is turned counter-clockwise, the output temperature will lower and the activation rate of the heater will be raised. Turning the knob clockwise will raise the temperature and lower the activation rate.

When turning the left Power Control knob to the left will give more power and higher water temperatures. Turning the knob clockwise will give less power and cooler water temperatures.

The Bosch Pro 520 HN has a gas control that modulates burner input in response to flow. Its purpose is to ensure that the hot water temperature will remain steady, although the water flow demand might vary.

Bosch Therm Tankless Product Number Changes

Recently Bosch has changed their naming strategy for the Bosch Therm line up of Tankless Water Heaters. Previously, the Bosch part numbers reflected the flow rate at a 45 degree F temperature rise; now the part numbers reflect the flow rate at a 35 degree F temperature rise.

So, for example, the legacy Bosch Pro 920ES is now the Bosch Therm  C 1210ES. This means that this heater can produce 9.2 GPM of hot water at a 45 degree F rise and 12.1 GPM at a 35 degree F rise.

This naming change was done, so it seems, to align Bosch with an emerging industry de facto standard of showing the flow rate at a 35 degree F temperature rise. In reality, showing the flow rate at a 45 degree F temperature rise made more sense as a 45 degree F temperature rise is more realistic average across the US. However, with other manufacturers advertising their heaters 35 degree F flow rate, it appeared that their tankless water heaters had a higher flow rate (which was of course not true).

So, now Bosch's published flow rates allow for easier comparisons to those of other manufacturer's heaters.

Bosch did make some upgrades to the new models, so actually the newer heaters have more capabilities than their older legacy heaters. More about those details in later blog entries...

Here is a brief listing of the name changes:

• Old: Bosch Pro 920ES  |  New: Bosch Therm C 1210ES
• Old: Bosch Pro 920ESC  |  New: Bosch Therm C 1210ESC
• Old: Bosch Pro 800ES  |  New: Bosch Therm C 1050ES
• Old: Bosch Pro 715ES  |  New: Bosch Therm 940ES & Bosch Therm 940ESO
• Old: Bosch Pro 425HN  |  New: Bosch Therm 520HN
• Old: Bosch Pro 425PN  |  New: Bosch Therm 520PN
• Old: Bosch Pro 260PN  |  New: Bosch Therm 330PN

The part numbers for the Bosch Electric whole-house and point-of-use tankless water heaters did not change, nor did the Ariston Pro Ti names change.

Call us for pricing on any of the new Bosch Therm Tankless Water Heaters at 866.289.4652.

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