Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) will be offering tankless water heater training, thanks to a generous donation from gas appliance manufacturing Rinnai American Corporation.
Popular in Europe for years, tankless water heaters are becoming steadily more prevalent in North American homes and commercial spaces, as is the demand for installation and maintenance.
To meet this growing industry need, KPU will soon be offering technician training for the energy and space-saving appliances.
“This is definitely the newer technology side of the trade,” said plumbing/piping instructor Sven Rohde. “At KPU, we pride ourselves on being able to provide our students with industry-grade cutting-edge technology, and Rinnai is one of the most respected brands in our field. This is really exciting for our students.”
Rinnai supplied KPU’s Faculty of Trades and Technology with five tankless water heaters, also known as hot water on-demand, valued at more than $15,000. The corporation also provided instructor training at its headquarters in Georgia for both Rohde and appliance service technology instructor Tom Westgate.
According to Westgate, the industry partnership is mutually beneficial, as Rinnai is looking for technicians trained to service their water heaters, “We’re all pretty happy to collaborate because it means more well-trained men and women in the field properly servicing these technically advanced products.”
The on-demand water heaters are already installed in the plumbing/piping lab at the KPU Tech campus in Cloverdale and will be part of the plumbing/piping and appliance service technology programs for fall 2018.
“The inter-program collaboration between KPU’s plumbing and appliance repair augments both programs’ training with innovative technology,” said Dean of the Faculty of Trades and Technology Dr. David Florkowski. “Plumbers and gasfitters will have the expertise to install the heating equipment while appliance service technicians will know how to repair and trouble shoot an already installed system. Rinnai’s donation moves KPU Tech in a new and innovative direction with regards to the technology being taught and the collaborative manner in which instruction is planned.”
