One of the more significant enhancements delivered with the kitchen remodel at the special needs orphanage Global Partners in Life supports in China was the removal of the old inefficient hot water heater. It was HUGE and took up the entire pantry. We replaced it with a new energy efficient Rinnai tankless hot water heater.
The new hot water heater was mounted on the wall near the sink, which was previously unused space. I am sure with all of the children in and out of the kitchen to wash their hands, and with all of the cooking required for the children, having the instant hot water must be a very nice feature for them to have!
By removing the old hot water heater from the pantry closet, it enabled us to have more room. The pantry’s storage capacity was more than recaptured by the new larger cabinets all around the kitchen. Additionally, this opened up space for for the new location for the refrigerator. As you can see in the pictures below, this made quite a big difference in the appearance and functionality of the kitchen!
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