Posted on 12/11/2013 6:43:34 AM PST by knarf
I'm electric tank now and am considering electric trankless, but gas is a possibility
I know my way around tools, plumbing and basic house wiring/panel boxes.
I read one NJ review that said the water took a couple of minutes to get to the kitchen sink and when the bathroom tub/shower was used, it took a minute or so for the hot water to come in and the kitchen lost ITS hot water
In the end ... are they worth it ?
Thinking about it myself. No point in heating water I’m not using.
You’ll likely need to upgrade your electrical panel. They take a whopping big feed.
DO NOT GET AN ELECTRIC TANKLESS!!!! If you want tankless, you have to go gas. The electric one’s take too long to get the water hot and sometimes cannot keep up with demand.
Three of my many disciplines are electrical engineer, electrical contractor, general contractor.
I looked at them, but I’m on a well that’s about 300’, and the temperature of the water going in was too low to get a good hot output.
Do the gas ones work? What kind of flow do they give?
Price this vs a tankless:
2 55 gal gas water heaters,
2 water heater blankets.
You’ll never run out, the efficiency is good, and the price is much lower (I’m assuming).
Also, depends on whether you have utility natgas available or not.
I have one and it does take some getting used to, but I also have 5 boys and my wife’s step-daughter and 2 year old baby living in the house. We would blow through the conventional water heater in no time. So it works for us. It does take about a minute for the hot water to reach the furthest shower, but then it keeps going. Also, on very cold nights, i need to keep the kitchen line cracked a little so the water lines aren’t frozen in the morning. Happens once or twice a wither.
Oh, and mine’s gas...
I had a 7500 watt tankless. It burned out and I went back to a conventional.
To me, it aint worth it. Just go out and watch the meter spin while it is being used. Dont know about the gas ones.
Also, you have to use a certain amount of water (flow) for it to kick in, or it will not function.
No. We replaced our regular water heater with one and ended up having to take it out. There was not enough water pressure to keep it turned on. It was especially troublesome when trying to draw a bath or take a shower and it went off in the middle leaving only cold water. Not to mention that if your tub or shower is several rooms over from the w/h, there will be cold water in the line until the hot water reaches it. It was a huge expense to install and even more expensive to take out and replace with a standard water heater. Not to mention extremely frustrating!
Get a trial subscription to "Fine Homebuilding" magazine. They ran an excellent article a while back on tankless water heaters with economics.
The "Green Building Advisor" website also has good information.
Either "This Old House" or "Ask This Old House" recently aired a show that featured a hybrid instant water heater. It combines a small tank with a large heat exchanger and a large burner. It's called the "Eternal Condensing Hybrid" water heater. Check them out at http://www.eternalwaterheater.com/.
Must have been a whole-house tankless system. You will still have these sorts of issues when you have one source feeding the whole house.
A whole-house system has to be large enough to heat enough for everything that might be going on at the same time (shower, washing machine, diswasher, sinks).
Make sure you don't get too small.
Where they're worth it is as secondary units for a single source.
Say a shower is on the oppostite side of the house from the water heater - hot water takes a long time to get there and you waste a lot running water while waiting.
A smaller tankless system plumbed just for the bathroom will get hot faster, use less water.
A too-small tankless system will barely heat a high-flow item like a shower or tub - the water is going through too few coils too fast. Sizing for the task is important.
If you have gas available, and the house is compact, that will be your best option. Whole-house tankless has its place, but isn't right for every situation or every house.
See my post below. We had a gas tankless and it would shut itself off when the water pressure got too low. Gas is not the answer, either.
I forget the name brand. It is French. It had a ceramic liner.
I have an electric tankless, and a 600+ foot well. Been in use since 2007, and I can’t complain at all. It takes 30 seconds or less to get to the faucets and keeps coming as long as you need it. I’m satisfied.
You did not indicate why you were considering tankless but if it is to have hot water quicker, I would suggest adding a pump to your existing system.
If you want to save the most money(energy), get a hy-brid water heater with a heat-pump mounted on top. They cost about the same as a tankless gas water heater. There is also a conversion kit one company makes(Airgenerate) that allows you to mount their heat pump on your existing water heater, gas or electric. What ever you do, stay as far away from the tankless electric water heaters as you can.
BFL
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