Posted on 12/11/2013 6:43:34 AM PST by knarf
That sounds like my water bill. In the summer when I am watering the yard because of summer droughts we have been having, my water bill will be $500. a month. Lots of fees and extra stuff! (We have a big yard and have lost 2 huge oak trees to drought, so now I water more)
efficient neighbor is 666kwh
I'm 842 kwh
all are 1303 kwh
I called today for clarification and the bottom line is (imo) the letter is sent out to entice people to consider buying "improvements"
I was told that my (approx) 200 kwh diffgerence to 'my efficient neighbor' was the equivolent of a water heater
guy on the phone said his parents had a tankless and he had considered oner, etc ... said the parents were happy and etc.
So I went looking to see what I could see and I found few comments/recommendations.
So I posted to the smartest people on the planet ...
I have all squiggly bulbs, uber low voltage/wattage leds for photo sensative window candle lights (VERY nice night time effect), and the usual, fridge, a small chest freezer, elect. water heater ... and a 200w heat lamp in the chicken coop on 24/7 these days
My bill is about $90 a month which is acceptable.
And when the power goes out, no hot water on an electric tankless.
I like all the Taunton magazines.
We used several Fine Homebuilding ideas when we built new in 2001.
“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.”
I have a tank-less hot water heater powered by propane. I will never go back to heating a tank and holding hot water.
The issues with tank-less? You need water pressure, duh.
I had to install a large diameter shower head due to flow requirements. One needs to match flow rate for your plumbing with the proper capacity heater.
Most tank-less models chosen are too large for the application. The unit does not flow enough water to meet the pressure switch range in some applications. Smaller capacity unit required, or put in a booster pump for more pressure.
I have no problem with the large diameter shower head and unlimited hot water.........
I have one and love it.....I had a water heater in the attic and constantly obsessed over it overflowing and ruining my house. I decided to get a new one and relocate it to the garage but the guy from Mobile Gas talked to me about the tankless water heater and I love it!!!! Low water bills and low gas bills. I would highly recommend it; in fact, since I got mine several of my neighbors have also gotten them.
The cost for me was $2200 - that was to reroute the plumbing, the cost of the unit, and the installation. It does take a little longer to get hot water coming out but once you do, you do not run out like with the conventional one (though honestly, since my old one was located in the attic it took a while for hot water to come out of the faucet also). It has a 25-year life span compared to the shorter one of the conventional. The temperature control is located in a closet and you never have to worry about the pilot light. And the big plus? Never having to worry about one over flowing or freezing and destroying your home!
How often do you flush them? Some require service twice a year or they won't last very long.
Absolutely worth it. In my folks place we have an electric one made by BOSCH. Great warranty also. Had to replace the unit twice and no charge. Not even for shipping it FedEx.
Right. We use three double 40amp. breakers in our panel. It also runs on 220.
gas or elec ?
Gas or electric? Gas has to be vented obviously.
Gas.
Depends on the load. Never had a problem with hot water delivery. The temp runs about 130deg. All electric.
Are you talking your present location or home ?
We got a gas tankless 18 months ago, and we really like it. The main drawback is the initial cost, which is a lot more than a conventional tank. The other slight inconvenience is if the system is cold, you have to wait a few seconds for it to provide hot water again.
We got a Noritz, had it professionally installed, and got one that is probably larger than we need. So we always have plenty of hot water as long as we maintain the minimum flow rate of .5 gal/minute.
Periodic maintenance isn’t hard if you go slow the first time. I flushed the system with distilled white vinegar after 14 months of use. The water wasn’t very discolored, and I think I only need to flush the system every two years.
The professional I used told me if a customer has a large house with multiple bathrooms, he recommends installing several small tankless units, dividing the house into zones.
Tankless water heaters are standard in Japan for at least 30 years. They work just fine for daily living. If you need loads of water for the washing machine or other needs, I suppose your local supplier will be able to help you work out the details. I’ve lived in the same house in Tokyo for 15 years and have never had any trouble with our tankless water heater. Its perfect for the Kitchen and shower, and we do all our laundry in cold water. I’d guess you’ll save a good deal.
This is a big deal. During Hurricane Andrew, I was without power for a week, yet I was able to take a warm shower every day.
Furnace works fine but every time you want to get hot water you have to run the water for maybe 2-3 mins to get it hot. Leave it for more than 2-3 hours and have to let it run to get hot again. I find that annoying. I don't remember my old system being like that.
Those charts are worthless IMHO. When I am out of the house for several days with all shades pulled HVAC *OFF* and all doors shut with lights off I can almose get to the “efficient line. Evidentally I have neighbors that don’t even have a fan or refrigerator.
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