Tankless water heater?

x9lonewolf said:
I would get a tankless. I have a hot water heater with a tank and the hot water runs out quickly. I feel it’s one of those things that can improve your quality of life because it sucks so much taking a cold shower.
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Why do you have a hot water heater? If the water is hot, why heat it?

Electric tank type water heaters are very simple devices. Gas and oil fired tank style water heaters are more complex. A tankless heater is much more complex with many more possible points of failure. The quality of the water being used is a big determining factor on the life of any water heater.
 
Have a tankless. The shower/bathroom whatever uses water closest to the heater warms up pretty damn quick. The other faucets/showers, it's basically the same amount of time as a normal water heater
 
Make sure you size it right. Advertising spec might say it can supply X gallons per minute but pay attention to @ what temp rise? If youre in a colder climate your supply water might be as low as 40 degrees.
 
Tankless is the way to go! It’s a pain to have to wait a few minutes for the water to get hot at times but then the hot water never runs out. I’ll turn my shower on and go outside into the hot tub for an hour and come back in and warm back up in the shower. I do have a regular hot water tank for my upstairs but it’s 100 gallons so it doesn’t run out very easy. Highly recommend a tankless though.
 
When I lived in the mid west the condo had a tankless water heater. I ha it instlled It save me some money on water heating. It worked well int eh warmer months. During winter it took it a long white to create warm water.
 
rj144 said:
25 years old??? I've been at my current place 14 years and I'm on my 3rd water heater.
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My water heater is from 1989. We recently had our sump pump replaced in an emergency and the plumber was shocked at the big old tank. He wasn't our normal plumber or HVAC guy and we only used the company because it was a franchise that could get there within the hour. He said we really need to get a new one. I talked to our plumber/HVAC guy as well as some others when they were in my office and they said do not replace the old one. The new ones are made like absolute shit and will crap out on you much quicker. They all said that if the old one started leaking, replace asap. Otherwise, I'd essentially be downgrading.
 
When the time comes I'll probably go tankless, but I haven't really done any significant research on it yet. Plus my water heater is only 8 years old. If in the next few years my solar produces more electricity then I use I may eventually go electric tankless water heater assuming they are a good choice. Also considering something to soften the water as the water in our area is hard AF.
 
rj144 said:
25 years old??? I've been at my current place 14 years and I'm on my 3rd water heater.
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You must have that Flint, MI quality water...or bad luck with water heaters.
 
Killer Whale said:
they are good for small applications like cabins and places where you really want to conserve, but I'll always have a tank and circulation loop.
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True, but In a bigger house you just need more than one...
 
My new house has a gas powered instant hot water system (tankless) It seems much longer for the hot water to come out of the taps than my old houses tank based system but apart from that it seems fine.

I'd really like to get an electric based one so I can get rid of gas but need to do some research.
 
ralphc1 said:
Why do you have a hot water heater? If the water is hot, why heat it?

Electric tank type water heaters are very simple devices. Gas and oil fired tank style water heaters are more complex. A tankless heater is much more complex with many more possible points of failure. The quality of the water being used is a big determining factor on the life of any water heater.
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I agree with your point but it’s slang for water heater. So, hot water heater. Lol!
 
Install it with a service kit. Pain in the ass to clean and descale them without it. Figure out what btu works for your family then go bigger. If you have shit water like we do here in Calgary it's best to get a water softener as well for longevity. I don't typically recommend them for large families, but if you size them for worse case scenarios or get creative they can be great.

RH011316_Webstone_Isolator-EXR-E2.jpg
 
MoparOrNoCar said:
The hell you doing to your water heaters?
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Could be a hard water issue. We bought our current house in 2007 and within 2 months had to replace a dishwasher and install a water softener. We're also on our second water heater, well flow switch and pressure tank.
 
They're cheaper to operate but they don't heat the water to the same temperature you can get from a tank.

So if the hot water has to travel more than a few feet (and especially if it travels through exterior walls) then you will only get warm water.

Personally, I'll stick with water tanks until the technology gets much better.
 
x9lonewolf said:
I agree with your point but it’s slang for water heater. So, hot water heater. Lol!
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The way it developed was that hot water was supplied using a tank that was heated by the steam boiler that heated the building so the units were called hot water tanks. Homes that didn't have steam heat would heat water on a stove. In the late 1800s, units that used natural gas to heat water in a tank were developed. These were water heaters instead of hot water tanks. People who didn't know the difference between a hot water tank and a water heater started calling everything hot water heaters.
 
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