Tankless/ point of use water heater

KDarsey · May 15, 2009

I live alone (with Pearl the Wonder Dog) and only use hot water for showers. (daily.....not occasional)
Would a tankless WH benefit me? I have a 40 gallon (we are talking electric) now and I am thinking it would be cheaper to go tankless. One person has told me they aren't that efficient.

What do you think ?

Nautical Son · May 15, 2009

Being that you are single, the savings won't be as drastic as say a family of 3 or 4. You will notice some difference though as the tankless doesn't have to heat and hold the water, just waiting for you to use it. If possible get the gas fired, the electrics aren't quite as efficient but depending on how old your current tank is, it may be way more so.

I installed a Bosch Aquastar in our old house and the savings on gas was enough to cover the high initial cost within 8 months time, we had 2 adults and a teeenage girl who thought the shower was her personal sauna.

The best thing about the gas was when the power went out in the dead of winter we could take hot showers all day and never run out of hot water.

KDarsey · May 15, 2009

Thanks, I also have searched this site and found more info.
(shoulda done that 1st)

Nautical Son · May 15, 2009

no problem, it's a common question around here it seems.

Doyle · May 15, 2009

I have yet to hear from anyone who is totally satisfied with an electric model (doesn't heat enough). On the other hand, I have heard many good reports from people using the gas models.

Wood Smoke · May 15, 2009

Good info at www.foreverhotwater.com . Tons of info there. Go with gas! The are different sized models to suit different and if you do your research there are most likely some favorable rebates and tax credits (these may have expired...but there may be some new ones on the horizon) avaiable to offset up front cost. Your long term savings would be significant. I'm not in the water heater business, but have checked on them myself and have heard directly from many satisfied folks that have had them installed. With Rinnai you must use a qualified installer, but there are lots of them out there. Good luck.

JCBANJO02 · May 15, 2009

i

will second the gas units. i put a Rinnai in my house and cut my gas bill by 45%. your water heater is costing you money right now. with a Rinnai tankless it only cost you while you are using the water and they do qualify for tax credits. if you have any questions PM me as i work for Rinnai i can answer any questions you have (or can get them answered) i also may be able to get a good price on the unit as well

Wood Smoke · May 15, 2009

One other consideration ..... that electric water heater is costing you signifcantly more per year than if you had a standard tank-type gas water heater. The electric folks may argue this, but there is tons of info out there to support this. It basically has to do with "recovery" meaning how much energy is required for a water heater to re-heat the water after the hot water in the tank is used and then replaced with cold water. Gas is much more efficient.

While we are sort of on this topic.....think about the senseless use of natural gas to produce electricity at some power plants. Its stupid! Using one fuel to create another when the original fuel can be used by the end user/consumer! Sorry....just had to spit that out! :bounce:

Twenty five ought six · May 15, 2009

While we are sort of on this topic.....think about the senseless use of natural gas to produce electricity at some power plants. Its stupid! Using one fuel to create another when the original fuel can be used by the end user/consumer! Sorry....just had to spit that out!

Nearly all the natural gas plants are peak demand plants that only operate to provide electricity at peak demand times. They are much cheaper per kilowatt hour than other types of fossil fuel.

All electricity except hydro-electric is generated by an original fuel which is converted into electricity. Other fuels have to have distribution systems, and someone has to dispose of the waste products.

Jim Baker · May 16, 2009

KDarsey said:
I live alone (with Pearl the Wonder Dog) and only use hot water for showers. (daily.....not occasional)
Would a tankless WH benefit me? I have a 40 gallon (we are talking electric) now and I am thinking it would be cheaper to go tankless. One person has told me they aren't that efficient.

What do you think ?

Go with gas.

Also if you have an area close to your home you can mount one, go with the outdoor unit. Less expensive to install, no ventalation ducts to run. Unit does not cost much more than 50 gal. gas hwh.

Milkman · May 17, 2009

One thing to consider is how long will you be in that house.
Also whether you will ever need hot water for other needs such as dishwasher , washing machine, etc.

Assuming the current water heater has not failed and has many years of life (value) left. $$$

Add to this loss of value to the expense involved in removing the existing unit and installing what ever new device you decide on. $$$

Then look at the potential for energy savings $ and how many years of energy savings it will take to recover the loss of $$$ mentioned above.

I wouldnt even consider it personally, but it may be right for you.

GiddyUpGo · May 17, 2009

We have one in our travel trailer. Works extremely well. Ours runs on propane and is very efficient.

My in laws have an electric model installed in their home and have not been satisfied with it completely. After repeated visits by technicians they gave up on fixing some of the problems associated with it such as taking a shower and someone running water in the kitchen.... you get a cold blast while in the shower. Not good.

modern_yeoman · May 17, 2009

I just built my house and went with a gas Rhinah. At my previous home had an electric that went bad and did about $14,000 worth of damage. Although insurance covered it I was displaced from my home for a while then had to live there on the subfloor with dehumidifiers and blowers running for a couple more weeks. Then all that was torn out had to be replaced. Point being with it being mounted on the outside I do not have to worry about that. The energy savings is o.k but the piece of mind is greater!

letsemwalk · May 17, 2009

this is the word on them from my dad cause we just swapped out.
we started out with a tankless and after having problems with it he called the company he bought if from and since it had been sold the new company would not honor the warranty so he swapped it out for a regular water heater. he said the power bill went up on average $30 per month. the down side to them he said is if your on a well their not that great because of the water pressure not staying constant, it can`t maintain a constant temp. you need to be on a county or city supply where the pressure stays the same for them to operate properly

modern_yeoman · May 17, 2009

I'm on a well and have not had that as a big problem. When the pump cuts on it may get a little warmer but no big deal. I can see if you had pressure issues to start with how that may hinder.

Jim Baker · May 19, 2009

letsemwalk said:
this is the word on them from my dad cause we just swapped out.
we started out with a tankless and after having problems with it he called the company he bought if from and since it had been sold the new company would not honor the warranty so he swapped it out for a regular water heater. he said the power bill went up on average $30 per month. the down side to them he said is if your on a well their not that great because of the water pressure not staying constant, it can`t maintain a constant temp. you need to be on a county or city supply where the pressure stays the same for them to operate properly

You can cure that low pressure problem with a small booster pump.

Tankless/ point of use water heater

KDarsey

Senior Member

Nautical Son

Senior Member

KDarsey

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Nautical Son

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Doyle

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Wood Smoke

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JCBANJO02

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Wood Smoke

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Twenty five ought six

Banned

Jim Baker

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Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator

GiddyUpGo

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modern_yeoman

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letsemwalk

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modern_yeoman

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Jim Baker

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