Could someone give me info about tankless water heaters?

Question

My family I and were thinking about getting one since it's been advertised as something that will decrease heating costs

Answer 1

The up front cost is higher than a tank type heater but the rewards for outweigh the cost. the ones at Lowe's & Home Depot are cheaper but not that good. You want one that is rated for at least 8.5 GPM (gallons per min.) and a temp setting of 140 degrees. Don't try this install unless your a plumber. I would go with gas or propane. I've had mine for about 4 years, I love it. If I feel like a 2 hour shower it's no problem.

Answer 2

So which one of the above answers is valid, since they are both opinions....

Answer 3

They work like the radiator on a car but in a oppisite way. they run the water threw small tubes to heat and just like a half of pot of water will boil faster than a full one and the tubes take up less space than a tank. mine is electric you don't want gas cause if the gas goes out in the middle of a shower you trade it in on a electric one. but the one I have just comee out and it's 10.5 in. by4.5 in and2.5 in thick. Just had it a month but not problems or cold water from the hot side yet. Oh it only work when then hot water is running instead of keeping a tank of water hot 24/7 that's how it helps on heating cost.

Answer 4

Do you mean like the insta-hot that uses propane to heat the water instantaneously as you shower, for example?  I've been in houses that had those and they are not very good.  The showers are variable in heat, and you can't wash the dishes at the same time because that water will be cold.  I didn't like them.

Answer 5

Some water heaters ARE tankless.They just don't appreciate what we do for them.We give them a nice place to stay,feed them all the water and electricity and gas they require,but DO WE get any tanks?NO!I'm sick of it.Tankless,tankless,tankless.That's what they are.What's a person to do?"Link"

Answer 6

You actually have a couple different options.  You can use a recirculating hot water heater, that provides hot water instantly when you turn on the tap.  

The tankless option will only work if you have natural gas in your house.  If you have an all-electric setup (like we do) it won't work.  The tankless systems pretty much all use gas to heat the water upon demand.  They can be expensive to install, but wasting gallons and gallons of water while waiting for it to heat up can be expensive too.

Answer 7

Tankless water heaters heat water only when you turn on your hot water faucet. That can save a lot of energy because there is no large tank of hot water cooling off all the time.

The water heater must be big enough to handle the largest hot water flow or combinations of flow you expect to ever need. For instance of the heater will heat enough for a single shower flow and then someone turns on a second hot water faucet the water will cool down.

Tankless heaters are more expensive and require a more energy when they are on than a tank type heater. In some cases the existing electrical or gas service may not be large enough and would need to be upgraded.

I included links to a couple of sites that give lots of more information below.

Answer 8

They have their good and bad points.  Google "Bosch Aquastar" and see what people have to say about it - this is one of the common brands sold by Lowe's/HomeDepot.  Not very good reviews overall.  I replaced a water heater recently and decided against tankless because of 4 reasons.  First, the peak amount of gas used would have required running a new gas line to the water heater (I wouldn't even consider electricity for heating water, do the math and you'll agree).  Second, installation cost was much higher than standard gas water heater.  Third, I'm not convinced that energy savings are as great as the manufacturers claim, look on the web for this, too.  Fourth, you will find quite a variation in water temperature from summer to winter.  A tankless water heater can only increase water temperature by so many degrees at a certain flow rate.  In the winter your water supply to the heater may be 50 degrees, in the summer it may be 65 degrees.  At a fixed flow rate this would show up as a considerable difference in hot water temperature at the tap.    Your best bet is to buy an efficient gas heated tank model and add an insulation wrap to it.  Also insulate the hot water pipes wherever you can, plus the cold water pipe that feeds the hot water heater for 5 - 10 feet where it comes into the tank.

Answer 9

I'm not real crazy about mine.  You run the water to get it hot, then it's not hot enough to kill germs (rinsing dishes).  Then if you turn it off for about ten minutes & go to rinse more dishes, you gotta wait again for it to be hot enough. I want it hot enough to burn my hand if I hold it under the water. My old man says the temp is turned up all the way...

Answer 10

I believe that is the future of water heaters. There is no stored hot water  that must be maintained hot so the old style heater will burn every so often to keep the water hot. A tankless has no stored water to keep hot. A tankless heats the water only when you want hot water. The installation requires a hole to be drilled through the  house for the vent and make sure that you buy one with a large enough BTU input to serve your needs. Tankless never run out of hot water and there are some dandy units on the market now.

Answer 11

is that even possible

Answer 12

u want one that will handle ur house needs....remember to add up ur usage at one time...

ex: shower heads 3gal per min.( so if wanting to use 2 showers at the same time u need one that will do at least 7 gals a min.)

dishwashers- about 1.5 gals per min

clothes washer- 2 gals per min but only for a short time span

we only use 7.2 - 7.8 gals per min units in the homes i build...1800 sq ft...to 4000 sq ft.

stay around 190,00 btu's - 220,000 btu's units.....

hope this helps......oh, and gas is the best way to go.

lic. gen. contractor

http://www.e-tankless.com/

http://www.noritz.com/

Answer 13

replacing a storage type water heater with a tankless will not work if your water heater is a long ways away from the faucets it will serve.For instance mine sits in the garage and bathrooms are way too far away.Tankless needs to be as close as possible to fixtures served,which usually requires repiping.If your in a small home or mobile home,where everything in centrally located then its ok.Hope this helps you.From a retired plumber local 290 Portland,Or

Answer 14

There are 2 types of tankless water heaters, Gas or Electric.

The idea is to(not keep water heated) until you need it. Both heat water rapidly on demand. Both are more expensive than traditional tank type heaters. I have seen the electric versions for around $500. and the gas pushing $1000. Depending on your local costs for gas or electricity, it may be a while before you actually save money. It is calculable. Both will use less energy from the green standpoint. I am quite sure both will last longer than the tank type especially if you have hard water in your area. Both are quite easy to install, keep in mind if you decide on the electric model, you will need 220 volts ac to power it. If you go with gas you will need a gas supply close to it,points to consider relative to additional costs, Hope this helps!

Answer 15

Tankless water heaters are great. They heat water only as you use it and don't store heated water at all. Go gas, not electric.

Lowes or Home Depot sell them cheaper than most other places.

Google "tankless water heater" and you will find all sorts of info.

Answer 16

The best you can get are Takagi, being a plumber I have installed many of them, some can keep heat for 3 bath homes, it  depends on your needs. http://www.takagi.com/index.asp

Answer 17

Tankless water heaters have plus and minuses, I am journeyman plumber and have done plenty of work on them both in a commercial and residential setting.  Being that they heat water on demand, they created alot of heat and also need plenty of air circulation to breath.  Also since water is not continuously run through them ( only on demand ) the have a tendency to build up calcium, and than you have to flush your system.  Those are the major drawback, you can see all the positives. Hope this helped.

Answer 18

i changed out mine to a tank less model it is the best upgrade i have done to my home in years hot water as long as you want it is great