Time for a new water heater

[webelk6]

I've seen and used tankless heaters in Europe - they usually hang in the shower stall under the showerhead and are handy for storing shampoo bottles. I am not doubting Euro technology as I am using a Buderus mod/con boiler from Germany, Grundfos circ pumps from Denmark, and Uponor PEX and manifolds from Sweden in my heating and domestic hot water system -

I am also not denying any efficiency gains compared to an el cheapo standard tank heater - but many have compared apples to oranges in this thread, and I hope that you are as happy with the heater five years from now

I will keep you posted. my previous standard water heater(sears) lasted 14 years

 

[GeoRoss]

Sediment isn't an issue with a tankless as the water is always moving. There isn't really time for it to settle. And any sediment that does form is flushed through the system at the next usage.

Many tankless do not require electricity. They run off some sort of piezo dodad water wheel thingamajob. So electricity loss of service isn't an issue. Gas loss of issue is a problem for both, but more so for a tankless.

We went with tankless units more for the space savings than energy efficiency. I wish I had ponied up for a Paloma or Rinnai, but went Bosch.

FineHomebuilding mag just did a big story on water heaters - they say a savings of about 19% is what you will see from a tankless heater compared to standard however since you never get out of the shower you probably end up using more water and more power than a conventional.

Article suggests a 190,000btu with .82 or better energy factor for your size family -

I'm a little skeptical about full life cycle costs of tankless heaters and wonder if they are really worth the investment. At less than full flow, the heater short cycles and that is never good in any type of machine. You will also be out of hot water during a power outage (assuming you have a pressure tank or utility service) and hard water will eat up a tankless way faster than an anodized tank heater. Sediment also has no where to go and utility lines w/ water hammer can send junk into your tankless that you never knew was there before with a tank model. This is my opinion as a homeowner looking to build new based on a winter's worth of online, magazine research and plumber ?'s - obviously there are people who are happy with them as well but i believe it is too early to tell on a full life-cycle ROI type analysis. A near 100% efficiency tank heater is pretty bulletproof and would probably serve you well in your specific circumstance IMO

I would suggest subscribing to the online magazine for some really good ideas and no-nonsense articles. Especially if you are looking at building or buying a new home in the near future this magazine has been a GREAT resource for me. Good luck

 

[-Spike-]

I wish I had ponied up for a Paloma or Rinnai, but went Bosch.

Why, did you hear something about any of those? I bought the Paloma 'cause it was available and I couldn't find anything negative about the company, but I'd never heard of them before. I like Bosch power tools...

-Spike

 

[webelk6]

Sediment isn't an issue with a tankless as the water is always moving. There isn't really time for it to settle. And any sediment that does form is flushed through the system at the next usage.

Many tankless do not require electricity. They run off some sort of piezo dodad water wheel thingamajob. So electricity loss of service isn't an issue. Gas loss of issue is a problem for both, but more so for a tankless.

We went with tankless units more for the space savings than energy efficiency. I wish I had ponied up for a Paloma or Rinnai, but went Bosch.

I have the Noritz and it does plug in the wall.

 

[woooody]

I have the Bosch Aquastar. Great unit. Tankless is the way to go. And the Bosch was ~900. There is a $300 (or was) Tax Credit for buying one. We saw a 25% reduction in gas usage. Family of 5, two showers. Bosch says 188,000 BTu. With Gas, you may need to increase the pipe to 3/4 or 1".

 

[GeoRoss]

Why, did you hear something about any of those? I bought the Paloma 'cause it was available and I couldn't find anything negative about the company, but I'd never heard of them before. I like Bosch power tools...

-Spike

I like Palomas because I have had good luck with them in the past. I like the Rinnai because of their super expensive vent. It provides all the combustion air.

The Bosch works. What I don't like is how you get mostly hot/warm water and then a few minutes into the shower the full hot water hits. Both of our units do this.

I have the Bosch Aquastar. Great unit. Tankless is the way to go. And the Bosch was ~900. There is a $300 (or was) Tax Credit for buying one. We saw a 25% reduction in gas usage. Family of 5, two showers. Bosch says 188,000 BTu. With Gas, you may need to increase the pipe to 3/4 or 1".

We had to do major gas pipe upgrades. Don't forget combustion air too. I had to fight with Bosch to get a repair part (damage during shipping) over where one of the units was installed and the amount of combustion air. Lots of drama.