Do I go tankless water heater or wait for 75-gal gas heater?
tracey_b
13 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (22)
arkansasfarmchick
13 years agotracey_b
13 years agoRelated Discussions
75 gal. or 50 gal. hot water heater
Comments (8)I think you need a 75 gallon model or, if your water supply isn't too hard, a tankless heater. With a 2.5 gpm shower head mixed at 2/3rds hot and 1/3 cold, a 50 gallon tank gives you 30 minutes of showering. At that point, you have 50 gallons of (at best) lukewarm water in the tank. You'd probably need to wait 30 minutes from that point until the water in the tank is again hot. If two are showering at once and no other hot water is being used, it'll start getting cool after about 10 minutes. If you're using a lot of hot water, there isn't going to be that much difference in operating expenses between the two sizes, you're going to be burning BTUs to heat water either way. You can easily cover the cost difference with the savings you'd have by replacing your old washer with a front loader....See Moretankless water heater - 50 gl water heater???
Comments (19)There is a LOT of disinformation on these forums about on-demand tankless units, ESPECIALLY the electric units. First, energy cost savings is NOT a reason in itself to make the switch. No reason alone is sufficient. It is the total package, in light of your particular lifestyle, that will dictate the pro-con outcome of the decision making process. First, tankless units save space -- a lot of it, especially electric units that do not need to be vented. In Texas we have no basements, so that can be an important issue. Second, an electric unit is unlikely to blow up, unlike anything using natural gas. Third, there is an endless supply of hot water, which in a successive-morning-shower household like mine, is a really important issue. And finally, yes there is some documented comp fuel savings (electric tankless over electric tanks, or gas over gas), that is really offset by the added initial cost of the unit plus upgraded electrical service or gas supply line sizing. Moreover, there ARE full-house electric units out there that provide plenty of water, unless you plan on taking two showers simultaneously while also doing your laundry and running the dishwasher! And if that's your bag, you can run 2 or more electicals together. Or get a really big gas unit. Bottom line, nearly every nay-sayer of tankless units ignore the pros and focus on a single con - cost, cost, cost. Well, we all don't drive a Ford Focus for a reason. Some of us enjoy our Buicks, Porsches or Camrys even though another car would get us from point A to point B cheaper while using less fuel etc etc etc. Full disclosure: I have a Steibel Eltron Tempra 36 whole-house electric unit. Love it. My electric bill went up nary at all....See Morehow will 50-gal gas water heater compare to 80-gal electric?
Comments (3)look into the new "Condensing" Gas Water heaters. They have efficiencies well into the 90% range and claim they put out as much water as a conventional 75 Gallon water heater. AO Smith is probably the best known one , but more new ones are coming. I heard they qualify for different Govt + Gas Co incentives/rebates. We will need a new water heater soon, to replace an old conventional 50 gallon gas water heater that uses a pilot. Since our gas bill is usually less than $13 in the summer, and I'm 68 years old, I will probably buy another conventional gas water heater--we don't use that much hot water and the price of the condensings are around $500 more ($1600) v/s probably around $1000 for a good quality conventional one. Were I younger and used more hot water or had a higher gas bill, I would certainly go with the Condensing one, and it's still not "Written in stone", that I won't! HTH's Gary...See MoreTank Water Heater vs. Tankless Water Heater
Comments (4)Guys if you read the post, the reason the tank water heater was so expensive was due to the construction required to get his house up to code. I personally like my tank heater. If your changing from a tank to tankless there is alot of work to do. Moving water lines, moving gas lines (possibly upgrading gas line size too) and running a new intake/exhaust if using gas, upgrading the main service amps if using electric. Some things to consider Tank Heater Pros Costs less to replace in the future Easier to maintain (Tank water heaters are easy to flush out every year) Easier to install (dont have to upgrade gas line or main service amps) Gas water heater will still operate in power outage (electric will still have some hot water to use for a while till power kicks back on). Cons Not as efficient as tankless No Tax Credits Hot water limited by FHR (first hour rating) Tankless Heater Pros Unlimited hot water More efficient Saves space Cons Will cost more in the future to replace (there is no guarantee the tankless will last longer than a tank version, the heat exchanger can go bad and that is the most expensive part of the tankless) , Harder to maintain (you need to try to clean those tankless heaters out every year with a descaler so they stay working efficiently) Harder to install (upgrade gas line or main service amps) Tankless heaters have a limited throughoutput. While it is unlimited hot water, it can only supply so many gallons of hot water at a time Will not operate in a power outage. A tankless water heater is controlled by electronics whether the heater is gas or electric does not matter. Requires minimum gallons per minute from city water supply, some people have not been able to install due to that problem. Consumer reports note that users complain of inconsistant water temperatures. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/water-heaters/tankless-water-heaters/overview/tankless-water-heaters-ov.htm Another good site to look at: http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/Longevity/tankless-water-heaters.html...See Morechisue
13 years agosrercrcr
13 years agotracey_b
13 years agotracey_b
13 years agodyno
13 years agotracey_b
13 years agodyno
13 years agomdev
13 years agothull
13 years agosis3
13 years agotracey_b
13 years agoramor
13 years agoarkansasfarmchick
13 years agochisue
13 years agodrdugit
13 years agosrercrcr
13 years agobdpeck-charlotte
13 years agothull
13 years agobetsy_anne
13 years ago
Related Stories
GREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Switch to a Tankless Water Heater
New project for a new year: Swap your conventional heater for an energy-saving model — and don’t be fooled by misinformation
Full StoryGREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Add a Solar Water Heater
Lower energy bills without a major renovation by putting the sun to work heating your home’s water
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGHouzz Tour: Going Completely Off the Grid in Nova Scotia
Powered by sunshine and built with salvaged materials, this Canadian home is an experiment for green building practices
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGHow to Make a Pond
You can make an outdoor fish paradise of your own, for less than you might think. But you'll need this expert design wisdom
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESThe Case for Waiting to Remodel
We know, you're excited to make your home match your vision. But your vision may change once you've lived there awhile
Full StoryPRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: Set Up an Outdoor Living Room
With an outdoor movie screen, a patio heater or fan, and scads of entertaining essentials, you may never want to go back inside
Full StoryMOST POPULARHouzz Tour: Going Off the Grid in 140 Square Feet
WIth $40,000 and a vision of living more simply, a California designer builds her ‘forever’ home — a tiny house on wheels
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPING5 Steps to Improve Your Heating System Now
Increase your heater's efficiency and safety for lower energy bills and greater peace of mind this winter
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGWater Sense for Big Savings
Keep dollars in your pocket and preserve a precious resource with these easy DIY strategies
Full StorySAVING WATER11 Ways to Save Water at Home
Whether you live in a drought-stricken area or just want to help preserve a precious resource, here are things you can do to use less water
Full StorySponsored
david_cary