OT: Replacement water heater for home (NSOT??)

I'll assume you neglected to read this section:

When I lived on Long Island there was a program for encouraging people to switch from oil heating to natural gas heating, I only paid for materials, nothing for labor, I saved more than half on the installation... they provided a long list of plumbers, the one I chose did a fantastic job, even plumbed in a line for my patio Weber at no cost to me. The propane company I use here makes all installations for free, I only pay for materials, nothing for labor. They installed my tankless on demand water heater for only the cost of materials, $1,200... and it was a big job re plumbing everything including dismemboring the water jacketed wood stove that was here... I have absolutely no desire to burn wood for heat and hot water. I suggest you do more research before dismissing the concept, otherwise I think you'll be making a huge mistake.

Why, it's a totally seperate feature.

Who are you, IDIOT!

I don't believe it. Not for a residential water heater for a typical family in most of the USA where nat gas is relatively cheap. My gas bill in winter is ~$100 a month, for a 3200 sq ft house. That includes gas heat and hot water. In the summer, the gas bill is under $20. So, I'm having a hard time imagining how a bill could got down by $80, unless you're running a Laundromat.

Don't be a penny-wise

Yeah, what a drain. Like I said, the bill here is under $20 a month for hot water used as well as the standby losses. So, those standby losses, which are the main difference between a tank type and tankless, can't be that great.

Now look at the cost difference of just replacing that tank heater she has, versus installing a tankless. She's going to get quotes, just for education, I suggest she get quotes for tankless too. Besides the substantially higher cost of the unit, it typically requires new gas piping all the way back to the meter, because of it's high usage. Then you need to run venting to the outside too. Can it make sense? Sure if you have unique requirements, eg you can have very high water needs for a beach house or similar. Does it make sense for the average homeowner? I doubt it.

PS: Weren't you the person who told us gas water heaters can't work without AC? Tell that to mine.

If what she's saying is true, it is using a lot less gas, assuming the price of gas didn't change. She claims her bill went down by $80 a month when she switched to tankless. Maybe she can give us the actual numbers. I'm not buying it, not unless shes a laundromat or has some high whacked out nat gas rates.

If the tank is inside the house (in

Yes, any meat loss is bad.

- and in the winter just

My gas bill in summer, under $20, which includes usage, confirms that standby losses can't amount to much.

IDK what a combi boiler is to you, but I think to most people it means a hydronic heating boiler that also supplies domestic hot water. Agree?

Then explain to us why you'd put one of those in when you have forced air heat.

Before you call people idiot, it would be a good idea to go look at the specs. IDK if 10X is accurate, but tankless do use many times the gas flow rate of a tank type. On your gas stove, what size flame does it take to heat a quart of cold water to boiling in 15 minutes? What size flame does it take to heat a quart in 1 minute?

That's why you have to upgrade the gas supply when going to tankless. They require many times the gas flow rate and you can't put 10X gas through the same size piping. Capiche?

You are better off than many. Some folks on this list had gold and silver coins, but no food or hot water.

One friend of mine relates how when he was working at a religious radio station, a youthful DJ put on a song from the Singing Telestials. My friend the broadcast engineer nearly died laughing when the DJ announced to the world he was about to play the Singing Testicles.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

I don't have a gas line to the house so in a power outage nothing works. The only things I care about though are my freezer and my hairdryer.

only ELECTRIC TANKLESS which are terrible at heating water. and generally require a 250 amp main panel just for heating water, so you will need a second panel for everything else

During ice storm 2003, I really missed the computer, hair dryer, furnace, microwave, AM radio.

If I had to choose one, would be furnace.

K, never mind, I agree. I was thinking electric tankless for some reason.

No. Accurate,

A combination boiler as I understand it combines central heat and domestic hot water

Guess again. Large domestic tankless electric heaters can require 120 to 180 amps just for the heater. Small ones draw as much as an electric range or drier (40 to 60 amps)

That's my understanding too and like you say, IDK how it works with forced air either. Nor is it something new. I remember by grandfather's house, built in the 50s had one.

snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Clap! +5

Some folks do not know how to actually run the numbers. Replacing a waterheater that is about 200$ that costs under 300$ a year to run with a 3,000$ unit will not pay off. EVER. Most of us pay less than 300$ a year to heat water. Mine is gas so 1/2 that. It would take me 20 years to break even and by then, the tankless unit would have long been toast.

For the number challanged. At 300$ a year operation (high end), it takes 10 years to pay for a tankless and for all that time, you also pay electric for the tankless to use. IE: you pay close to 1/2 the operation costs with a tankless but your up front cost means you will not pay off on it. Ever.