tankless hot water

[rb]

I have a kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Would going from a hot water tank to "tankless" hot water in each spot be any kind of a good deal? Seems to me like it wouldn't be good.

[hallerb]

well the discussion is already underway

[Phisherman]

You are pressed on space, the tankless is the way to go. Otherwise I prefer the water heater tank.

[hallerb]

if you heat with electric just forget it.

you will need 200 amps just for heating water, and more if you installed 2 units........

electrical upgrade so expensive its unreal, 5 grand estimate

[ransley]

For electric I dought it, if 2 baths are used at the same time it will take the expensive Ng tankless, one unit. here that can cost you alot in retrofit.

[Oren]

You could put a small tank less booster for hot water.Frankly, If I build a new home it will be a tank less system, zoned and piped for the gas....

Don't try to retrofit now.

[Art]

We just replaced a direct vent tank with a tankless. I did it because replacement direct vents run an unbelievable $1500 with labor and a 6 year guarantee tank. The tankless should last 15 years at least. It cost $3k.

I had it done by gas company expecting a perfect job. It was perfect.... the second time they did it after I bitched.

Tons of things can go wrong. Gas pipes have to be big enuf. So does meter. Then the plastic pipes they used had smaller internal diameter than CPVC I had before. They replaced with copper the second time. Then the exhaust should be slanted down unless they is a condensation collector. Mine was pitched up the first time.

After it was reinstalled correctly, I can say it is decent but not as good as a tank. It is slightly slower. Also my basement is much cooler now in the winter (an advantage in the summer) but cold water is now much colder and that makes hot water seem to take a long time to flow.

Overall stick with a tank.

[Beachcomber]

For some reason, there is a myth that the "tank" systems are horribly inefficient and wasteful and that the "instant tankless" systems are green and more economical in the long run.

For most tankless installations, by the time you get through paying and solving all the problems, the payback period is going to be a long way off in the distant future.

Last time I thought about my gas heater tank (I think that it's a great thing that I don't have to think about it much), the pilot light has never had to be relit in 10 years. It's like the eternal flame!

In the United States, the "tank" systems are a tried-and-tested commodity item (in most cases) and can usually be replaced in the same day at low cost. They last for years and the lifetime can be usuallly be extended if you take care to flush it and replace the electrode at periodic intervals.

[Robert Neville]

Yep. Inevitably every couple of months someone discovers this incredible new hot water heating system that's going to save them thousands of dollars a year and thinks it's the solution to world hunger.

People don't look at the total cost of a system, only their monthly out of pocket expenses. That's why leasing vehicles is so popular.

A former AOSmith engineer wrote a great whitepaper on tankless heaters. There are a few circumstances where it makes sense to use them, but in most residential applications a standard storage heater is the best solution.