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happybisaya · Jan 10, 2006, 09:13 AM

Which one saves me money; the tankless water heater or conventional tank water heater? :confused:

RickJ · Jan 10, 2006, 09:23 AM

If your use habits allow you to use them, you could save some money, however there are is a caveat.

The tankless one limits the rate of the heated water flow, so you may find that you just don't get enough hot water when you need it.

Here's an informative overview of the tankless system:
http://www.builderswebsource.com/tec...s/tankless.htm

dherman1 · Jan 11, 2006, 06:04 AM

I too was thinking of a Tankless hot water heater for our addition from Hell.

The plumber said that they are great, but as Rickj states, they do limit the flow of water depending on the temperature rise required.

He also said that they have a potential for requiring a tremendous amount of gas. Some are up to 200K BTU's. But it is variable.

It won't work in my house as I have low pressure gas so I would need to change everything to allow for it.

Dan

happybisaya · Jan 11, 2006, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by dherman1

I too was thinking of a Tankless hot water heater for our addition from Hell.

The plumber said that they are great, but as Rickj states, they do limit the flow of water depending on the temperature rise required.

He also said that they have a potential for requiring a tremendous amount of gas. Some are up to 200K BTU's. But it is variable.

It won't work in my house as I have low pressure gas so I would need to change everything to allow for it.

Dan

That is why I just looooved this site, the experts are very generous with their expertise. They would give you advise before you make a big mistake, and gives you advise to fix your mistakes. I hope everything goes well for you. Good luck on your new addition, I'm sure everything will turn out fine. :)

labman · Jan 11, 2006, 08:40 AM

I am a skeptic on them. Ones that produce lots of hot water have a minimum flow rate. Although the unit is small, the gas ones have large clearance requirements. You still can't use the space. You will still have to wait for cold water to empty out of the line unless you can locate it close to the point of use. I have a big problem with my tank being too far from where I use water. I studied tankless, and didn't find a solution to my problems.

I would stick to a tank, and give it the care Speedball1 suggests.

happybisaya · Jan 11, 2006, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by labman

I am a skeptic on them. Ones that produce lots of hot water have a minimum flow rate. Although the unit is small, the gas ones have large clearance requirements. You still can't use the space. You will still have to wait for cold water to empty out of the line unless you can locate it close to the point of use. I have a big problem with my tank being too far from where I use water. I studied tankless, and didn't find a solution to my problems.

I would stick to a tank, and give it the care Speedball1 suggests.

What did Speedball1 say about how to care for your water heater tank, I have a hard time looking for it. Oh, and did you know that the electric company gives you a water heater for free? Now I have to look for somebody to install it. :(

speedball1 · Jan 11, 2006, 10:52 AM

Hey Happy,

For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. Let me show you how. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures. Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. Hope this helps, Tom

happybisaya · Jan 11, 2006, 10:59 AM

Thank you Speedball1. :)

happybisaya · Jan 11, 2006, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by speedball1

Hey Happy,

For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. let me show you how. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run untill the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures. Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. Hope this helps, Tom

I just checked my water heater tank, there is a thing that looked like a water spout at the bottom of the tank with a thing attached to it (directly below it) where you could hook your hose into, is that the one you are talking about? And did you mean the hose water pressure, when you said "with the pressure on"? Do I need to use a really big bucket to catch the water from the heater? I hope I am not "really bothering you", you have been such a big help. Thank you for all your help.

speedball1 · Jan 11, 2006, 12:32 PM

Hey Happy,

"there is a thing that looked like a water spout at the bottom of the tank with a thing attached to it (directly below it) where you could hook your hose into, is that the one you are talking about?"

Yes, That's the boiler drain.

"And did you mean the hose water pressure, when you said "with the pressure on"? Do I need to use a really big bucket to catch the water from the heater?"

You don't touch anything. Just connect the hose to the boiler drain open it and flush it into a floor drain or a bucket. When the bucket gets full just empty it and if you're still gettingt crud out of the heater keep filling until the water runs clear. Out side of that, just follow directions. Good luck, tom

Handyman2007 · Aug 6, 2011, 05:38 PM

In my personal experience, a 6 gallon per minute recovery Tankless water heater will do just about thing you need it too without burning too much gas. Natural gas would be the cheapest way to go. If you find a dealer, they can tell you what you may need by the amount of hot water fixtures in your home.

Handyman2007 · Aug 6, 2011, 05:42 PM

PS:
In an industrial setting, I had a water heating requirement of 5500 gallons of hot water every 18 hours...
The original set up was 2- 100 gallon gas fire water heaters. The first 2 years they were in service, the plant used 23.000 gallons of propane per year.
I installed 5 - 20 gal per minute tankless heaters in an outside parallel configuration and the first year used only 9,500 gals of propane. Very cost effective.

Milo Dolezal · Aug 6, 2011, 11:30 PM

Handyman2007: You are responding to a question from 2006. Pay attention to dates. Thank you. Milo

Handyman2007 · Aug 7, 2011, 05:22 AM

If it is so important that these answers be up to date, why aren't the questions removed after say, 1 year??

SpringtimeHomes · Aug 18, 2011, 08:27 AM

For existing homes, stick with your current infrastructure and upgrade in efficiency only when its time for replacement. This is the most cost effective approach.

Yes, the best tankless are more efficient than the best heaters with tanks. However, many independent studies have concluded that tankless are not cost effective. Heat pump water heaters are probably the future of water heating.

Do not buy: tankless electric(unless its for one, lone fixture) and if possible, do not replace an atmospherically vented gas water heater. There is no place for these dangerous appliances in new construction. Upgrade to sealed combustion or use a tank.

Some studies suggest that tankless actually burn more energy due to the unending supply of hot water. Other problems with gas tankless: Existing homes often need new infrastructure, Most don't work with low flow fixtures, Cold water sandwiches, lose supply during power outages, dependence on a non-reneable resource,a possible increase in overall energy use due to endless supply.

Electric tanks are cheap, simple, easy to add insulation to, encourage conservation, low maintenance and enable a renewable energy fuel supply.

Every situation is different and a compelling case can be made for every product and configuration.

speedball1 · Aug 18, 2011, 08:49 AM

Spring time,
Great answer but You are responding to a 5 year old dead thread. Look up in the upper corner for the date. Regards, Tom

SpringtimeHomes · Aug 18, 2011, 08:52 AM

Thanks Tom, I wasn't sure if people still read the old threads in searches. Is there no point in answering threads from say over a year?

speedball1 · Aug 18, 2011, 04:24 PM

Is there no point in answering threads from say over a year?

Not much, Springtime. It's assumed that the OP has repaired the problem after a year has passed so we don't answer. However old threads make great reference guides. Now if piggybacking on a old thread with a new problem then I lose the old thread and start a new one giving it a new title. This site isn't very hard to navigate around but if you have any questions feel free to PM me.
Regards, Tom

uticka · Jun 4, 2012, 09:58 AM

It's not really a 'dead' thread. Google sent me here when I was researching tank vs. tankless water heaters. I immediately noticed that the thread started in 2006, but still found the information very informative and interesting. And... if people keep posting updates, new technologies, etc. it is really helpful!

Thanks,
Anne

speedball1 · Jun 5, 2012, 08:18 AM

That's fine for research but to answer a thread that's already been answered years ago is just plain silly. I discourage that because it doesn't help the original asker and clutters up our page. So, yeah! Dead threads serve a purpose for researching a problem but not for answering one. Have I made things a litter more clear or did I simply add to the confusion? Cheers, Tom