Hot Water Heater Question

[Hat Trick]

it could be doing that right now... or any of the pipes

 

[Big Score 1]

You can find condensing boilers that can also be used for tankless water heaters. It will condense the exhaust gases to a point where it can be exhausted out the side of the house through PVC.

This is correct, but one way or the other, you're out the extra expense of having to upgrade your exhisting exhaust.

Some of that money is recuperated by not heating pipes through convection too.

Again you're correct here, but I wasn't thinking so much of the cost of water (still relatively inexpensive) as I was the wasting of that resource.

Agreed. The units that we sell through our company I know are marketed as 1 application, 2 application, etc. I would figure on 3GPM per application, so if you wanted to wash clothes and take a shower, you would need a 2 application or 6GPM unit. While the limited capacity can be an issue, it can be negated with planning. Say you have 3 women that all take showers in the evening in the same bathroom. With a tank heater, the last person probably wouldn't have hot water. With a tankless design though they all would. You just couldn't wash clothes at the same time.

If you properly size your traditional tank water heater, you won't run out of hot water. For example I specifically put in a 50 gal tank hot water heater & we've never run out of hot water. All 4 of us taking showers two at a time & we still have hot water left for the laundry.

Also don't forget that you may qualify for up a $300 tax credit for a tankless design if it qualifies.

 

Just as an FYI to folks who are looking at new Hot Water heaters, whether traditional, or Tankless.

 

There are traditional Tank Hot Water Heaters (both gas & electric) that also qualify for the $300 Federal Tax credit.

 

I'm currently in the middle of expanding our basement (digging out & slabbing an area which is currently only crawl space) & finishing it out. One of the things on the punch list is to move the location of our Hot Water Heater. I seriously looked into the Tankless units, as we're trying to go as green as possible. After a lot of research, I found the cost was prohibitive, considering all the necessary retrofits to our 1950's brick ranch. Also having to adapt our hot water usage patterns, failed to pass muster with she who must be obeyed.

 

Now when we go to build our new house...that'll be a different story. The rug rats will be gone & I'm sure the technology will have advanced to the point the wher the LOML will be more agreeable to going Tankless.