Tankless (On-Demand) Water Heaters
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Tankless (On-Demand) Water Heaters
Experience with Instant Water Heater
Dec 2010
I'm really tired of washing in cold water because of how
long it takes for our 'hot' water to really get hot. I don't
even use the hot water tap because I don't want to waste so
much water. I've heard of instant hot water heaters and
would love to hear from anyone who has experience with one
about their experience, and would also appreciate a
recommendation on someone to install one.
Looking forward to hot water
Reva
In my brief experience with a tankless water heater it takes
some time for the hot water to get to the tap, same as with
tank heaters so just as much waste. I also had problems,
which are common, with the temperature of the water varying,
which is a real drag when you're in the shower. I got rid of
mine!
I deal with the waste while the tap water is heating up by
capturing the water in a pitcher and using it to fill my
dog's water bowl. If his bowl is full, I use it to flush the
toilet, which we don't flush regularly for pee as a water
saving measure. Cece
Not sure what you mean by instant hot water heaters, do you
mean tankless? If so, you have to realize that if you are
turning your 2nd (or 3rd) floor shower on, that there is
still water (often cold) in the pipes leading to the shower
and that whatever system you have, regular tank or tankless,
the water that is already in the pipes (usually cold) will
get to you first and that it will take some time before the
hot water gets to you. Unless the tankless system is right
next to the faucet, it will take a while for the hot water
to get to the faucet. We had a tankless water heater
installed a few years ago and they are good for
continual/ongoing hot water (once the water to your
faucet/shower head has gotten hot, i.e., the hot water has
passed through the pipes and pushed out the cold water).
However, if you want a lot of hot water (i.e., one or two
showers are going on and the washing
machine/dishwasher/etc.) is on, the tankless does not work
as well. Having said all that, I don't think that a
tankless will help with your instant hot water, unless it is
NEXT TO your faucet. You still have to get the cold water
out of the pipes first (yes, annoying, a waste of water, but
true). MK
I know the moderator gave a link to advice on tankless
heaters, but generally, those are also whole-house, so it
will still take a while for the hot water to reach a faucet
that is far away - and each time you stop the flow or slow
it down, you have to wait again. A few thoughts (some just
based on reading, some based on personal experience) - 1.
Look at the piping from the water heater to the faucet. Ours
was much longer/circuitous than it needed to be, adding to
the wait for hot water (When we remodeled, we both moved the
w.h. and re-routed some of the pipes). 2. If you are just
talking about one faucet, there are small electric heaters
that are truly instant - you install them right at the point
of use, like under a sink. They heat only a small amount at
a time, but that is what they are for. Much cheaper than
whole-house tankless heaters, don't need to be vented out,
but probably use a lot of electricity when in use. 3. Some
folks put a circulating pump in the hot water system; it
basically keeps the hot water moving around at a trickle all
the time (or, in some cases, on a timer), so it's there when
you want it. Obviously, it uses some electricity (not sure
how much). One other downside is that some hot water ends up
in the cold water pipes, so if you don't filter it for
drinking, some of the stuff from the water heater is in your
drinking water. 4. Even if you dn't do anything, you can
collect the water in a bucket as you wait for it to get hot.
We do this at the shower where it's a wait for hot water,
and use the collected water to flush the toilet that's right
by the tub. Some folks use it to water plants (if your yard
needs water and it's not raining all the time, and you don't
mind hauling a drippy bucket through the house!). R.K.
Tankless Water Heaters - have they improved?
Nov 2010
I was thinking of getting a tankless water heater, but the
reviews on BPN are from 2008 or earlier and there seem to
be a lot of complaints about them. Have newer models
improved any? I'm looking to save energy and save space.
Might want to mount the unit outside my house to save
space. Don't like the idea of running out of hot water or
waiting forever for hot water to reach me. I have a one
story, 1500 Sq ft house. Also, any recs on
makes/models/prices if I go this route?
Thanks, BPN pals!
I just had a tankless system installed a week ago by Eric
at Cal Plumbing (229-8022) and I am THRILLED with the
results. (I also had my old galvanzied pipes replaced
with copper.) Eric installed the Takagi TK3. Eric
explained that not all houses are a good fit for
tankless. But mine is a good fit being one story, not big
(1000 sq feet) and only 1 bathroom. He also explained
that the bay area is a very good environment for tankless
because we don't have hard water that leaves deposits that
need to be flushed out and that the incoming water is
usually not colder than 50 degrees. Mine is installed in
my basement but it could have been installed outside.
Another reason to get a tankless water heater now is that
there is a federal tax credit of up to $1500 for units
installed in 2010.
Eric is very experienced with installing these systems,
was very easy to work with and on time. It usually takes
only a couple of days and I wasn't without water
overnight.
thrilled with my tankless water heater
I had a problem with my new tankless, and found out - from
a plumber friend - that the problems are usually due to a
clogged filter. He cleaned the filter, and now it's good
as new. So, keep your filter clean, and buy a good one to
start off with. I LOVE MY TANKLESS! I'll never have
another 'old fashioned' water heater again. (Takagi and
Noritz are both really good brands.)
Marilyn
Tankless water heater versus regular water heater
Sept 2010
I remember some discussions quite a while back on this site
about the good vs bad of tankless water heaters, but I
wonder whether there have upgrades on the technology,
people's experiences etc. We have an older, 3000 sq ft house
and we'd like to stop wasting water while heating it for
showers. Any recent experiences or advice you'd like to share?
anon
We have a tankless water heater - love it! The energy savings was
significant for us.
That said, I will also tell you that ''on demand'' is not the same as
''instantaneous.'' Depending on the size of your home and where the
unit is installed relative to your bathrooms, you still have to wait
for hot water to cycle through the pipes.
Our solution to this problem was to install a recirculating pump on a
timer that keeps hot water flowing through the pipes during peak
shower times. During non-peak times, we just anticipate a wait for
hot water.
Hope this helps...
Carolyn
I just had a tankless water heater installed in our one
bedroom condo (ground floor). I got two bids from plumbers
and they were almost the same, so I went with the one down
the street. I really liked Albert Nahman's Plumbing, they
were very professional and really helped me with getting
the permit from the City of Berkeley after it was
installed. One word of advice, it's worth having the
professionals deal with the City, as they are used to all
of the bureaucracy and crazy phone systems at the
permitting department. They would have only charged for
the permit and the time to get it, which for them was a
couple of hours and for me was about 10 hours and one month
worth of trying!!! Anyhoo, I got the Tagaki system and so
far it is great. It fits in the bedroom closet, which is
right next to the kitchen and about 15' from the bathroom.
This opened up a huge space in my kitchen where the
traditional heater stood. There is a slight delay in
getting the water warm in the bathroom, maybe about 20
seconds, but I think the cost savings and SPACE savings are
worth it!! Give Nahman's a call and they can talk to you
about your own home needs.
Carmen
About tankless water heaters: given that we have an older
house and we were renovating only the kitchen, we were
advised to continue using water direct from the
traditional hot water heater that supplies the house.
Instead, we experimented with a Takagi gas-heated under
counter tankless version. This required an upgrade to our
gasline. While we did get instantaneous hot water, the
supply would sometimes run out and we'd be back to cold
water until the gas could heat the new tankful of water.
The actual heater we used was a lemon and there would be
periods of time when it would be under repair...extending
for months in some cases because the warranty support was
so poor. In the end result, even if it had worked as
advertised, I'm not sure we would have ever gotten a
positive return on investment. Also, I regretted the
amount of space under the kitchen sink it stole from other
purposes.
After 3 years of trying, we gave up and are much more
content using a warm water circulating pump located at the
hot water heater/tank. It is on a timer so that, during
the hours we sleep, it is more energy efficient. These
systems cost about $500 to $700 including installation.
Grundfos sells complete packages under its Comfort System
label.
karen
I purchased a tankless water heaters and decided NOT to
buy another after doing quite a bit of research. I found
a university web site that performed an actual
cost/benefits comparison of tankless over the lifetime of
the heater. After 20 years they found tankless costs more
and isn't any better for the environment than a
traditional tank water heater. We've found our tankless
uses more energy in the winter, and we wind up wasting
more water. If power is lost, the tankless doesn't work
at all. With a tank we always have hot water.
We have two houses. One hosue we have a tankless and in
the other a 75 gallon tank heater. There are quite a few
disadvantages with a tankless. We've found just about all
of the claims on the benefits of tankless are false. The
first disadvantage of a tankless heater is the cost it's 2
to 4 times more. Installation costs are much higher too.
I was quoted $2,000 for tankless and $200-300 for a tank
heater. Total cost to install a tankless was $3,800 vs.
$1200 for a 75 gallon tank heater. We saved $2,600 by
using a tank heater.
The one clear benefit of tankless is for the installer,
they get to pocket several thousand dollars more off of
each installation.
The next one I buy will be a tank heater.
Anon
I was having trouble with my hot water pressure, and the
plumber told me it was just the filter on my tankless. We
cleaned it, and now have no problems. I LOVE MY TANKLESS -
- it's a Noritz brand.
I recently researched tankless water heaters for a client.
At first it looked like the tankless technology might be an
option for her (she was replacing a 50 gallon conventional
tank serving two older one bedroom cottages. However, on
closer consideration we found that the flow requirements of
the small cottages (each has one bathroom and laundry) would
demand that we install a sizable heater at a sizable cost.
A plumber friend of mine has built a vacation home and he is
using tankless, but he has two installed - one for the front
half of the home and one for the master bathroom. He found
that having only one small unit (which are now affordable)
would not provide adequate flow if say laundry, dishwasher
and shower were all run at the same time.
This does not mean that tankless is not an option, it just
means that it must be sized properly. When I lived in
Scotland we had a tankless heater installed to serve an
attic bathroom and we were very pleased with the result.
This was 20 years ago, so the technology is proven, even if
it is not being used extensively in the U.S. as yet.
Jim
Another option to tankless water heater is a water recirculater. There
are two kinds; one that attaches at the faucet end, and one that
mounts to the water tank (this is what we use). When the temperature
at the faucet (the shower end) drops below a certain temperature water
will recirculate from the tank. No water is wasted, it's nearly silent
and it didn't seem to raise our gas bill by any noticeable amount.
David
Changing from a tank style hot water heater to an
instantaneous unit can be a good upgrade in that often one
gains valuable real estate so as to be able to have more
room in a laundry area.
However, more often than not, one needs to install a
larger gas pipe as well as a larger flue to be able to
allow the new unit to work properly. These units can be
fickle if water pressure fluctuates or there is not enough
gas that can flow through the pipe. These upgrades can be
expensive and push the total cost past $3000 commonly.
What I've done at my house is to go to a higher efficiency
unit, a 96% efficiency condensing unit - tank style water
heater. The beauty of this unit is one can shave and have
hot water to rinse off the razor - a pipe full of hot
water rather than hot, a slug of cold, hot, etc.
The other great quality the unit has is that it can
provide heat for the entire house via a radiant heating
system or air handler that heats air for a forced air
heating system. The latter unit is what I'm planning on
installing in my house in the coming year.
Additionally, this type of system can be connected to a
solar thermal system which could really drop one's carbon
energy usage.
It is also a benefit to have 50 gallons of water on hand
when the earthquake finally occurs and the water system
fails.
George
Tankless water heater versus regular water heater
Sept 2010
What are the pros and cons of tankless versus regular
water heater?
Albert
We have installed tankless heaters in two houses now, with
very good results. One ah-hah moment that plumbers didn't
mention to me was that while tankless heaters are twice as
expensive as conventional, they last 2.5 times as long
(plus the energy savings in the meanwhile). Buyers love
them.
East Bay Realtor
Debating whether to get a tankless or a standard water heater
June 2010
We are going to need to replace our hot water heater soon
and are debating whether to get a tankless or a standard
one. What are the benefits of tankless? Anyone went one
way and wish they had gone the other? Any gotchas if we go
the tankless route? Anon
We have a tankless water heater, and for the most part, I
love it. No worries about running out of hot water after a
LONG shower by my husband, no worries about sudden ice-cold
if I turn on the hot water while he's showering (it gets
slightly cooler for a moment, but not enough to upset him),
lower gas usage overall (as seen on PG&E bill), and not so
much worry about heavy metals sitting in the tank. Also we
got ours put on under the house and are now able to use the
closet it used to be in, as a pantry. Big bonus! The only
real downside is the expected one: the first time you turn
the hot water on after a long break (i.e. first thing in the
morning or when arriving home from work), it takes a long
time to get hot. And I do mean a long time. Also, the sink
in the house that's farthest from the heater has the same
problem all the time. I'd probably get one of those
recirculators, or one of the instant under-sink heaters,
installed just for this sink (the master bath) if I used it
more. One caveat: be VERY careful with the brand you
choose. We had to get our first one (a Bosch) replaced for
various reasons. We now have a Takagi and it's much, much
better. This is not a place to pick cheap. Karen
I almost went with a tankless water heater last month but
decided against it due to the fact that I learned whenever
you reduce the flow from your faucet or showerhead below 1/2
gallon per minute the tankless heater turns off and you end
up with cold water instead of a reduced flow of hot water. I
read about this and then confirmed it with a neighbor who
has a tankless water heater. The 30% Federal tax credit
makes tankless an appealing option but for those of us who
do not run the faucet at full blast a shot of cold water
sounded like an unreasonable side effect. FYI, I used
Albert Nahman Plumbing (510.843.6904) as the company to
install my new standard style hot water heater and found
them very knowlegeable about tankless and standard water
heaters since they sell and install both options.
Reece
We got a tankless water heater about 5 years ago. Our gas
bill dropped immediately. We're very happy with the flow
rate and that we never run out of hot water. We can
generally run two things at a time but they don't recommend
three. Two problems: there is a delay to turn on the gas
each time. This is to prevent wasting gas for short bursts.
However, if you're washing dishes, the water goes cold. You
have to get everything ready to go to rinse and keep the hot
water on. The second problem was a maintenance issue
recently. We live out in the burbs and the water here is
bad. We got black flakes occasionally coming out in the
bath water. Turns out that we were destroying the heating
element. Recommend asking about a flush valve and have
someone come out annually to maintain. May not be a problem
if you get Hetch Hetchy water. Hot Water Lover
we have a tankless that was already in the house we
purchased. we don't like it, mostly because every time we
turn off the water while doing dishes (to conserve) and turn
it back on again, it has to cycle back through and warm
water up again. it will use what warm/hot water is in the
pipes, but then it turns cold and warms back up. seems to
waste water in our opinion. i like the space savings the
tankless offers, but other than that i don't see the
benefit. wish we had the old hot water heater
Hi -- We recently had to replace our conventional hot water
heater, and we went with an Eternal Hybrid 'tankless'
heater. It's similar to a tankless heater, but has a 2
gallon reserve tank that's always hot (not sure if other
systems have that). My family of 5 has been using the
heater for about 3 months now, and we're quite happy with
it. I agree with the other posters that the availability of
hot water is not quite as even as with a conventional hot
water heater: we notice the water from the kitchen sink very
occasionally (once every 2 or 3 weeks) gets cold (probably a
problem with insufficient flow to activate the heater;
neither we nor the plumber can figure out specifically why
it happens, or, given that it happens at all, why it happens
so rarely). We haven't had the heater long enough to say
what it does to our energy bills. But really, occasional
cool water seems like a fine compromise to make for using a
system that doesn't waste spectacular amounts of energy
maintaining 40 gallons of scalding hot water in our basement
24-7. Solar panels weren't an option for us (we just
couldn't afford it), so this seemed like the
next-most-responsible thing to do. Forgive the soap box
there :). Good luck! Happy with my heater
I too was interested in a tankless, and I called Bart McCoy,
a retired union plumber to look at the job. He is very
versed on tankless and made sure I knew of all the pros and
cons. After listening to him, I decided to go with a
standard tank type water heater. He prebid this job for me
and was a full $400.00 cheaper than 2 others I had talked
to. You can reach Bart McCoy @ 510-289-1402 or 510-
350-7093. Good Luck, Erik
Cost to install a tankless water heater?
March 2010
Can anyone give a price range for how much it cost to
install a tankless water heater? We currently have a
regular water heater but would like to switch to tankless.
Jennette
Eric at Cal Plumbing recently installed a tankless water
heater at our house for $3400. The work included a seismic
gas shutoff valve and some repiping under the house. With
most tankless water heaters, you need a dedicated gas line
from the meter, as well as new electrical wiring, so when
you're getting quotes, make sure you're comparing apples to
apples. Eric gave us a free estimate, and did everything to
code and on time. His cell number is (510) 299-8022, and
his office line is (510) 215-0200.
Lovin' my tankless
Our water heater broke a couple of weeks ago when we had out-of-town visitors and
were expecting more. Eric (Cal Plumbing, (510) 215-0200) arrived to give a quote
on short notice on Friday night (we found him through BPN). He promised to have work finished by Sunday
(he had already committed to a job on Saturday). He finished
the job as promised and on budget, arranging to have an electrician complete
his portion of the job on Sunday as well. Eric returned a couple of days later to install
a seismic gas shutoff. Our visitors were amazed that we could get someone to do the job on a weekend.
We highly recommend him.
Kathy
Radiant Floor Heating & Tankless Water Heater
Feb 2010
We are going to lift our existing house and pour a new slab
foundation in the new first floor. We would like to put in
radient floor heating to heat the new bottom floor as we
understand it is the most efficient way to heat a house.
We also want to intall a new tankless water heater. How much
does radient floor heating cost to install? Does it really
keep the whole house warm (or at least the floor it is
installed under? How much can I expect to pay to install a
tankless water heater? Can it really heat up water enough for
two showers, laundry and dishwashing at the same time? Is
there a bigger capacity system that I should look at?
Just wondering
Yes and Yes! We have radiant floor and tank less heater in
our 2 level home. The floors are warm and the entire house
feels as though it has been warmed by the sun. No forced
air, no noise, no weird smells, just cozy warmth!
As far as running 2 showers and your appliances- yes- you
will get enough hot water but your water pressure will be
low. Be sure to talk with whoever will install your system
about water pressure.
We installed our radiant heat and tank ourselves so I am
no help as to cost.
DIY
Not sure I can address all of your questions, but here goes:
I agree that radiant heating is efficient and it is the
most comfortable heat. With a new slab floor on grade, I
always recommend pouring a topping slab with the radiant
tubing in it. This allows you to separate your heated slab
from the structural slab with some thin layer of insulation
(bubble wrap often used).
Now, the heating system and the water heating system are not
always combined. This gets technical, and you will want to
know the differences.
Tankless water heating systems take some getting used to,
and sometimes have to fiddled with over time to get the
optimal results with the units you decide on.
Yes, these systems keep the whole house warm. You can heat
the upstairs with the same system in various ways (one way
is with radiators).
Costs vary, and I would not venture a range without knowing
more about your specific requirements.
AB
Sept 2008
Seeking some detailed advice on Tankless Water Heater with
possible added use for radiant heating
We are planning a kitchen remodel with possible replacement of
our current tank type heater with a tankless model which seem to
be all the rage. As the only heat source in our 1600 sq. ft.
home is an antique living room floor furnace, we are considering
a large capacity tankless water heater for both domestic hot
water AND radiant heating (either under-floor retrofit or
baseboard radiators). Have any BPNer's installed such a system
... and if so, who did it and how did it work?
We would also like any very specific advice on tankless water
heater installations ... especially folks willing to provide
specifics on the installation ... ie make & model, location of
heater relative to points of use, flow rate needed to ''start up''
the heater, installation & maintenance issues, decrease in energy
use? INCREASE in water waste? etc. etc. etc.
Linda B.
I've been installing and maintaining water heaters for quite some
time now and experience and research has lead me to the
conclusion that tankless heaters are not the bargain that they
are touted as.
A tankless system's initial cost plus the often higher
installation costs usually save little or no money over the
average life of the unit. I can maintain and repair tankless
units but they usually last between 8 and twelve years before
they need to be replaced. This often happens around the time that
you begin recouping your original investment. A normal tanked
water heater can last indefinitely when given the correct and
timely maintenance, especially with the water quality we have in
the Bay Area. They are simpler to repair ( I can show almost any
homeowner how to do this), the parts are much easier to maintain,
and they don't have all these sometimes bizarre problems that
accompany the tankless units. Radiant systems are another matter,
I can send you a good article about them that may help you
familiarize yourself with the subject. Good luck! It's often a
very 'tankless' task.....groan
Erich
We are a small plumbing company that specializes in radiant heat.
We also install lots of tankless water heaters, although never as
a heat source for the radiant system.
A properly designed heating system will have a difference in
temperature of 10 to 20 degrees. This means the supply water
(water leaving the heat source) is 10 to 20 degrees hotter then
the return water (water coming back to the heat source).
Tankless water heater numbers. A tankless water heater is
designed around a 40 to 80 degree difference in water
temperature. 55-degree ground water to 120-degree output
temperature is the most common rise in water temperature that a
tankless water heater sees.
This means that to meet the temperature difference in a radiant
system the water heater will be flashing on and off. This
shortens the life of a tankless water heater and combined with
the 15 degree difference in water temperature changes the
efficiency of the water heater down into the 75% range. This
short cycling does not allow for the proper flow of flue gases
from the water heater, which leaves behind deposits on the heat
exchanger, further reducing the efficiency of the water heater
over time.
After reading this you may wonder why people use tankless water
heaters at all.
Well, for domestic water heating they work great. Tankless water
heaters can also be used in low temperature heating of 140
degrees or less when used in conjunction with a properly designed
tank loading system that allows the water heater to be operated
with a minimum temperature rise of 40 degrees.
Yes, you can design a heating system with a 40-degree
drop across the system to make the tankless water heater work at
the bottom of its proper operating parameters.
A 40-degree drop in water temperature requires a large heating
load. 80% of the time we have small heating loads. The reality is
that you are far better off using a boiler to heat your house.
The boiler's primary purpose is to heat with greater efficiency,
last longer and have a better warranty.
The boilers we install are Triangle Tube modulating/condensing
boilers that carry a 95 percent efficiency rating and come with a
five year parts AND labor warranty, with an extended 10 year
parts and labor warranty available. They are considered by many
to be the best on the market.
Jeff
A few years ago I installed both a takagi tankless with a small
radiant loop for my cottage and a new sears 50 gallon gas water
heater with 4 loops for my house. Both are ''open'' systems so
they provide both hot water for showers and hot water for
heating. This type of system has to be designed so that when you
take a shower, fresh water enters the floor loops so that they
don't end up with stale water growing stuff over time.
I mainly used the tankless in the cottage since it took up a lot
less space than a regular water heater. Takagi are computer
controlled so I find that mine heats the floor without cycling on
and off, it just runs the fans and burner much lower than when I
am taking a shower. It's entirely possible that it's running at
less than peak efficiency and while mine has been trouble free
they are expensive to fix if anything goes wrong.
For the house I chose to get a regular sears 12 year 50 gal water
heater since at $500 it is so much cheaper than a boiler or
tankless there's no way the extra efficiency would be worth the
cost over the lifetime of the unit. I think the boilers make a
lot of sense if you live someplace cold or have a large house. For
small and medium Berkeley houses the total system cost seems
unjustified.
I ended up very happy with both of mine and wouldn't change them.
Alex.
May 2008
I'm interested in hearing good and bad experiences with
tankless water heaters (specifically in a remodel) now that
they have been out longer. The archives have not been updated
in over a year.
suzie
We went tankless when we remodeled and we would totally recommend it! Because
it heats water only on demand, it's FAR more efficient than a standard water heater,
which means your bills should be lower. You can mount the unit outside so it frees
up space inside your home. It definitely seems like the ''green'' choice since it only
heats water when you actually need it. The water heater itself lasts much longer
than a standard boiler. And if you're a fan of a long shower, it will heat water
*continuously* as long as you want. The only downside, which we find quite minor,
is that it does take a minute or two for the hot water to hit the faucet, and it does
feel wasteful running the water waiting for it to heat up. I think there are under-
sink units, basically miniature water heaters, that you can install to serve up hot
water immediately while the tankless gets heating, but we haven't really looked into
that yet.
Loving Tankless Water Heater
I am not sure what sort of advice you are looking for on this
one...but, we had a tankless water-heater when we lived in Europe
from '99 through '02 and loved it. We never had a problem with
water getting cold that I remember. When my niece came to visit
we were able to lock in a temperature on the tub spigot that she
couldn't accidentally 'hit' while playing and subsequently get
sprayed with scalding water. Apparently, they have been around
FOREVER (fifty years or so) elsewhere in the world, but are just
now making their way to this side of the pond...
jan
To solve the problem of waiting minutes for hot water, we
installed a re-circulator with a timer on it. The timer allows
you to set the time for when you want hot water immediately, and
it has an off/on option for those times when you want manual
control. We set the timer for the 1.5 hours in the morning that
we normally shower. When we need to use hot water outside the
morning shower period, we flip the switch on, then flip it off
when we are done. We turn it off completely when we are away on
vacation, or on weekends when our schedules are very different.
This has made the system truly efficient for us.
Cathy
Feb 2007
Does anyone have information on tankless water heaters. I need
a new water heater and was thinking of getting one. I know they
are more expensive than regular water heaters to purchase and
install, but I understand my heating bills will be less. If you
have one, do you think they are better?
Diane
We have a tankless water heater. I don't know how much it cost
as the house was already equipped with it when we moved in.
However, I can speak to the pros/cons of having one. Overall,
we're pretty happy with it. Never having to worry about running
out of hot water, easy temperature adjustment so in the summer
time when its hot out, you can turn the heater down so the
water is only mildly warm. We only had one issue once where the
unit malfunctioned and once we called the manufacturer to
figure out why, we were able to fix the problem ourselves. The
only real downside is when the power goes off (which happens
kinda frequently when there are bad storms) you have no hot
water AT ALL. Literally as soon as the power goes off the water
turns ice cold. At least with a hot water tank you have some
water already heated so you have a reserve. If you don't
experience alot of power outages, then the heater is probably
the way to go. If you do, then you might want to think twice.
Lisa W
I had a Takagi tankless water heater installed as part of a
remodel three year ago and have been very happy with it. It
provides endless hot water even if you have shower, dishwasher,
and washing machine going at once--or back-to-back showers or
baths for everyone. The only drawbacks are that it takes a
while to get hot water in the sink furthest from the heater
(though it did when I had a tank as well), and it's a bit noisy
when it's running. I had the tank installed outside so I don't
hear it much but I notice it when I'm outside. Also if the
electricity goes out it doesn't ignite even though it heats
with gas. It's way less expensive for the gas and you know
you're not heating water when you're not around.
Happy with my Heater
When our water heater went out last fall, we also wanted to get
a tankless heater. But after several days with no hot water,
here is what we discovered: tankless is generally preferable
for new construction where you can control the configuration,
but almost nobody puts them in existing construction because of
the expense of the venting. The heater itself is not that
expensive - obviously more than a normal one, but would pay for
itself in energy savings in about 5 years. The problem is that
tankless heaters produce NOx emmissions, so you have to get
special, very expensive (cat 1?) venting installed, and the
vent outlet cannot be within 4 feet of a door or window, or
under a deck. Give those constraints, we would have had to
vent through the roof. That would have cost an extra $1000, on
top of the cost of the heater, because our heater is all the
way down in the basement. With that cost, the heater would
have paid for itself over about 10 years if you calculate
without interest. Since 10 years was the total life of the
heater, it wasn't worth it.
went standard
The tankless waterheater industry will certainly tell you the
bills will be less and theoretically it makes sense that they
would be (the water is only being heated as it is demanded
instead of it being continually heated on reserve). However,
we went tankless for our 3 unit building (Takagi T-M1) about 5
months ago and I can't say that our energy bills have declined
very much. I think this is in part because there tends to be a
surge of cold, followed by warm water than 15 - 20 second later
a slug of cold water passes through the pipes. Thus, we (and
our tenants) tend to let the shower run 30 - 60 seconds seconds
before getting in which uses electricity AND more water than
we'd otherwise use.
That being said, the space savings is huge, and with the $300
tax CREDIT available on many of the smaller single-family
residence units, going tankless really isn't that expensive.
From my research Takagi is the best and most reliable. Also,
be sure to have a professional plumber install your unit or the
warranty will be void.
Chad
When we remodeled our kitchen we replaced our conventional WH
with a tankless. It handles kitchen sink, dishwasher, washing
machine and one bathroom (used regularly by one person.) It is a
Rinnai Continuum. (We have a separate WH for our main bathroom,
but I plan to replace it with a tankless one of these days).
Mostly I have been really pleased by it. We've never run out of
hot water and the extra space made available when we got rid of
the old water heater was delightful. Should have done it years ago.
The downside: our model, and most likely all the others, doesn't
allow you to run a small stream of hot water. If you turn hot
water to a trickle it comes out cold, so water conservation is
difficult when handwashing dishes. Also, make sure you get the
proper thermostat for your application. We accidentally picked up
the ''bathroom'' rated thermostat, which maxes out at 120 degrees.
Fine for most uses, but I would prefer the option to raise it to
140 occasionally, which, I think, is the max for the ''kitchen''
rated thermostat.
And another caveat: for whatever reason, it seems to take a
little longer for the hot water to reach the faucet, so we
positioned it just several feet from the kitchen sink (the water
we use most regularly).
Lisa
May 2006
I've looked at the reviews in the archives for tankless hot water
heaters and most are negative. I'm looking for positive reviews,
from people happy with their heaters. And if so, what is your
secret, since most people seem to be unhappy with these things (one
person mentioned adding a recirculator, is this the key to hot
water heater happiness?). I had hoped getting one would be my
salvation, and my key to an endless shower, but I'm a bit deterred
by the negative comments about how long it takes for the water to
get hot and the logistics when turning the water off or down and
then back on. Thanks.
Amy
In response to the person looking for good feedback on a tankless
water heater, we totally love ours. Sure you need to wait a little
for the hot water to arrive, as some people complain. But, it's
hardly a big deal (yes, it's a waste of water, but you save a huge
amount of energy, which is immediately noticable on your first pg and
e bill). It costs a bundle (we used albert nahman for installation due
to good reviews, though high price), but pays for itself in around 7
years. Totally recommend it, not only because it's a better
environmental choice, but also because we can actually take a bath
without running out of hot water.
Jamie
we love our rinnai. i don't find that hot water takes longer to arrive
at a faucet. sometimes the hot water doesn't want to come (the heater
not switching on after turning water on and off) and i just turn the
faucet to cold, and then slowly move it to hot. the last time this
happened was weeks, if not months, ago. we also love that there is an
internal temperature control - so when my daughter is in the bath i
turn it down and there is zero risk of hot water burn. its also fun to
have hot water available outside the house for her little pool, we
just hook up the hose. we have no issue running the washing machine,
dishwasher, shower and kitchen sink at the same time.
i think our contractor used lundt merrimore as the plumber. i asked
for the biggest bad-ass model available. as a water heater - it is
slightly more expensive. BUT - all the new plumbing to the outside,
and then fixing up where the old tank was, cost some big cash dollar
bills.
Julia
we are happy tankless water heater users. We have a tk2 and switched
in January from a tank. We saw a 2% reduction in gas use despite high
furnace usage in winter months. This past month we had a 50% drop in
gas usage w/ very little furnace usage from the same month in previous
year. You do wait a bit for hot water. However, we had that problem
from pipes being distant from water heater before, so it's not that
different. We have made some changes in our 'style' of usage. We heat
hubby's shaving water in a mug in the micro wave to get a hot dip
after cold rinsing the razor, so as not to constantly retrigger the
heater after turning it off. And we might tend to leave the h20
running in the kitchen sink or fill a dish tub w/ hot h20 to avoid the
same problem when scrubbing pots, depending on the size of the job.
OUr h20 usage has not increased notably. It's great to fill a bath,
and to be able to add piping hot water in several seconds over the
course of a long soak. We can !
run an appliance and still have hot enough water at the sink or
shower.
happy and tankless
When we built our new home last year we put in two tankless hot water
heaters. Our home is two story and the heaters are in the attic space.
One heater services the kitchen (sink and dishwasher), the master bath
(two sinks, two shower heads) and the clothes washer. The other heater
services the 1/2 bath on the first floor and two other bathrooms (both
w/ one sink and one shower). We have never had any problems with the
amount of hot water needed and we've had lots of "water events"
happening at one time. As for the time it takes, heck I've lived in
homes w/ the regular hot water heater in the garage where it takes
five minutes to get hot water to the master bath on the other side of
the house, so waiting just a min or two is no big thing. The only room
where it matters is the 1/2 bath on the first floor. Since one really
just washes hands in there, the minute feels very long. We probably
should have put a small flash heater right in that room.
We LOVE our tankless heaters - everyone can take long showers and
there's always plenty of hot water to go around. Feel free to email me
if you'd like to know specifically what kind we have and how big they
are. I don't remember, but my husband knows all that stuff.
Robin
May 2005
About 2 years ago, we had a tankless hot water heater installed (an apparently fancy, Takagi TK2), and I'm fairly disappointed--wondering if my expectations were too high.
It takes 30+ seconds to get hot water in our kitchen and 60+ seconds to get it to the bathroom sink, ~6 and 20 feet from the heater respectively. Also, if I've got hot water running in the kitchen and I reduce the flow but don't change the temperature, the water goes cold and I have to crank the flow back up and wait again to get the not water back. Needless to say, we're wasting lots of water waiting for it to turn hot.
I had our plumber come back to ask if this was normal, and he advised that we had sort of large pipes (which they had installed 3 years prior) so it would take a while for the hot water to flow (of course we weren't advised of this when they sold us the expensive hot water heater) but didn't have a good explanation for the other stuff, and proposed a $500+ tiny water tank to keep some hot water on reserve--seems to defeat the purpose. I can't believe that this is how the product was supposed to work.
Does anyone out there have this same hot water heater and experience or (please!) does this some malfunction/ adjustment problem? It infuriates me every time I turn the water on.
feeling wasteful and shnookered
We also have a Takagi TK2 tankless water heater and experience each and every symptom you describe. And my husband is a plumber and wanted this system and installed it himself and told me that is just the way it is going to be. For us, we moved the water heater farther away from the old one so that we could install it on the outside of our home, so this seemed to explain the delay in receiving hot water. I mainly have a problem in my kitchen and not so much our bathroom. But I do not like that when I wash dishes I have to keep the flow of water higher just to keep hot water going. His solution is also the same, a small water heater under the sink to start the supply of hot water while you wait for the tankless to kick in. though it still seems worth it in the end.
you are not alone
We have a TK2 also, installed with our existing old pipes, and it takes about 5 seconds for us to get hot water in the bathroom that is about 6'away, and about 30 seconds to get it to the kitchen, which is about 15 feet away. I also agree that the kitchen thing is a drag - when you wash dishes by hand, it's hard to get the water to:
A) hit a medium hot stage and stay there, and
B) not go cold again between rinses [because you don't want to keep the hot water running...].
I think I could resolve 'A' if I install a kitchen faucet with seperate hot and cold controls, like in the bathroom, where I have no problems with it, instead of the one single handle kitchen type we use now.
Jean
My husband and I recently purchased a tankless water heater as well. We also have the problem you mention with long wait times for hot water. Our problem is sporadic, though, with wait times up to 10 minutes in the bathroom sink! It's totally unacceptable and does defeat the purpose of purchasing a tankless solution.
I'm sorry that I don't have any advice to offer, only empathy! I'm going to contact a plumber, though to look into our situation and will report anything I find out. I do suspect that it's a problem with our pipes, though, as we also have a flow issue and old pipes.
Good luck!
Mary
We also have a Takagi and have the same problem with slow warm-up. It's typical of tankless heaters. I know of two ways to solve the problem: 1. you can buy a booster mini heater that fits under your sink ... they are relatively inexpensive, and though I had information about where to buy them a while back I've since misplaced it. 2. You can take the low-flow filter off the faucet and let the water run more freely. This doesn't save water, but it does speed up the process of getting warm water to you. When I'm in the bathroom I just turn on the bath and it's warm in a few seconds; with the sink and its filter it takes about two minutes.
Jodi
I had some problems with my Takagi T-K2 also, but mostly because my pipes were too small, and you say that you were told that yours are too large! I do not believe that there is such a things as pipes that are too large for this heater- the installation manual gives instructions for up to at least 1 1/2", and I really doubt if yours are bigger than that.
I spoke with the tech department at Takagi (the main number is in your manual and they have a local branch in Fremont), and verified that my 1/2" pipes were too small. This was causing pressure loss, and temperature flucuations.
I had a problem that sounds like yours with the disappearing hot water, and that turned out to be because the switches on the inside of the unit were not set properly- there are different settings for indoor and outdoor installations, and for different basic temperature settings. All of that is in the manual also.
I also had to wait for what seemed like a long time the hot water also, which drove me crazy. I started keeping a pitcher by the sink so that I could save the water for other purposes rather than wasting it.
I used a basic plumber for the installation of mine, and he was way over his head when it came to problemsolving. I figured most of this out myself by talking with Takagi. If I were to do it again, I would have it installed by someone trained by Takagi.
You can have a tech person from the Fremont branch come out and do a conultation, probably a good idea!
Cecelia
We installed a Noritz brand tankless recently and had the same issue as a previous poster - the need to run the water a while b/f it got hot. We then had a recirculator installed and this solved the problem. We live in a large ranch style house, and at any of the faucets, we now get hot water in under 3 seconds. We have the recirculator on a timer so that it does not run when we don't need it. By the way, our gas usage is about 1/2 of what it had been!
Cathy
With respect to the posts regarding a delay in receiving hot water at your faucet or shower, I believe this is inherent in all on-demand waterheaters. For one, on-demand water heaters require a minimum demand flowrate before they turn on and begin to heat the water passing thru the unit. In general, the minimum flowrate is about 0.75 gpm. With household faucets having about 1.5 gpm max (at about 50psi water pressure), a slightly open faucet may not demand enough hot water to start the system, especially if the faucet is not set to full hot. Also, the cold water in the line must be cleared first before the heated water can reach the faucet. Unlike a regular waterheater which fills the line with heated water at all times, the on-demand only generates hot water in the line when turned on. When sufficient demand is not present to turn the unit on, cold water will be passed thru the system.
Okii (Sept 2005)
The problems these ladies describe is typical of tankless water
heaters, both the on-demand units these ladies have and same for the
tankless units in a furnace. Even though they are rated for 6 gal/min,
we don't know at what temperature the water will be delivered and how
long is the recovery time. The problems with on-demand units are the
main reason people still use a tank water heater. If you run water
slower, the problem may be less. This is because it takes time for the
heating medium to transfer the heat to the passing
water. The speed of the passing water affects the amount of heat the
water can pick up. Also, the fire may have been extinguished due to
water being hot enough at the moment and would have to start up and
start heating again. Another solution (admittedly expensive) is to
install an on-demand unit at each point of use. Berge (Feb 2007)
March 2005
I've scanned the various comments on tankless water heaters and I'd like to know if anyone has more to add. I'm considering a tankless whole house unit for a 3.5 bathroom home with 3 adults and two kids (one a teenager). I've looked at the various units available and it seems like either a Takagi TK-2 or TM-1, or a Noritz N-084M, is appropriate for the size of house and potential
peak demand (maybe). All require a 3/4'' gas connection (my current water heater only requires a 1/2 inch connection) that will need to be installed. Has anyone had experience with these units (positive or negative). In real world conditions, have they provided sufficient hot water for two or three simultaneous showers? Any
drawbacks to these units besides the upfront costs (maintenance?)?
I believe that all require AC to run, so I guess during power outages you have no hot water, right? Thanks
okii
Just to let you know (Okii and anyone else who might be interested) I have a new Takagi K-2 tankless hot water heater that my plumber mistakenly recommended for installation on a 1/2" water line, and as Okii points out, it needs a 3/4" line.
Takagi's are top of the line, and generally last about 30 years, as opposed to 10-15 years for a regular water heater.
It is out of the box and was installed for 2 weeks, so I can't return it, and I need to sell it and recoup my money. I will sell it at a good discount off list price.
I have checked with Takagi, and there is no risk to the unit that it was installed (for 2 weeks) on the wrong size line. The problem is only that it didn't function consistently on 1/2".
I have the outside vent cap and remote control panel to go with it, and possibly some of the plumbing and gas fittings that I won't be needing. Sadly, I've had to go back to a plain old-fashion water heater.
Please contact me if you are interested.
Cecelia
Jan 2005
I'm interested in advice on replacing a traditional water
heater with an on-demand heater. Can it be done without
remodelling? Are there plumbers/other tradespeople who
specialize in this? My house is a one-story craftsman's
cottage house with one bathroom.
carol
We checked this out. We didn't speak to a specialist, but
all the companies we spoke to (big plumbing companies in
Berkeley and water heater-only places) seemed knowledgable.
The bottom line is that they are much more expensive than
standard water heaters and are popular in Europe only
because European houses don't have space for standard water
heaters. A large-enough regular modern water heater is
supposed to be able to supply all your hot water needs.
Regarding remodeling: I was told that on-demand water
heaters require copper plumbing and the gas exhaust flue has
to be large enough to handle the BPU's of the water heater.
But different companies said different things. Best wishes
for getting the true and complete story! I recommend that
you find a place that has a lot of experience installing
them, which it sounds like you are trying to do anyway.
Sorry I can't give you a recommendation.
Francesca
We replaced our traditional water heater with an on-demand
heater about six months ago. It was done without remodeling
q we got an exterior model (Rinnai) and had it placed on the
back of our house. Itms pretty small, isnmt eye-grabbing.
We hired Nahman Plumbing. They were great. Wemd use them
again. Tell them Shirley sent you! Shirley
RE:on demand water heaters
My husband recently installed a Takagi TK2 on demand water heater and we love it. Never run out of hot water, lower gas bill, and more space in our downstairs basement room because we installed ours outside. He is a plumber so when our water heater needed to be replace that was all he wanted to replace it with, nothing else. It is more expensive than your traditional water heater but well worth the investment into your home. You can call Mr. Rooter plumbing and ask to talk with Spencer Ferguson if you would like more advice than I can give you. 510-843-6378
Erika
Sept-Oct 2004
Hello, we are looking into replacing our conventional water
heater by a tankless water heating system. We want to run
several appliances concurrently (bath, shower, dishwasher)
if needed, and have a two story house. There are many
systems out there, both gas and electrical ones, and they
seem difficult to compare. Does anyone have good
experiences with a particular brand, and sees any advantage
of using electrical over gas types?
Thanks for your advice to the novice!
beatrice
I am interested in having a tankless hot water heater
installed in my very small (under 1000 sf) house. I am
interested in hearing which brands are best, where to buy
them, where to install them inside of the house, and who can
install them quickly, honestly and economically. I am very
eager for feedback. Thanks.
Rebs
We just installed a Takagi TK-2 and its great (it cut our
gas bills in half). People I've spoken with say Takagi is
the best; my advice is to go for a larger one like the TK-2
(they're all small anyway) if you plan to do anything
simultaneously (shower and dishwasher)
Sheridan
We have a tankless water heater and love it - my husband is
a contractor so we installed it ourselves and have had no
trouble with it at all. The brand is Aqua Star. The only
thing is for a bigger household is that you couldn't take
two hot showers at the same time, but otherwise it is great.
Cassi
Feb 2004
My wife and I are considering a tankless water heater --
i.e., a water heater that heats the water to be used on
demand rather than always heating a full tank. The idea
seems good to us from an environmental and economic
standpoint. There are some older postings on this subject,
but I wanted to hear about people's current experience and
advice -- can these heaters service a 3 bed/2 bath house
with kids, dish and clothes washer, etc.? If so, any
recommended brands, retailers, and installers? [PS: we were
originally thinking of going solar, but a couple of folks
recommended against it -- should we keep looking at solar
for water heating or is that a thing of the past?] Thanks!
My husband installed an on-demand hot water heater 2years
ago (a TK1). We have an 1100 sq' house, 2 kids, a
dishwasher, & we wash diapers in hot water. I have tried
washing a hot washer load while taking a shower, and while
the temp dips a little, it was not a problem for shower-
taking, at least. It is heavenly for back to back showers.
Check the Takagi website to see what might be adequate for
your uses. There are a couple of downsides to on-demand:
1) It is a gas unit, but electricity powers the computer
and blower fan. If the power goes out, (picture mid-
shower) the water runs cold. Instantly. My husband
installed a UPS backup power supply to take care of this.
2) In a regular hot water heater, when you turn on the hot
water, you get the cold water in the line first before
the hot starts coming out. Once you do this, you get hot
water from the tank, even if you turn it off and on over a
period of time. With an on-demand heater, you get the cold
water at first, then hot. BUT, every time you turn it off
and on again, even after only a few seconds, you get COLD
again, and have to let the water run again. This is
because it takes a while for the burner to heat the water
up. So, you end up wasting tons of water if you are using
it intermittently. This is a major drawback. It is
possible that the newer heaters have addressed this, we
don't know. Otherwise, it might be advisable to look into
a circulating pump system if that would work with the
heater in question. 3)My husband discovered that it
required a large size gas line, and had to replumb
sections of our older house. 4) Cost. We bought a
scratched/dented version from CET Solar on line, and it
was still $750 (2 years ago), more than twice the price of
regular hot water heaters. They've come down a bit, but
still pricey. We will be moving soon, and would set up a
on-demand heater again, but only with a recirculating
system in place.
janet
In response to the guy thinking about a new waterheater, I
just did a bunch of research on the tankless ones --
Takagis and another comparable Japanese brand. The result
of all this is that we still don't know what we're going to
do. The tankless heaters CAN apparently deal with a house
your size no problem, but they cost a lot more up front
(about $900-1000) and a lot more to install. We found that
to buy and install a conventional heater would cost us
about $1000, and to buy and install a Takagi would cost AT
LEAST $2600, if not more. It'll take a long time (like
over a decade) to recoup $1600 from the savings in our
energy bill, and so we are not sure it'd be worth it.
Wendy
A few more thoughts on the tankless hot water heater
issue: We recently did a kitchen remodel, and as part of
that whole project, we got a tankless heater. We did it
primarily because we were able to put it outside, on the
side of the house. It is only about the size of a
suitcase. The problem was that, as part of the remodel, we
needed the space that had formerly been used as the vent
shaft for the furnace and hot water heater. We had already
had to replace the furnace, and the new one vented out of
the side of the house. By switching to a tankless hot
water heater, we were able to eliminate the vent shaft
entirely. Also, we now have room in the basement where the
hot water heater used to be for more storage. On the
downside, the unit was quite expensive (about $900), and it
was also expensive to install (about $500) (also we think
our plumber tried to rip us off, but that is another
story). It also, as others have noted, requires you to run
the water for a few minutes before the hot water flows. We
did not realize this. We thought we were doing a great
thing getting an energy efficient heater, but now I worry
about wasting water. Anon
June 2002
Our water heater needs to be replaced pronto and we want to
get a tankless model that heats on demand, like the Aqua
star. We will likely try to install it ourselves. There are
several other brands that I've heard of. Does anyone have any
advice for us regarding brand and model or installation? How
about where to get one for a good price? I know that Real
Goods carries the Aqua star. We have one bathroom, a front
loading washer and a dishwasher. We do sometimes use more
than one thing at a time and may add a bath in the future.
Thanks so much,
Natalie
I don't think an Aquastar will do it for you. I would try
Takagi or Paloma. We just installed our own Takagi.
It's great. We can run two things at once, and we have
endless hot water. I don't think the Aquastar will let you
run 2 appliances at once. You should check the FLOW
RATE for the different models. Check on line to for info.
and get to know the product.
Our neighbor has an Aquastar-- and it only runs one
appliance at a time. Ours cost more-- around $1000,
but it's worth it (should take about 3 years to pay off the
extra expense with energy savings) The install went ok-
- but you really need to be handy with plumbing and
electrical, AND you need a 3/4'' supply line for the water.
Now that ours is installed-- we love it. Getting it up, and
getting a new supply line in took time and patience.
Angela
We bought an AquaStar water heater last summer and had it
installed by our contractor during a remodel. We ordered
it on the web from CET because they had the best price.
Even with shipping we saved at least $100 over what Real
Goods charged. Unfortunately it was defective, so we had
to return it. The replacement has worked fine. We bought
the medium-sized model, and find it gives us more than
enough hot water, especially since we replaced our plumbing
and no longer have ancient pipes full of crud. The trick
with these heaters is that they only go on when you have
enough water flowing, and, as with any water heater, you
have to wait for the hot water to reach your end of the
pipe. The extra large size requires a higher flow rate and
we thought we'd waste water keeping the hot water coming.
Don't know if that's true, but we seem to have picked the
right size for us. It isn't an energy star, but it's nice
to have a small heater on the wall above the washer instead
of an ugly tank wrapped in insulation.
Robbie
Feb 2002
A while back there was some discussion of on-demand hot water heaters.
A few months ago we installed a new one. After doing some research we
chose the Takagi TK-1 over the Aquastar. It is a bit more expensive
and less readily available, but has a higher flow rate. It's been 4
months now and we love it. It provides enough hot water that we can
run several things simultaneously- we no longer have to turn off the
dishwasher when someone is taking a shower. We never notice a lack of
hot water anymore. We did have it installed by our plumber, who
purchased it at Cal Steam in Emeryville.
(Now does anyone know what to do with an 85 year old, cast iron
on-demand hot water heater? We've been told it may be worth
some money...)
Gayle
2001
My "tweens" have driven me to a search
for a better water heater. We have increasingly pricey natural gas. Has anybody tried
the flash type water heaters? Where would I get one and how would I get it installed?
What is the best kind? We are a household of 5
The type of water heaters that you are talking about use large amounts of electricity. Here's
a web site that offers this type of water heater: http://www.hotwater.com/
We got an ELM Aquastar water heater about seven years ago. It works
like a car radiator in reverse. When you turn on the hot water, it makes
a charming "Whoosh!" as the gas burner turns on and starts toasting dozens
of fine tubules.
No question, it's efficient, and we've never run out of hot water. It
takes up less space than a tank water heater and is easier to clean.
Downsides: it can't be installed in a confined space such as a closet, and
requires a wider exhaust pipe than a tank water heater (so a bigger hole
has to be made in ceiling and roof). The temperature of the water from
ours creeps up every few months, requiring adjustment.
We've heard that bits of grit in water can clog up the
heater's many fine tubes.
Finally, it needs reasonable throughput or it shuts off. As a result of
this and our house's poor water pressure, the shower would turn abruptly
cold sometimes (especially when you have guests), so we bootlegged a
nonconserving shower head.
We have an Aquastar on-demand hot water heater. It works wonderfully, and
with help from their tech support I have been able to do routine
maintenance myself. My understanding is that they are more efficient and
you really never run out of hot water. I believe there are Aquastar
distributors in Berkeley, or one anyway. The manufacturer is in Vermont.-Jason Delborne
We have an Aquastar. Lots of hot water, anytime, and less gas usage.
Because it's small, it frees up the closet where the tank heater used to
be. Downsides: it was more expensive to install than we'd anticipated
(substantially our contractor's fault), it requires a larger stovepipe
and related hole in the roof than a regular heater needs, we have to
readjust the temperature fairly often (the temperature creeps up over
time), we had to put it in a very visible plce because it needs free air
space for safety reasons, and you're supposed to backflush it annually
(not that we ever have) to prevent clogging. Overall, if you need a new
water heater, it's a good one to get.
Kate
this page was last updated: Feb 2, 2013
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