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January 22, 2009
looking to lots of hot water
We bought our first 2 family house. It is equipped with 50-gallon AO Smith water heater from 90s. My wife complains a lot that she runs out of hot water during her insainly long bath. And this is before we rented second floor. Given that I cannot change the wife, what can I do about the water heater?
I guess the choices are: - get 75G heater with fast recovery.
- get tankless gas heater. (I saw a lot of bad rep about it before).
- get second heater and route pipes for the second floor.
- something else.
please advice
Comments
There's also a 50-gallon, high-recovery unit with 65,000 BTU input.
Posted by: Master Plvmber at January 23, 2009 6:50 AM
I'm not an expert like Master Plumber, but couldn't you try raising the temp on the existing heater before making the investment in a new one? If you're too concerned with water that's too hot (scalding an infant in the bath, etc.) the long shower can run with less hot more cold in the mix and last a little longer before hot water runs out.
Posted by: Bklnite at January 23, 2009 8:19 AM
(make that - If you're *not* too concerned ...)
Posted by: Bklnite at January 23, 2009 8:25 AM
how about leaving the existing hw heater to serve the 2nd floor, and if it does not violate your lease , switch it to your tenants gas feed....add a new 50-75 gallon high recovery hw heater to feed the first floor...it should satisfy your water needs, provided that you have space in the basement and venting capacity
Posted by: eman1234 at January 23, 2009 8:52 AM
Seriously, if one person can outrun a 50gal heater, she needs to read up on energy conservation, carbon footprints and global warming.
Of course, it is possible that the old water heater is not heating so good no more. Is this a shower? Try a low-flow head. Estimate how much water she's really using...flow rate x minutes x .9 (to allow for some cold water unless she likes it scalding hot). Your heater should give you 45-50 hot gals in the first 15 mins. A high-recovery heater might give you 55 at most (its main advantage is that its first-hour recovery rate is higher).
But if all else fails, eman1234's idea is best.
Posted by: cmu at January 23, 2009 9:06 AM
looks like I will need to with with eman1234 solution. The second floor is vacant so I can modify lease closures.
Posted by: bobjohn at January 23, 2009 10:15 AM
if you do not have the venting capacity, you might consider an indirect heating zone off the boiler with a large capacity tank
Posted by: eman1234 at January 23, 2009 10:22 AM
But can you separate the water piping as well as the gas and can your chimney handle the additional load?
Posted by: Master Plvmber at January 23, 2009 1:14 PM
another option if your chimney cannot handle the additional vent is to go for a direct vent hw heater to service the first floor...the units are pricey, but very efficient the only drawback is the distance to wall penetration is critical...if you want a free consultation, email me @errol832000@yahoo.com
Posted by: eman1234 at January 23, 2009 2:07 PM
Believe it or not, we have a 50-gallon that is more than enough for a three-family (2 two bedrooms and a studio--5 people, total, plus two dishwashers and a washing machine).
So, I think you should explore the less dramatic suggestions first:
1. Is the temp turned up on the one you have?
2. Is your current water heater beyond its useful life?
3. Are the hot pipes reasonably well insulated as they travel to your various faucets?
Good luck~
Posted by: curiositykilledthecat at January 23, 2009 3:17 PM
curiositykilledthecat,
I have turned up the heater temp to the max.
I insulated all open pipes. Pipes go thought the shaft so it was easy.
The boiler is from 90's and had 10 years warranty. I suspect it passed the lifespan and might need to be replaced.
I guess I will need to call a pro to determine the usefulness of the old boiler.
All, thanks for your replies.
Posted by: bobjohn at January 23, 2009 4:05 PM
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