Instant Hot Water Heaters
We are converting from oil to gas. Interested in using tankless units to produce hot water in the tenant apartment.If we go with a gas unit we have to provide a flue and run another gas line to the unit all doable but a little more work.Or we can use an electric unit like the…
We are converting from oil to gas. Interested in using tankless units to produce hot water in the tenant apartment.If we go with a gas unit we have to provide a flue and run another gas line to the unit all doable but a little more work.Or we can use an electric unit like the Rheem Eco Sense On Demand 27KW 240Volts.
How do I determine if this is enough for the unit ?…basically a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink and a tub.
IF we do go with a gas unit which one?????there are a zillion of these.
Other than the specific installation requirements for either gas or electric (wiring/gas lines/piping etc) does anything have to be adjusted in the plumbing fixtures themselves?
How instant is instant? isn’t it heating the water coming in from the street ? in winter it is pretty cold temperature.
thanks for your feedback.
@Heather: I’m glad you like it. It’s nice when our plumbing stuff works for us, but with all due respect, how is that different or better from what happens compared to a good tank-type water heater?
————–
@littlelambi: With $28,000, you could explore many other options that are reliable and truly efficient, but if your plumber’s got what looks like a good plan to you, then maybe that’s the way to go.
————–
Again, is having the ability to never run out of hot water really a good goal? What if you had good, reliable, simple equipment that met your needs without overshooting them by miles.
Using these heaters is just as likely to result in an efficiency draw as a win.
There is simply no *independent* study showing any significant benefit to using a tankless water heater over a conventional tank type aside from the ability to throw energy down the drain with greater convenience.
I kind of thought I did need to throw my hands up. The picture of the Weil-McLain steam boiler from the link on your website to theirs looks exactly the same as the one I installed in 1981. I mean exactly the same. I’m pretty good about flushing the crud out at least once a week in season. It the design is the same, how much can I really expect to save.
Is it ever economically worthwhile to replace a steam system with a hot water one other than during a gut renovation?
We have one in our rental, and I don’t know anything about its cost, efficiency or installation, but I have to say I love it. The water is not instantly hot — not at first. But if you run any hot-water-using appliance — dishwasher, washing machine, shower, sink and then go to another one, the hot water is still there. And you never run out of it, which is even nicer. So, you can do your dishes, a load of laundry and shower all at once.
I’m actually now wondering what it would cost to put one into a two-family house that already has central gas heating.
This is great information. Our building is considering a tankless hot water heater and I am wondering what your advice for us would be? We are a 15 unit building, 5 floors, 3 apartments on each floor. Most of us are gone during the day, but we do have some people at home all day. We currently have two hot water heaters (one of them is leaking and needs replacement). The last time a hot water heater leaked, we just put in a new one for a “reasonable” cost. Our current plumber told us to put in a tankless system now though-which would cost at least $28k. Any thoughts? Thanks again for your time.
Thank, Thanks for posting such a valuable information regarding the heaters. I think it definately convinced me in some manner.
You can expect a great increase in efficiency when replacing a 30-year-old boiler. Even if it’s for steam. Boilers collect sediment and other crud that gathers and insulates the water from the flame. That’s what efficiency’s all about: turning the flame into usable heat.
Don’t think for a minute that because you’re heating with steam you should throw your hands up and give up on gaining efficiency. There are lots of ways to make steam heat more efficient.
Just a thought: 27kw 220v is 120+ amps…more than the main for my 4 storey house.
And electric water heaters (tankless or otherwise) cost 3x that of gas. Expect $300/month bills for h/w.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Master Plvmber for the education. You have convinced me to forget about rather vague plans to replace my 80 gallon gas tank in my single family home occupied by only two adults. I went to an 80 gallon tank some years back when I installed a larger tub. I was surprised that my gas hot water bill didn’t really increase over what I was paying with a 50 gallon tank. The cost is fairly easy to measure by looking at the summer gas bill (we don’t cook much). Even at Con Ed rates, we pay less than two dollars a day for domestic hot water and cookling. I can’t see how tankless hot water will ever save me money even if there were no downside in the performance but you make clear that there is a downside.
On an unrelated topic, my steam boiler is thirty years old. My guess is that a new one will not produce a significant saving due to the inefficiency of steam. Any way to lower steam heat costs (other than better insulation)?
…positive information. They are very sophisticated, fuel-burning appliances that require some thought before they are selected, bought, installed or repaired and just like all mechanical equipment, are simply not suitable for every home and every person.
You are right to ask questions before diving in.
Perhaps, a good first step in the right direction is to question using the terms “efficient†and “endless shower†in the same conversation.
John Cataneo, NYC LMP
http://www.GatewayPlumbing.com