Tankless Water Heater

7 Responses to “Is A Tankless Water Heater Worth The Cost And Time To Put In?”

1. PropReno
   November 25th, 2009 @ 9:55 am

   You will start saving money right away.
   Especially if you’re replacing an electric water heater.
   They use a lot of power.
   Think about it;
   instead of keeping 30-40 gallons of water hot constantly,
   day and night,
   you’re only going to heat what you will be using…
   no more.
   You didn’t mention if you replacing it with a gas or electric on-demand heater?
   Gas is generally cheaper.
   BUT,
   I’ve heard good and bad things from people who’ve converted.
   Firstly, they’re not cheap.
   To buy or install.
   You’ve got to beef up the exhaust venting,
   and power lines (if installing an electric unit)
   and breakers.
   Next,
   you’ll only get so much hot water at a time,
   meaning; if you plan on washing your dishes while someone takes a shower,
   forget it.
   And you’ll probably have to reduce the volume of water going to the shower.
   Unless you get a bigger unit,
   you’ll end up installing either a low-flow shower head,
   or some kind of flow reducer on the shower head.
   Some of them even come with their own shower heads that you have to use with their units.
   Weigh the pros and cons for yourself.
   Research it on line.
   All the best with whichever you decide.

2. upschidt
   November 25th, 2009 @ 11:11 am

   I install tankless water heaters for the propane company I work for. The average cost of a 9.4 gpm heater installed is $1800.00. The savings on it compared to a 40 gal. tank w/h averages $400 per year. The heater would pay for itself in a little over 4 years with the savings.
   Warranties vary with the brand you purchase. No one completely warrants a heater for 20 years. Just certain parts.
   Now the savings is based on a gas tankless compared to an elec. tank w/h. For a gas tankless to a gas tank unit will average $300 per year savings.
   You can purchase several different models with varying gpm’s and as mentioned above, the gpm is based on the incoming water temp.
   Another thing to consider when purchasing a tankless is the amount of hard water you have. A tankless can easily be delimed. If you install a water softener at the same time as the tankless, you will have no hard water problems.
   E-mail me if you have any questions. Hope this helps!
   E-mail me your address and I will send you info.
   Do not use low flow devises on your faucets if you go with a tankless!!!

3. Bill E
   November 25th, 2009 @ 1:53 pm

   I actually just wrote an article on this:http://www.ehow.com/how_4769092_decide-t…
   Studies have shown that tankless hot water heaters are approximately 25% more efficient than tank heaters. That will translate into a $80-90 savings per year. At that rate it may take you up to 20 years to break even. However, energy costs are going to continue to rise. You must factor that into your decision process.
   Also there are tax breaks available for certain types of energy efficient upgrades to your home. Check with your CPA, maybe the tax break will close the gap.
   We found the quality of the hot water coming from the tap to be an improvement but not quite as extraordinary as advertised. The people we spoke with often cited inconsistent water temperatures. Furthermore, if you are just using a light flow of hot water, the computer may not sense the need to ignite the burners.
   This is similar to how a full sized tank hot water heater responds. It will still take time for the water to heat. However, you will see an improvement over the old style tank heaters. The bottom line is that while there is an improvement in performance, the hot water isn’t quite as instantaneous as advertised.
   Evaluate the cost of the heater. The initial cost of tankless water heaters will be double the cost of a traditional water heater.
   In the end, we went traditional. The decision was based on the concerns over our well water. If that issue is resolved by design improvements, we very likely will make the switch.

4. Tim E
   November 25th, 2009 @ 5:00 pm

   I have a gas tankless and it’s much more efficient than a tank. My gas b ill went from around $40 to 45 to $25 a month. The initial cost is high but in the long run you should save since they last around 20 yrs or so they claim. I heard electric is not the way to go though. I’m not sure why. I’d go with the largest size, like mine is a 199,000 btu and I can run bathwater, dishwasher and maybe another tap at the same time and still have pretty good pressure on all three. You’ll also get a energy tax credit on your income tax. Mine was $300 but that was last year, not sure what it is this year. Do your homework before purchasing.

5. sparky
   November 25th, 2009 @ 5:52 pm

   i had a gas 30gal & installed a tankless, i love it. there’s a bit of wait for hot at the tap & in winter the water doesn’t get quite as hot because the incoming is colder. it is endless though & a substantial savings. i was able to install my own so the initial cost was lower

6. jakeb
   November 25th, 2009 @ 7:41 pm

   My brother installed an electric in his home and within 6 months the circuit board burned out and needed replacing. a year later it needed repair again. So it really hasn’t saved him any money yet, in fact it’s been a money pit so far.

7. Michael B
   November 26th, 2009 @ 1:22 am

   You will save a ton of cash using a tankless system my oil bill dropped so fast and the water is nice and hot and will keep running and running.

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