Tankless Water Heater For Large Family?
Posted on | December 8, 2009 | 8 Comments
We have almost six kids, my hubby and I, and a 2400 square foot home…There are not too many reviews on this…Any thoughts? There are alot of times that I have the dishwasher, washing machine and the shower running at the same time…We right now have a gas 50 gal tank.. So, I dont know if this thing can keep up with us or not…Thanks
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8 Responses to “Tankless Water Heater For Large Family?”
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December 9th, 2009 @ 12:56 am
Depends if there’s teenagers. One teenager can use up more hot water than a typical North American cellulose-refining facility.
Tankless hot water heaters are a big deal in Europe, but we never found them to be so great. Despite intensive engineering, the temperature of the water they give still tends to drop if you increase the flow rate, so you have to learn how to use the things, and adapt.
If your big tank seems to be working okay, I’d stick with it. Buy an insulation blanket for it and its pipes to keep the heat in and save some money. Keep the temperature set as low as the manual on your dishwasher suggests. Install low-flow shower heads, which you probably already have, but add to these a little valve that lets you shut off the water flow to the shower head without turning the tap off. These are available at plumbing-supply shops and you just screw them onto the shower head, and they’re great.
December 9th, 2009 @ 2:26 am
they are kinda pricey but the make them all sizes do some reseach
December 9th, 2009 @ 6:43 am
http://appliancequickfix.com/ will tell you why it may not be a good idea.
December 9th, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
Yes, it can, and you will never run out of hot water. Its what they use on the space station. Either that, or get a second water heater.
December 9th, 2009 @ 3:41 pm
Tankless water heaters are a wonderful investment but remember that when you purchase one, purchase one that will be able to handle your demand. They are rated in gallons per minute. I disagree with a previous answer which stated something to the effect that you should steer clear of appliances bought from Home Depot. – Home Depot or Lowes has a selection of appliances that will meet your needs. The company is larger and will be able to handle any problems that you may have with your heater once it is installed. A plumbing supply house is probably privately owned and put up a fight on when put under the same circumstances. I’m not saying that anything will go wrong but you never know.
December 9th, 2009 @ 8:20 pm
I’ve always thought a tankless hot water heater was a great money saving idea ever since I read about how popular they were in Japan. However, I am very concerned about finding a qualified plumber that had any experience in the tankless heater. Needless to say, I have had no luck in my “quest.” I have spotted a few displays in county fairs and such, but upon questioning, they also had no experience. I have also been very interested in the ground loop heat pump, but again no plumber seems to have any experience with them.
December 9th, 2009 @ 9:31 pm
They are wonderful. Stay with name brand like Rennai, or use a commerical plumbing supply house. Do not buy an inexpensive model from Home Depot. Be sure to match the capacity to your family size. If you do the above, like me, you will find a whole new world of having hot water on demand.
December 9th, 2009 @ 10:25 pm
I would guess you’re discussing an “On-Demand” hot-water heater(s) ? These are propane heaters normally mounted quite close to the location you need hot water.
I used to have one on my live-aboard sailboat. It cut my electricity bill in half, and it was always wonderful to have a hot shower without waiting for the water to get from tank to head.
My Brother has 4 on his ranch… solution to the same problem. They had no street-gas and an electrical heater. There is now one in each of the two bathrooms, and one in the kitchen and the shop (also supplies clothes washer.
He has 2500 sq feet, and uses a 250 gallon propane tank (avg monthly use is 100 gallons). He’s in a rural area, and prefers to have a months worth ON HAND since he once had a delay in getting delivery.
Good Luck