2006-11-08 23:10:43 · 8 answers · asked by topar5 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Tankless water heaters are to die for – but they are not for everyone. A tankless water heater stores no hot water and is triggered to come on by water flowing through it. Once the demand is sensed, it begins heating up. Full bore capacity can normally take five to seven seconds. No a big deal huh?
Now, assume your kitchen sink currently takes 4 seconds from the time you turn on the tap to the time you get hot water. This is the travel distance time from your existing tanked unit. By merely replacing the unit, you need to combine the heat-up time of the tankless PLUS the travel time to get to the fixture. Nine to eleven seconds can seem like an eternity. If budget is not an issue, there are piping & pumping strategies that can eliminate this delay.
On the flip side, in my home I located the unit central to all fixtures and knew of this delay going in to it. I have a gas fired Rinnai brand which I love and wouldn’t have anything but. I’ve substantially dropped my gas bill as I am no longer paying for stored hot water 24 hours a day. The efficiency of these units will smoke any high-efficiency tanked model available.
Always work through a licensed plumber and ignore the units at the big box stores. Although attractively priced, they have higher pressure drops across the units and lower water flow rates. Be sure to check with your local utility about rebates that may be available along with the new 2006 federal tax credit for high efficiency equipment.
2006-11-09 00:11:32 · answer #1 · answered by frogpaws 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tankless water systems are more efficient than conventional water heaters......It is recommended that you have a gas tankless unit as opposed to an electric...the gas units use half the gas as a regular water heater does and it puts put continuous hot water.....They also can be installed in the attic or hung on the wall leaving more closet space.....They are more expensive tho and take more time to install....Rinnai is a good brand as the previous answer states and I agree with him about watching out for the 'bargain' prices.....remember you get what you pay for and with an investment like this you want something good.....This is not something you should try to install yourself....call a licensed plumber!
2006-11-09 03:40:20 · answer #2 · answered by Tripping Billies 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tankless water heaters can be great in the right situation. If you get the biggest size (flow) that you can, you should be able to run two showers and one appliance at a time. This should be enough for most households. If you have three teenagers, and want to run the dishwasher and clothes washer while all three kids are showering, however, you are not going to be happy with it. A shower takes 1 1/2 gallons a minute. Most appliances fill at about 2 gallons a minute. Ask your plumber what the flow rate is on the unit he is going to install. Then do the math. If you can make the adjustments, then you will save a considerable amount of money. You should recoup the extra cost in about a year in most situations. After that, everything is savings. Plus, a tankless has no tank to rust, so it shouldn't need to be replaced as often as a regular unit. I have done considerable research on these, and have decided that I will be purchasing one for my house. You have to make the decision for yours. Good luck with it.
2016-05-21 23:59:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes have experiences with a tankless hot water system is guru-contracting.com/tank-less-hot-water/.
2014-09-20 05:57:44 · answer #4 · answered by nighat 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are called instant shower
Works well
But be sure to call a competent installer
Because this system use heating elements
They are in direct contact with the running water
With a certain amount of risk involve
It's wise to buy one with a built in ELCB
For extra safety precautions
2006-11-08 23:48:16 · answer #5 · answered by davmanx 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
tank-less water heater's use the same amount of energy to heat water they just don't heat it 24/7 that's where the cost savings come in on average 20% on your utility bill
2006-11-09 12:52:16 · answer #6 · answered by knowitall 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I was stationed in Germany way back in '73 we had one in our apartment. I'm amazed they haven't caught on here sooner. It never runs when you aren't using it and when you turn on your hot water you have as much hot water as you want. Since it heats the water as you use it it never runs out.
2006-11-08 23:14:52 · answer #7 · answered by tumbleweed1954 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
u must have a small tank under the sink and has electric heater and heats water on the demand
2006-11-09 00:02:10 · answer #8 · answered by george p 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋