Sunday, January 18, 2009
To Tank or Not To Tank
Looks like we are going to need a new water heater sooner rather than later - that decision has pretty much been made for us (a hot shower is a must). The decision we still have to make is whether we should just buy a new traditional water heater to replace our existing unit, or whether we should install a tankless model. Research we've done so far indicates that tankless generally are considered more efficient (and we could get a tax credit!), but there appear to be some concerns about their ability to produce a large amount of hot water over a short period (i.e., reports that you can't shower while running a dishwasher or laundry - but then who does that with a regular hot water heater??) and that the heating element burns out/needs repair relatively quickly, at least in certain models. I am also a little concerned about our ability to install a tankless ourselves, which will require moving some gas lines and adding a new vent. Wondering if anyone we know has personal experience . . .
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2 comments:
My brother had a tankless for many years but he recently replaced it with a 40 gallon tank. If you have a well it should be fine, with town water there was a part that failed every time the town flushed the system (twice a year). The family was without hot water until my brother replaced the part (not an easy part to find, either, he kept several on hand for emergencies).
We've had a tankless for several years and love it. We've showered with the dishwasher or washing machine going with no problem. What a house-wide tankless heater can't do is provide hot water right away -- it takes a second to trigger and then start heating water (in addition to the normal lag with any hot water to get from the heater to the outlet).
They're not for everyone, though. If you're using hot water regularly through the day (e.g., lots of kids, lots of laundry, etc.) then you may be better off with a traditional heater.
I didn't install our tankless ourselves, partly because of the additional requirements for venting them, and partly because I didn't want to run the new gas line for it myself.
No experience with them with well water. But one interesting option I saw recently was the H.H20 water heater. I can't find the blog where it was written about at the moment, but the house water (i.e., your well water) doesn't get heated directly.
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