Tankless LP Water Heater

[boggen]

it would have been nice to go with a tankless. a couple years ago. but the inital price was 4 to 5 times the amount of 40 gallon tank.

then there is issue of needing electricity. there be big issue for me, i can see brown outs (low power) this can kill and has killed many appliances over the years not counting computers and other electronic gadgets and tvs. I can also count on black outs. and most likely these occur in the worst of the storms. meaning power is out to many places. and i am on the very far end of the list of people who get electricity back first.

if i had a bank of batteries and/or generator with a transfer switch. the tankless might have shown to be a better option. but for now it is the old 40 gallon tank.

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now for the small cabin on the lake, if i can ever get caught up on projects. and get it finished. it will more likely have a tankless heater. due to not being used all the time in winter. and wanting to drain water from the lines. it is situated off the grid. and has a dedicated generator for it. so having 110v, will not be a problem. and hopefully soon enough a bank of batteries and solar or wind mill up and going for it.

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as far as needing more than a trickle to turn a tankless heater on. to me is not a large deal. more so in winter. this is an old house, it has it drafts. and the need to turn on a faucet to keep a slight amount of water moving so pipes do not freeze would be a plus, of not having hot water go through pipes when not needing hot water.

granted, fixing up the downstairs, and to stop cold air drafts from happening. and other improvements. have helped a ton. but when those temps get down there. *cringes with cold and having to fix a leaky bursted water pipe*

 

[OKnewguy]

I know these units are not the cadilac of tankless, but for us they are great. Bosch Aquastar Tankless Water Heater. Bosch Instant Hot Water Heaters. Bosch 2400ES, 2700ES, 1600H, 1600P, 1000P, 1600PS and 1000P, we have the 1600, unit. It does not require electricity and is very simple. Sometimes simple is just better, we have crummy power also, and it is nice to not worry about the hot water heater. BTW, we are on a well and the unit works great!
Dave

 

[OKnewguy]

One more thing, these units run between $600 to $800. They are more expensive, but they are not to bad. Another benefit, is the water heater closet can be drastically reduced, because they are so much smaller.
Dave

 

[valley]

Our tankless is the Bosch AquaStar 1600 P NG- Natural Gas it is a smaller unit with a pilot. We have a well here, the well water is very cold, there seems to be no problem. When filling the Hot tub we come off the hot water line so there is no wait for the tub to heat.

As I mentioned at least one sink setup for Gray Water and there is no waste.

A unit this size at the other ranch would be fine. We are not always out there why keep 4 gallons hot.

I like them, not sure what is the best unit. I like the idea of being able to run vinegar through it.

 

[Lacal]

I have a Rheem that was installed two years ago with no mechanical problems, but here is my input as far as things I have learned:

1. If your home has multiple bathrooms and/or is larger than 2000 sq. ft. You need to install a circulating pump to ensure timely and consistant hot water.

2. If you are on a well and have only one storage tank, but multiple people who will be using the shower in the same time frame you should add an additional storgae tank. As the water level lowers and your pressure drops you will/may lose hot water since there is a minimum of water pressure required to have the tankless work.

3. Lesson learned - I had to learn for myself that if you lose water pressure or must shut down your well for service or must shut off the main water supply you may have to bleed the tankless to get it to operate. I learned this on my own since when I had a new bathroom installed the plumber was shutting the main down daily and we were losing the hot water. The plumber didn't know why, the installer of the tankless didn't have an answer and I got nothing from RHEEM. I learned this when I began going through the whole system step by step and thought of a former heating system that had a bladder tank and I had to do bleed that to restore pressure.

Those are the issues, but I love the tankless on a daily basis and as soon as some other hot button items are finished I will have a circulating pump installed.

Our unit is a propane unit.

 

[SpringHollow]

I have no circulating pumps in my system and do not have the problems you state other than the delay for hot water which is a function of the length/diameter of my pipes and does not matter if I am using a hot water tank or tankless system.. I am also on a well. There must be something different about your system as compared to mine. My heater has a safety switch based on flow. You do need a flow rate above 1/2 gallon per minute. It also states a minimum of 15 psi water pressure but I do not know that there is a safety pressure switch for that.

So, the only issue for me is if you want very low flow of hot water, the heater will not kick on. But the unit lets you adjust the temperature of your water very easily so you can just have a lower temperature with higher flow. This works very well for me. As more hot water is requested, it kicks on more flame to heat the water. The Takagi's really are quite nice.

Ken

 

[iplumb]

Interesting to read that those who are against them, don't own them.:confused3: I have had for the last five years an LP tankless unit and will report back soon-PROS AND CONS FROM AN OWNER-don't have time right now.

:thumbsup:

Heres mine that I just installed. Its a Rhinnai RC98i Propane Condensing Tankless Water Heater. Oh, and its on my well water that I filter and soften. We LOVE it!!!

 

[jpm1]

In a rental property i owned the unit had a Propane tankless water heater. At first i didnt have a clue what to do if it were to quit. Well i got a call about midnight one night, "no hot water" i drove the 35 minutes to the place and about 2 minutes later it was working again. Fresh air intake got blocked off. Cleared it out and relit it. Happy Tennets make happy Landlord. Now mind you this was installed in a double wide manufactured house that sits on a slab with no cellar. Well as time went on the renters noticed a huge increase of propane usage with thermostat set the same, same water usage, same cooking habbits. I really know nothing about Propane other than it "stinks" and makes a loud "boom" if you mess up! Called the propane company and service tec looked at it and shut off the tank completely. He said it #1 was installed completely wrong, with the wrong stlye fittings and all. Disasembly of the unit found cracked fittings and old used copper lines with wear spots on it. now the Kicker! In New york State it is Illegal to install this type of heaterin a manufactured home! reason being it draws combustion air from inside of the residense. Can you say OPSIE! ( home inspector nor propane company noticed this.) (I Didn't call Mike Holmes! :laughing The propane company was also at fault when they hooked the residence up they didn't check all the lines and appliences. This was told to me by the Companies owner!. They would not hook the propane up untill the Tankless was OUT. I resorted back to electric and it was a terrible job to hook it back up and make it all fit in the little closet that was made for it. End result explained to be by my renters, electric was more expensive, and they missed the tankless water heater. This was a big learning experience for me. My renters moved, I sold the place and the new owners love the electric! Who knows? I like propane to cook on but i have an electric range and my hot water will soon be heated by my Outside Wood Furnace. Guess its a 50 - 50 flip of the coin. If i had gas hooked up already the tankless would be in too. . . .John

 

[Alan L.]

Both Home Depot and Lowes here in Brighton don't recommend tankless if you have a well. Problem is variation in pressure and flow rate and its effect on the heating elements (eg Warranty).

I pay about $25 per month for 40 gal natural gas hot water (2 peeps and 4 clean dogs) and I like a HOT shower after my hockey games. I need HOT water after every contact with poison ivy, too. It seems to 'burn' out the oil and stops the itch.

I suspect this applies to electric units ("elements"). Certainly no problem getting water as hot as can be from the tankless though, at least the LP version. I don't think electric units are near as effective for whole house use.

 

[iplumb]

In a rental property i owned the unit had a Propane tankless water heater. At first i didnt have a clue what to do if it were to quit. Well i got a call about midnight one night, "no hot water" i drove the 35 minutes to the place and about 2 minutes later it was working again. Fresh air intake got blocked off. Cleared it out and relit it. Happy Tennets make happy Landlord. Now mind you this was installed in a double wide manufactured house that sits on a slab with no cellar. Well as time went on the renters noticed a huge increase of propane usage with thermostat set the same, same water usage, same cooking habbits. I really know nothing about Propane other than it "stinks" and makes a loud "boom" if you mess up! Called the propane company and service tec looked at it and shut off the tank completely. He said it #1 was installed completely wrong, with the wrong stlye fittings and all. Disasembly of the unit found cracked fittings and old used copper lines with wear spots on it. now the Kicker! In New york State it is Illegal to install this type of heaterin a manufactured home! reason being it draws combustion air from inside of the residense. Can you say OPSIE! ( home inspector nor propane company noticed this.) (I Didn't call Mike Holmes! :laughing The propane company was also at fault when they hooked the residence up they didn't check all the lines and appliences. This was told to me by the Companies owner!. They would not hook the propane up untill the Tankless was OUT. I resorted back to electric and it was a terrible job to hook it back up and make it all fit in the little closet that was made for it. End result explained to be by my renters, electric was more expensive, and they missed the tankless water heater. This was a big learning experience for me. My renters moved, I sold the place and the new owners love the electric! Who knows? I like propane to cook on but i have an electric range and my hot water will soon be heated by my Outside Wood Furnace. Guess its a 50 - 50 flip of the coin. If i had gas hooked up already the tankless would be in too. . . .John

What year are we talking about here:confused2: We are talking about two completely different machines. The condensing unit I showed uses outside air for combustion and has no standing pilot. Its also .96 efficient.