Water heater recs please

[ultrarunner]

An alternate approach is to install your water heater in a central location with short runs to the critical areas. This avoids the waste heat/energy of circulating your hot water.

We did both in our build -- plumbed (but didn't connect) for a circulating loop to the master that would trigger the pump based on a motion sensor, but also placed the water heater centrally vs out in the garage. Also insulated all hot water lines.

For showers, it's worked out that there's no need to hook up a recirculation pump. It's about 15s until the water is flowing shower-hot. I do wish the vanity sink warmed up faster, but we also ran dedicated 20A circuits there for an insta-hot if needed.

We hedged our bets as best we could (and probably wasted a decent amount of $$$ in the process), but I'd say that central placement of the WH got us 85% of where we wanted to be.

My gas water heater is in the garage at the opposite end of 3200 square feet home...

If I want a hot bath I turn on the hot full and fill the tub quicky and it all balances out with 1.5 inch 185 psi copper water main reduced to 75 psi..

I also noted the recirc line is 1"... the original owner builder planed for a spa with outdoor shower... so maybe why over built?

 

[ultrarunner]

Here is an article I read some time ago, about the right sizing of pipes and better routing can help get you hot water faster, without a recirc pump.

https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/plumbing/efficient-hot-water-piping_o

Need to register to read but a plumber told me smaller diameter lines require less volume of hit water to destination... so my oversize lines actually work against me but with the recirc pump the hot water is immediate but at a increased gas and electric use.

 

[ultrarunner]

My last home was like this and water always available with no pump.

My water heater is in one end of the basement and I have bathrooms on the 2nd floor at the opposite end of the house. I have a natural circulation hot water loop for those bathrooms and get hot water in 5 seconds without a pump.

 

[BlueKnife]

@jyoutz, based on the comment BlueKnife made please explain how your comment is related? How is it a "local code thing" that only one water heater needed an electrical connection? I'm just trying to understand your insight here that I must have missed.

It's possible that his plumber either lied to him or that there was some miscommunication. It happens.

 

[CliffordK]

About 10 years ago I had tankless natural gas.
It worked reasonably well, except if one turned hot water on and off like washing dishes, one would get blasts of cold water. Perhaps they've fixed that

 

[arto98607]

I think the tankless heaters are pretty good now, but my Rheem conventional natural gas heater is going on 14 years old with zero maintenance (I know I should flush it, etc, but I never do). Life may have something to do with water quality. We have very good municipal water. Also, I'm kind of skeptical of Consumer Reports. They seem to think everything sucks except Japanese cars and Korean appliances.

Also I think CR has gone so green it began to hurt my eyes so I decided not to renew their mag. after some 20 years of subscription!

 

[ning]

don't know what brand you have, But you should have dip switches where you can adjust for low flow, or hotter water

There are dip switches, but they don't adjust the minimum flow condition (at least as per the owner's manual: https://www.takagi.com/media/62108/2000536265.pdf).
I suspect that minimum flow has to do with the minimum flame capability; not enough water flow = way too hot of water even at a minimum flame.

 

[LouNY]

My hot water is an indirect tank off my home boiler. Works great however the oil cost in the summer seems high at times.
I have considered an electric or propane water heater, bit I'm hesitant as most people that I know with boilers that have problems are the ones that get shut down all summer and then they start leaking even often when it's not being used.
When I looked at the heat pump ones I can see them being nice in the summer, but I don't want to further chill my basement in the winter. When we get a forecast for minus teens or lower I go down stairs and open a vent on my heat loops to put some extra heat in the basement so as not to have freeze-ups.

 

[VaGlock]

I am at 38 years on a Rudd (Ruddglass Pacemaker) electric tank water heater, one annode replacement. During winter months we turn the electric off and the water is heated by hot water coil in the wood furnace. Have had no signs of rust or sediment build up at drain. We are on well water, and run a simple whole house sediment filter. Not sure how much longer I want to press my luck.

 

[deserteagle71]

Also I think CR has gone so green it began to hurt my eyes so I decided not to renew their mag. after some 20 years of subscription!

^This. Only I was a subscriber for 40+ years. No more.