Water heater questions

[tkappeler]

Whether you have to heat the 30 gallons in a 80 gallon tank or in a 40 gallon tank, you still need to supply the energy required to raise 30 gallons of cold water to your heater 's set point. Either way it is the same amount of energy.

Certainly there is a difference in the usability as adding 30 gallons cold to 50 hot will cause a smaller temperature drop than adding 30 to 10, but the energy required to raise will not differ significantly between the two all else being equal.

I guess I was thinking that using 40 gallons of 120 degree water from a 40 gallon tank, replacing it with 50 degree water is a 70 degree temp differential for 40 gallons. Taking 40 gallons from an 80 (using the numbers above) would yield 80 gallons of something above the 50 degree incoming due to mixing.

But now that I actually write this out, 40 gallons for 70 degrees rise or 80 gallons for a 50 or so rise would be less rise but more gallons to heat. I guess it could be the same. I had lots of physics but I am not a thermodynamics specialist.

 

[DoubleL]

I've only read about those. Do you notice the heat removed from the room/area that the heat pump takes for heating the water?

I'm a little conflicted on the concept. The heat it captures cost something to produce. Maybe I don't understand it.

I would say to read the reviews on sears.com and research what you can to see if it makes senses for you. Ours is in the basement which is not heated or cooled. I think it averages like 60 degrees down there. We haven't noticed any differences in the basement temperatures or humidity. Our basement is a full basement so it is a good size. All the best.

 

[buickanddeere]

For only two people and a little dab of hot water you use. Stick with the electric. Needs no vents, no tanks to run empty and no flame in your house. LP isn't going to get cheaper either.
Electric is 100% efficient. LP and NG are not.
If really concerned about hot water waste. Install a one gallon heater under the distant sinks . Instead of running a gallon of cold water down the drain you had paid to heat.
What do you pay for electricity and LP?

 

[dave1949]

I would say to read the reviews on sears.com and research what you can to see if it makes senses for you. Ours is in the basement which is not heated or cooled. I think it averages like 60 degrees down there. We haven't noticed any differences in the basement temperatures or humidity. Our basement is a full basement so it is a good size. All the best.

Thanks. In an unheated basement with well-insulated ceiling/floors above it, much of the heat captured is likely coming from the ambient ground temperature. That is a free heat source that would be replenished naturally.

 

[grsthegreat]

oh heck..i forgot the MAIN reason i went with propane instead of electric. I wanted the water heater to run during a power failure..which we get lots of.

My house is on a whole house generator, but it wasnt large enough to operate the water heater. So it was either get a larger generator, or switch to gas. Guess what won.

 

[EarPlug]

We switched from propane to electric. Our Power Company has a program that basically gave me the heater for free. The provided a Marathon super insulated/efficient product. Very happy with the switch.

Marathon Water Heaters: For Consumers (some models available at Home Depot)