Water heater recs please

[duffer]

I've had tankless water heaters (gas only) in the last 2 houses. 8 years on the first one, 7+ on this one. Unlimited hot water, uses far less gas than heating a 40-60 gal tank 24/7/365.

You can adjust the hot water temp in 5° increments to your liking. Unless you're using 4 showers at once, a sufficiently sized tankless will work fine. I have a 195k btu (or maybe 199k, can't remember). Would not recommend a 40k-60k btu unit. (not that much difference in price). Especially if you want to run a shower, dish washer, and faucet at the same time.

And a poster above is correct to make sure you run a properly sized gas line to the heater. They use the same amount of gas as a whole house furnace. Only 5-10 minutes at a time.

I've only owned Rinnai. None of the cheap ones, and I would never own an elec tankless. They're not nearly as efficient.

There are a few plumbing supply houses on ebay that list their inventory, and sell the unit to you at the same price they sell to plumbers. You take out the middle man, and still get the Rinnai warranty. That's how I bought mine for both houses. Just paid a plumber to install.

 

[groundcover]

Love our Rinnai tankless, shower as long as you want, which our grandsons try to test out when they visit !

 

[2manyrocks]

The actual life of a water heater usually varies with what kind of water you have along with sediment accumulation.

 

[KennyG]

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.

 

[Gem99ultra]

We love our tankless water heater because it never runs out of hot water. No short showers unless you want that.

Same here; 13 years with endless supply of hot water. And no propane to waste 24/7. No breakdowns. My only regret is that I didn't also have a tankless installed under the kitchen sink so wife would always have instant hot water. I may still go ahead and add that.

 

[jyoutz]

My power goes out to much for tank less hate cold showers
Gas stays on no matter just a thought

I have a gas tankless water heater.

 

[2manyrocks]

Water heaters have an inner metal tank coated with baked on frit. The layer of frit tends to get damaged when the bottom of the tank is welded to the upper hull of the tank. Over time, corrosion will work on the exposed metal and that tends to be where tanks eventually leak.

 

[ponytug]

The actual life of a water heater usually varies with what kind of water you have along with sediment accumulation.

This is where semiannual or annual maintenance comes into play. Get the crud out of the water heater before there is much of any, or better yet keep the crud from getting in, and keep your anode clean and up to the job and/or add an electronic anode. If you do get crud forming in the bottom, I would recommend replacing the cheap drain valve normally supplied on tank type water heaters with a high quality brass or bronze gate valve.

I think that corrosion is the enemy longevity in water heaters.

FWIW: Tankless water heaters tend not to have sacrificial anodes, and are more susceptible to corrosion, and if you are getting crud in your current water heater tank, I would strongly encourage you not to get a tankless as there is no place for the deposits to go, except in the pipes/heat exchangers of the tankless. The crud build up makes for a short life. I would add to the comments about how water inefficient tankless heaters often are in practice. I have had them in a couple of homes, and I'm not a fan. They are great for a sink full of hot water, or a shower, but not so great at intermittent uses like hand washing, dishwasher, and laundry usage, at least in my experience, unless you have a house full of folks using hot water semi-continuously, at which point the purported advantages over a tank style water heater really disappear.

The IRA will rebate 30% of the cost of installing a heat pump water heater (up to $3,000). There are also state incentives, e.g. Puget Sound Energy that will rebate up to $750 for the most efficient models.

Buying a Heat Pump Could Get You Thousands in Federal Tax Credits and State Rebates - Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports explains the tax credits and rebates available through the Inflation Reduction Act for the purchase of a heat pump.

www.consumerreports.org

Heat pump water heater

Receive a $500 rebate on qualifying energy-efficient heat pump water heaters. Find out which units qualify and search for a contractor to help install the unit.

www.pse.com

If your propane and electricity costs are typical of Washington state, heat pump water heating should save you considerably in energy costs, but do your own math. Heat pumps, without the "hybrid boost" feature typically only use about 2.5kWh/day.

@etpm More here:

How Much Energy Does a Heat Pump Water Heater Use? (Save)

A heat pump water heater uses about 20.1-31.3 kWh/day (0.68 -1.068 therms/day), assuming it's used in a four-bedroom home. In contrast, a standard electric heater uses about 26.4-36.2 kWh/day (0.901-1.235 therms/day). Therefore, a heat pump water heater saves around 14-24% on heating costs.

www.attainablehome.com

Heat Pump Water Heaters: Complete Guide, Pros and Cons And More

Get expert advice on improvements to your home, including design tips, how much you'd expect to pay for a pro and what to ask when hiring experts.

www.forbes.com

All the best,

Peter

 

[jyoutz]

This is where semiannual or annual maintenance comes into play. Get the crud out of the water heater before there is much of any, or better yet keep the crud from getting in, and keep your anode clean and up to the job and/or add an electronic anode. If you do get crud forming in the bottom, I would recommend replacing the cheap drain valve normally supplied on tank type water heaters with a high quality brass or bronze gate valve.

I think that corrosion is the enemy longevity in water heaters.

FWIW: Tankless water heaters tend not to have sacrificial anodes, and are more susceptible to corrosion, and if you are getting crud in your current water heater tank, I would strongly encourage you not to get a tankless as there is no place for the deposits to go, except in the pipes/heat exchangers of the tankless. The crud build up makes for a short life. I would add to the comments about how water inefficient tankless heaters often are in practice. I have had them in a couple of homes, and I'm not a fan. They are great for a sink full of hot water, or a shower, but not so great at intermittent uses like hand washing, dishwasher, and laundry usage, at least in my experience, unless you have a house full of folks using hot water semi-continuously, at which point the purported advantages over a tank style water heater really disappear.

The IRA will rebate 30% of the cost of installing a heat pump water heater (up to $3,000). There are also state incentives, e.g. Puget Sound Energy that will rebate up to $750 for the most efficient models.

Buying a Heat Pump Could Get You Thousands in Federal Tax Credits and State Rebates - Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports explains the tax credits and rebates available through the Inflation Reduction Act for the purchase of a heat pump.

www.consumerreports.org

Heat pump water heater

Receive a $500 rebate on qualifying energy-efficient heat pump water heaters. Find out which units qualify and search for a contractor to help install the unit.

www.pse.com

If your propane and electricity costs are typical of Washington state, heat pump water heating should save you considerably in energy costs, but do your own math. Heat pumps, without the "hybrid boost" feature typically only use about 2.5kWh/day.

@etpm More here:

How Much Energy Does a Heat Pump Water Heater Use? (Save)

A heat pump water heater uses about 20.1-31.3 kWh/day (0.68 -1.068 therms/day), assuming it's used in a four-bedroom home. In contrast, a standard electric heater uses about 26.4-36.2 kWh/day (0.901-1.235 therms/day). Therefore, a heat pump water heater saves around 14-24% on heating costs.

www.attainablehome.com

Heat Pump Water Heaters: Complete Guide, Pros and Cons And More

Get expert advice on improvements to your home, including design tips, how much you'd expect to pay for a pro and what to ask when hiring experts.

www.forbes.com

All the best,

Peter

We installed a Takagi tankless and it has a replaceable external sediment filter/anode type of feature.

 

[2manyrocks]

Often, water heaters and HVAC systems are replaced with similar units instead of having to change plumbing, wiring and vents.