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Tankless Water Heater Question

allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,690 ✭✭✭✭
edited January 2012 in General Discussion
I am thinking of getting a tankless water heater. I would use propane to run it.

I am on a well and the water comes into the house at 55 degrees. When I built the house 15 years ago I was told at the plumbing supply house that the tankless heater would not do so well with such cool water.
He said that city water came into the house at 65 degrees and the tankless worked pretty well with that water.

Are the new model tankless heaters good enough to heat up my water?
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Comments

  • e8gme8gm Member Posts: 1,277 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have no first hand experience but have heard that it is best to stay away from the electric tankless heaters. They don't heat the water fast enough and dont' provide a constant supply at a constant temp. Everything I've heard about the gas ones has been positive.
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
    I am thinking of getting a tankless water heater. I would use propane to run it.

    I am on a well and the water comes into the house at 55 degrees. When I built the house 15 years ago I was told at the plumbing supply house that the tankless heater would not do so well with such cool water.
    He said that city water came into the house at 65 degrees and the tankless worked pretty well with that water.

    Are the new model tankless heaters good enough to heat up my water?


    yes, no problem with the temperature.

    www.noritz.com
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  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 48,464 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Check Specification on the Unit you are looking at.

    Found this one.

    quote: Flow Capacity:
    - 35?F Rise: 5.3 GPM
    - 45?F Rise: 5.3 GPM
    - 75?F Rise: 3.4 GPM

    Thermal Efficiency: 84 %

    Energy Factor: 0.82

    Power Source: 120 VAC (60Hz)

    Temperature Range: 98 to 140 ?F

    Water/Gas Connections:
    - Gas Supply: 3/4 Inch MNPT
    - Cold Water Inlet: 3/4 Inch MNPT
    - Hot Water Outlet: 3/4 Inch MNPT



    Notice Your GPM are lower cause of the Lower incoming temp.
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  • andrewsw16andrewsw16 Member Posts: 10,728 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The only drawback is that it is hard to find someone to do the installation because it is a (wait for it......) tankless job.
    [:D][:D][:D][:D]
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  • skicatskicat Member Posts: 14,431 ✭
    edited November -1
    The advantages are space saving and unlimited supply of hot water........the disadvantages are greater initial cost, possibly higher installation cost, questionable efficiency numbers, greater risk of expensive repair.

    I have only installed one unit which made sense and that was in a little tiny house where losing the tank gained the owner enough floor space to have a laundry room. In general I am not a fan.
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  • HandLoadHandLoad Member Posts: 15,998 ✭
    edited November -1
    So you might have to have Two Units working in parallel. The ones I have seen, (Three different Brands) ROAR when working. That is a problem for me.
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  • roswellnativeroswellnative Member Posts: 10,192 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    One Question

    How far in feet does the hot water have to run?

    In my honest humble opinion... I have installed a 220V electric that will service a house with kitchen, bath, and W/D in a close proximity. about 25 ft. Works great. You could install about 5 (in different locations) for what you would pay for a gas heater.

    How big is your panel and what type of room (ie if it is 150 amp and you are running 100, or if its a 200 and you are running 140) do you have?
    Although always described as a cowboy, Roswellnative generally acts as a righter of wrongs or bodyguard of some sort, where he excels thanks to his resourcefulness and incredible gun prowesses.
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  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    put tankless electric in cabin...seems to work ok and we put it in ourselves
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  • fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    I had an elect. tankless and it used 2-240V circuits.My feed water was 80F in summer to 78F in winter.(West Palm Beach Fl)
    It would use 1 heater the first time U turned hot on,then switch to the other the next time,in order to keep run time on each the same.
    If the feed water were to fall below 45F it would use both at the same time.
    I trust the gas operated system is similar..
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  • roswellnativeroswellnative Member Posts: 10,192 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Titan Tankless Water Heater N210
    Max KW 21

    Volts 240

    Max Amp 88

    _These act like any other appliance, a furnace, stove, hot water heater.

    With some creative work I have made houses "gas free"

    Check out a Titan... You put cold in and on demand get hot water.

    But very point of use. dont run more than 25' of 1/2 in .
    Although always described as a cowboy, Roswellnative generally acts as a righter of wrongs or bodyguard of some sort, where he excels thanks to his resourcefulness and incredible gun prowesses.
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  • woodhogwoodhog Member Posts: 13,115 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Tankless heaters were originally devised as single source devices. Too much distance, too many fixtures and they quickly succumb to unsatisfactory performance. You really have to think out your installaton to get a satisfactory outcome.
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  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thats all they use in China. When I was there a few years ago, every home I visited had a tankless heater running on propane, the only scary thing was that they all kept their propane tanks inside the house!
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  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    tankless in utility room...threw out propane water heater & replaced washer & dryer with stack unit..gained 1/3 of room in space
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  • bartman45bartman45 Member Posts: 3,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Saw one on a recent episode of "This Old House". Kind of a combination tank and tankless. It had a much bigger heating coil system and should be easy to find on their site. I believe there is a yearly maintenance involved to remove water deposits from inside the coils. Some models this is diy, and on other, must be service tech.
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  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,565 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well water will eat up a tankless really fast if you dont constanly clean it. Iam talking from experience[;)] 1500 hundred dollar lesson
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  • roswellnativeroswellnative Member Posts: 10,192 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Some of the newer tankless systems have a small tank that stays hot and then its immediate. But the issue is the cooler pipes and the cool water in the line. There is actually a system that back flows the hot and it bleeds over to the cold and it is pretty worthwile solution. Then you program the house hot system to "rotate" at say 6 and 4. or on demand. and this actually doesn't waste water as it is w'in the system.
    Although always described as a cowboy, Roswellnative generally acts as a righter of wrongs or bodyguard of some sort, where he excels thanks to his resourcefulness and incredible gun prowesses.
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  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Oakie
    Well water will eat up a tankless really fast if you dont constanly clean it. Iam talking from experience[;)] 1500 hundred dollar lesson


    I have two co-workers that went to gas tankless heaters.

    Two years later they have switched back because crap from the well water built up and made them pretty much useless.
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  • roswellnativeroswellnative Member Posts: 10,192 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    drop in a tank and save 75 percent and forgetaboutit.
    Although always described as a cowboy, Roswellnative generally acts as a righter of wrongs or bodyguard of some sort, where he excels thanks to his resourcefulness and incredible gun prowesses.
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Oakie
    Well water will eat up a tankless really fast if you dont constanly clean it. Iam talking from experience[;)] 1500 hundred dollar lesson


    a softener system is recommended if you have a well.
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  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,690 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a 50 gallon propane water heater that has given me 15 years of great service and still works great.
    Maybe when it goes I will just replace it with the same model and forget about the tankless heater.
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  • gjshawgjshaw Member Posts: 14,767 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had a tankless hot water heater on a well and had no problems.

    Are all Fords built the same or all Chevy's, no , and that is the same with wells. Not all wells need a water softener put on them and not all wells will give water heaters problems. The newer tankless are far superior to the old ones and much easier to clean if needed. I'm not saying take the easy route and put back in a tank type but it is so easy to test water now days to find out if you would have any problems. Chances are you would be ok since your last water heater lasted 15 years. You don't have a problem with your water making mineral deposits so I would put in a tankless and feel real comfortable about it.

    Just my 2 cents allan.[;)]
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  • gjshawgjshaw Member Posts: 14,767 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Read this Allan.



    Is a Tankless Water Heater Right for You?..

    http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/water-heaters/tankless-water-heater-right-you/#ixzz1kkpzqHQn


    http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/water-heaters/tankless-water-heater-right-you/?nicmp=outbrain&nichn=cpc&niseg=hlart
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  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,044 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a Takagi (TK3), works great (well water temp. 48 deg.). Just make sure you get one with enough capacity (ie. not the small one). Normal house should have one rated for at least 4 gal./min. this will handle 2 major appliances at the same time (shower/dish washer, ect.)
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  • bartman45bartman45 Member Posts: 3,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    As Jethro used to say on the tv, you need to "cypher" how long the payback to get to the break even point. Energy saving projects may have a break even point many, many years in the future.
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  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,092 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Put in a Rinnai 98 LSi. No problems.
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by andrewsw16
    The only drawback is that it is hard to find someone to do the installation because it is a (wait for it......) tankless job.
    [:D][:D][:D][:D]



    [:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D] Great!!!!!!!!!! [:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
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  • firstharmonicfirstharmonic Member Posts: 1,072 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I installed a new 40 gallon natural gas water heater on '09. Since then, during the warm-weather months when it is the only thing using gas, our bill runs between $18.00 and $23.00 per month. It would take forever to recoup the energy savings even if we saved 50%. And by that time it's almost certain that the unit would need to be replaced or would have already been replaced.

    Tankless might make sense for some folks but not for us.
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