Tankless Water Heater Question

[Okuma]

I'm trying to help out a family member with a water heater issue and had a question. The one there now is a 240 volt 40 gallon water heater. I'm trying to find a replacement online and I'm seeing tankless water heaters for less than traditional, what am I missing? Are these just getting cheaper, or do they just not work? Or is it more labor intensive to install?

http://www.amazon.com/Rheem-RTE-13-...=1465428280&ref_=sr_1_3&s=kitchen-bath&sr=1-3

 

[MRM]

I would of had to run new, larger circuits to power it and would of had to add breakers.

 

[StuP]

"Single shower application", so not a whole lot of flow from it ? For a single person maybe ?

 

[albatros43]

I would love one but electric tank less are not efficient. Unless you have gas I wouldn't get one.

 

[whiskerz]

You need a bigger one.

 

[jcountry]

I hear the tankless ones need cleaning frequently

 

[Cruisers460]

Price is right. I have two of the Bosch Aquastars (propane gas) not that hard to install and they have worked well for years now. The downside is that they are 4 GPM at 50 degree heat rise, this works great in the summertime when the incoming groundwater is warmer. During the winter we raise them to 90 degree heat rise that cuts the water back to about 2 GPM. This works fine for single use ie. you run a shower or dishwasher by themselves...not at the same time. They also are not recommended for people who use wells the fluctuation water makes for fluctuating water temps. If you have a well you will need to regulate the pressure to avoid the typical pump spikes. That said we love these, far superior to the old tank style.
One other note, my unit propane burn rate is one gallon per hour, water in my area is about .09 cents per gallon. So when propane is $3 plus per gallon and your showerhead flows at 3 cents per minute and your daughter takes a 45 minute shower..............you may find yourself growling a bit. Oh, from what I just read you will have to upgrade that circuit to a 60 amp on that unit

 

[DixieDoug]

Contact Hvacguy. He installs them

 

[Dirty J]

Don't bother with electric tankless systems.

Large gas models can hardly keep up with demand in American households.


And that one is so cheap, because it's a point of use heater. Meant for a single fixture. It is NOT a whole house unit.

 

[JamesG]

Whut Cruiser and Dirty J sayid. Those small electric tankless heater are point-of-use. Great if you have a house where the Baths and kitchen are on opposite sides of the house, where you can get two of them and put them where they are used without heating long supply lines of water each time you open the hot water tap.

Larger gas tankless units are better and more efficient.