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Hot Water Heater Woes...
whammoed:
--- Quote from: Peale on November 09, 2004, 09:19:35 am ---Don't replace it with a conventional style HW heater. Get one of those that makes the hot water on the fly. Should pay for itself in a couple years.
--- End quote ---
depends:
Q:
"Will an instantaneous water heater save me money on my utility bills?"
A:
If your current water heater is electric, then yes. However your savings will vary depending on your local cost per KW hour.
If you're using propane, it might save you money. Again, it depends on your local propane cost.
If you're using natural gas, then probably not at this time (although natural gas prices have and are going up radically in some areas of the U.S.). You will save natural gas, but the extra money spent on a natural gas tankless water heater might not justify the savings at this time.
Zakk:
Can't you just rent one from the utility? Here in our igloos I would guess that 95% of our homes have rented water heaters. If you ask people why they rent, they always say the same thing: "it's nice that if it breaks they come out and fix it".
Our water heater developed a crack the entire length of some tube in there, so we were getting half assed hot water even though the tank was red hot. A phone call and 12 hours later it was fixed and serviced for free...
That said, the heaters that Peale is talking about are great. I have some friends from Europe, and I had no idea that they didn't have 'water heaters' over there as a general rule. They were astonished that we would keep boiling cauldrons of water in the coldest areas of the house (usually the basement). That's where I found out about the water on demand systems. Great in theory, and I've looked at the systems (small enough to be hidden in almost any room), but I have yet to take the plunge and buy one.
Food for thought.
shmokes:
A pipe broke on a hot water heater owned by a lady at my work and started spraying the wall about five feet away and about six feet high. It sprayed a hole in the wall and flooded their whole basement. Sucks. But spraying a hole in the wall was kind of funny.
DrewKaree:
--- Quote from: Peale on November 09, 2004, 09:19:35 am ---Don't replace it with a conventional style HW heater. Get one of those that makes the hot water on the fly. Should pay for itself in a couple years.
--- End quote ---
as whammoed sed, it will depend, but the odds are with you that it will save you money.
The other benefit is that you don't have to worry about whether or not there will be enough hot water when running the dishwasher/shower/washing machine.
The downside is that there's a few seconds delay getting that water in the morning, as the water has sat in the pipes overnight and has cooled off, but that's with any water heater.
The costs you pay will also have to factor in the electrician you'll need to wire it in and install the heater. If you can do it yourself, the tankless kind is DEFINITELY the way to go.
That JBWeld may last you another 150 years, but I have helped with 4 flooded basement replacements, and you DON'T want to "hope" it lasts. If you're willing to "hope", start setting money aside NOW and replace it as soon as possible.