Tankless Hot Water Heater Problems And Reviews

Question: If you have a gas tankless hot water heater please share your pros and cons with me. thanks?

(Posted by: Bill on 2008-06-16 15:03:43)

Posted by: Mustanger on 2008-06-16, 15:13:07

Studies, by some plumbing companies, have shown that they use such a high flow of gas that they don't really save any money. Part of the cost they found also was from people taking longer hot showers because they thought they were conserving and could afford to spend more time under the hot water. They concluded that the high initial cost was impossible to recoup. Over all, not a good investment.

Posted by: scott p on 2008-06-16, 15:43:17

We have four of those where I work. They control the temperature of the water by regulating the flow through a heat exchanger, the hotter you want the water, the more it slows the flow. They accomplish this by using a servo motor controlled valve. The whole system is surprisingly complicated for a simple water heater (and they have proven to be very sensitive and tempermental). I'll stick with my simple tank water heaters at home.

Posted by: SpyWriter on 2008-06-16, 16:01:15

I couldn't reference a source, but I would assume they're POTENTIALLY less eco-friendly than a tank, at least if you take showers as long as I do. Yes, they do have higher gas flows and if you take an hour-long shower, you're burning that gas flow for exactly an hour. But, unlike conventional tank heaters, they're only heating the water whenever it's called for - the burner isn't clicking on and off throughout the day to keep your forty or fifty gallons worth of water warm even when you don't need it. It will always be burning a pilot, but so will a tank. It's the installation that gets tricky: tankless heaters require bigger exhaust pipes and they hang on the wall. Your closet or garage or wherever you plan on installing one will have to be modified appropriately. And if you plan on getting an inspection, make sure the city isn't going to come out and tell you, after all is said and done, that you now require a bigger gas service pipe to handle the extra btus. Trust me, this happens a lot; plumbers don't put them in all the time and they forget to calculate things like that. Also, watch out for Japanese brands and heaters that require a source of electricity; you don't want to hire an electrician for a plumbing job. Hire a GOOD plumber and don't buy the heater at Lowe's or anything like that. If you've got a good, experienced plumber, he should know where to find a good one. Now, let me say this: I have a tankless water heater (as do my parents) and I wouldn't switch back to tanks for all the world. I enjoy my shower time and often do it when someone else is showering in the house. I don't want to have to worry about running out of hot water. Would I recommend one? If you're anything like me, then yes. There's one big pro and a lot of little cons. They're a little more complicated than traditional heaters and any given plumber isn't likely to have the parts on his truck to fix it. But come on... hot water all the time. You'll wonder how you got along without it.