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Posted by: gwg24/7 on 2009-12-03, 19:10:23
First of all, Tankless water heaters are not the best for all situations. You can experience a "water sandwich " when you shut off the demand for a few minutes and then turn it back on, which is a bit of an inconvenience. Second, if your point of use is a distance from the heater, the amount of time it takes to get hot water delivery is increased, because these units have a 5-15 second lag time before delivering 120 deg. water. But they are usually 90+ % efficient, much better than regular tank types. Right now most models qualify for the federal 30% tax credit, which includes installation costs. If your regular water heater costs 300.00 in gas per year to operate, a tankless may be as low as 200.00, it would take 15 years to recoup the cost probably. They do give you and endless supply of hot water, great for filling up a big whirlpool tub or if a lot of showers in a row need to be run. Look into a condensing water heater, one line the State Premier power vent model. It isn't cheap, but is also 90% efficient, and also qualifies for the 30% tax credit. Also it does not require a bigger gas feed and vents with pvc pipe if you like. The newer regular water heaters are FVIR sealed combustion chambers, and are junk, a lot of thermocouple failure and maintenance every 6 months now required. It is a shame they have done this, but this is another reason to look into tankless or condensing water heaters. |
