Water Heater Replacements - Recommendation for Brand and Installer (Sugar Land: house, utilities)

[bhandra]

Hi,

We are having to replace our two hot water heaters in our attic. Does anyone have recommendations for brands and a good plumber to install them in the Sugar Land Area.

Thanks.

[kickingprop]

No comment on brands, but I'd look into a tankless heater if you plan to stay in the house a long time. They are pricier, but typically save on utilities over time to even out the high cost..

[PinkLadyK]

But I've also heard they might not last as long, and if you have to pay $5000 for the equipment more often, then any savings on utilities is wiped out by appliance cost.

[kickingprop]

Originally Posted by PinkLadyK

But I've also heard they might not last as long, and if you have to pay $5000 for the equipment more often, then any savings on utilities is wiped out by appliance cost.

This might be true, I don't know if they've been on the market long enough to compile useful data on that... Would be interesting if someone had that data available.

I do know they have serviceable parts and have one friend with one he installed in 2000 and is still going strong... so they can't be too bad.

[DSL_PWR]

State Select or American Standard water heater.

Call Katy Plumber.

[PedroMartinez]

I have no knowledge, but have heard numerous times, that the tankless heaters don't have a very long life.

I was considering them in my current house, but after a bit of reading in remodeling threads, I decided they were too expensive to replace every 7 or 8 years.

I did put one in my outdoor kitchen, and it's pretty awesome, but it only gets used a couple of times a week and only a gallon or two at a time. This winter, I may be using the outdoor shower fairly often, so I'll see how well that goes.

[WRM20]

We replaced our tank with a tankless, and are very happy. Unlimited hot water, gained a closet where the old heater used to be, less risk of flooding the house (old heater was in the kitchen, with no overflow line, it's a 60+ year old house).

[kickingprop]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

I have no knowledge, but have heard numerous times, that the tankless heaters don't have a very long life.

I wonder what percentage of those failures is due to lack of maintenance. The one person I mentioned above who is going on 15yrs flushes his with vinegar once a year to tackle scale buildup. They aren't a set-it-and-forget-it system just like an AC, Tanked Water Heater, and Furnace aren't.

From an engineering standpoint, there is no reason they shouldn't last a long time with the necessary maintenance

[ilikeme]

I am by Stafford and used Stork Plumbing to replace my water heater in the attic. They did a fantastic job. The brand they installed was a Rheem, and I requested the commercial grade with longer life rods.

[Svensk08]

Originally Posted by kickingprop

No comment on brands, but I'd look into a tankless heater if you plan to stay in the house a long time. They are pricier, but typically save on utilities over time to even out the high cost..

Tankless water heaters need an electrical connection for the pump. Unless there's been a recent redesign with some kind of backup, or you have a whole-house generator, you won't have hot water if the power goes off. Friends who installed a tankless a couple of years ago have mixed feelings about it -- theirs doesn't have a recirculating loop and in the winter, it takes a long time for hot water to reach the bathrooms.