Hot water, tankless vs. hybrid heatpump tank

[newstudent299]

Rheem, Eco Smart ,Eemax, Aqua Power, and Stiebel Eltron Tempra are the Brands I am looking at, Electric is my power source. Finding service for them seems to be a bump in the road so prior to purchase that is a place of concern. Lets be honest Florida water reeks havoc on everything, I am on town water but even that is still not great. I also plan on getting a Eddy Water Descaler Electronic Water Softener to help. The up charge for a hybrid tank is around $1600, for on demand is around $1000. How long will the tank last whether hybrid or not around 6-8 years is what they tell me, how long will tankless last around the same? Which one will use less energy tankless, will one serve better hot water than the other, all take time to get to spout, and should give enough hot water once there. I'm in sunny FL so hot water is easier to come by than cold 8-) Information is power, and I am trying to get as much information from those who already use these systems prior to taking the plunge - pun intended 8-)

[Seafood Junky]

Punta Gorda is supposed to be building a new, reverse osmosis water treatment plant. Hard to find much about it past 2014...

That should help our H2O situation at some point...

[RexLan]

Originally Posted by newstudent299

Rheem, Eco Smart ,Eemax, Aqua Power, and Stiebel Eltron Tempra are the Brands I am looking at, Electric is my power source. Finding service for them seems to be a bump in the road so prior to purchase that is a place of concern. Lets be honest Florida water reeks havoc on everything, I am on town water but even that is still not great. I also plan on getting a Eddy Water Descaler Electronic Water Softener to help. The up charge for a hybrid tank is around $1600, for on demand is around $1000. How long will the tank last whether hybrid or not around 6-8 years is what they tell me, how long will tankless last around the same? Which one will use less energy tankless, will one serve better hot water than the other, all take time to get to spout, and should give enough hot water once there. I'm in sunny FL so hot water is easier to come by than cold 8-) Information is power, and I am trying to get as much information from those who already use these systems prior to taking the plunge - pun intended 8-)

That math is really quite simple from your own examples. Average home ownership is about 7 years ... some a lot more and some less. However, you will NEVER recover your investment with a tankless heater or with a hybrid due to failure and replacement. Today's std. elect WH's are about 95% efficient, well built and energy star rated. They are also less than 1/2 the cost, simple to service on a DIY basis and last longer than others.

I have tankless at my Alaska place only because I have no electricity other than generator and it is fantastic.

IMHO the Eddy Current scaler is another waste of money unless you have a VERY HIGH mineral content in your water. You will likely see no or little benefit if you are own community water service. I am in Rotonda and have no issues with scale or build up other than the normal ring in a boiling pot of water from the limestone. I use a RO under-counter in the kitchen and problem is 100% resolved.

I also would never again have a water softener ... just not a good thing, IMO.


This is the scoop on the Eddy Current unit:
"It does not remove anything from your water. If you will have your water tested for hardness before and after, if there is any difference, it is not because of the Eddy Electronic Water Descaler. This product does not make your water feel any different or soap lather better but the softener will.

What it does do is prevent the minerals in your water from adhering to the inside of your plumbing, things like shower heads, faucet aerators, clothes washer, dishwasher, inside of your water heater, etc. The minerals are supposed to simply pass through the system and down the drain." Most of them do but no all and you will still get scaling over a longer period of time.

[Ryukotsusei]

Energy factor is key. Here are some resources:
Why Aren't Electric Storage Tank And Electric Tankless Water Heaters Able To Earn The ENERGY STAR?
Estimating Costs and Efficiency of Storage, Demand, and Heat Pump Water Heaters

Originally Posted by newstudent299

The up charge for a hybrid tank is around $1600, for on demand is around $1000. How long will the tank last whether hybrid or not around 6-8 years is what they tell me, [...]

Regular maintenance can double that easily. My standard electric went 12 years without any maintenance. I've seen consumers complain that older hybrid heat pump water heaters had reliability issues. Not so much with the newer ones.

[MyITGuy]

We have a tank less hot water heater (Gas) and love it (Electric bill is around $125/mo and gas at $25/month)! We initially noticed that the water did not get hot enough as I would like as the unit is installed with the temperature capped at 120 degrees, however the manual shows how this can be changed (A dip switch on the unit) and we now have ours set to 125 which is perfect (If I recall, it can go up to 145?)