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I'm looking to have a gas tankless water heater in place of the traditional tank gas one I have now. However, my condo doesn't have a chimney therefore my tank heater has a power vent unit with it which moves the exhaust out a PVC pipe to the side of the house.
Will I need that extra power vent piece with a tankless heater?
I'm not a plumber and I don't play one on TV, but yes, a tankless water heater needs to be vented. In addition, the vent you currently have on your tank water heater is probably not satisfactory. Good luck.
The water heater you have had for the last eight years has a vent designed for THAT water heater. A tankless water heater needs to have a vent that is designed for THE TANKLESS UNIT!
Depending on the type of vent you currently have, and the configuration, you might be able to switch out the units and utilize the existing vent, BUT YOU MAY NOT.
In the case of gas appliances, all vents are not equal. They are different materials (for a reason), and different sizes (for a reason), and do not mix and match.
A qualified professional should be able to tell you if a tankless unit can be switched out easily or not.
The water heater you have had for the last eight years has a vent designed for THAT water heater. A tankless water heater needs to have a vent that is designed for THE TANKLESS UNIT!
Depending on the type of vent you currently have, and the configuration, you might be able to switch out the units and utilize the existing vent, BUT YOU MAY NOT.
In the case of gas appliances, all vents are not equal. They are different materials (for a reason), and different sizes (for a reason), and do not mix and match.
A qualified professional should be able to tell you if a tankless unit can be switched out easily or not.
Thanks for clarifying. I should have said "the vent you currently have on your tank water heater is probably not satisfactory for use on a tankless"
Since I knew what I meant, I thought it would be plain to everyone.
It's an expensive conversion. Tankless requires stainless steel vent tube due to excessive temperature of exhaust. Plastic or aluminum will melt. Also, you need a larger gas line to feed the burners on a tankless, so would require running larger gas supply line.
Tankless is great for a new home, but to retrofit it's very expensive to do it correctly.Several times the cost of standard heater. Units are expensive and labor to install is expensive
From what I've been able to determine, the conversion from a standard water heater to a tankless is so expensive that the savings over time will not be enough to recoup the cost of the new install. Much like people who are finding that a hybrid car is not as cost-effective as originally thought.
However, if one is truly interested in the conservation end of it, your investment will contribute to the ecological well-being of the planet.
I am a proponent of tankless being original equipment in new construction. Or in vacation homes that are only used on an infrequent basis.
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