Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We had the builder install a Rinnai unit and, short of a small $30 control board repair a few years ago, it has been rock solid. Very efficient, and no waste. Our gas bills are extremely low - around $20 or so in the summer months with the fireplace pilot still lit (won't be doing that again, though). The only downside is the wait for hot water to hit the tap. At the furthest spot in my house from the heater, this means 45-60 seconds at most.
The only downside is the wait for hot water to hit the tap. At the furthest spot in my house from the heater, this means 45-60 seconds at most.
I was going to say the same thing. I don't have one, but my inlaws do and waiting for hot water is the biggest down side. I am usually using the hot water in their bathroom on the opposite side of the house from their heater and it takes a long time to get water that is warm.
The hybrid 5 gallon mini tank and recirc pump sounds like the best of both worlds.
I was going to say the same thing. I don't have one, but my inlaws do and waiting for hot water is the biggest down side. I am usually using the hot water in their bathroom on the opposite side of the house from their heater and it takes a long time to get water that is warm.
The hybrid 5 gallon mini tank and recirc pump sounds like the best of both worlds.
I have thought about possibly trying one out, but then you've got a pump and small tank continuously running and I'm not certain if that would kill off my energy savings from the tankless heater itself.
From the Rinnai website..so don't shoot the messenger...
If this is not possible you have 3 choices to eliminate the wait time or waste of waiting for hot water:
1. You could use a re-circulating line that keeps hot water following through a loop in your water system and then through your Rinnai. This is a poor choice for two reasons. First it wastes a lot of energy (probably at least $100 / year). Second, it will shorten the life of your Rinnai and reduce your warranty.
2. You could add a small electric hot water tank (only a few gallons) to the hot water side of your Rinnai and run a re-circulating loop through it. The Rinnai will still heat all the water and you will not shorten the life of your Rinnai or impact its warranty but you will still waste energy. You could lessen the energy waste by running the pump on a timer.
3. You could add a cold water line re-circulating system to your common points of use. This is a system that will circulate water from your Rinnai to a point of use by utilizing your cold water line as a return. This does not shorten the wait period for hot water but it does eliminate water waste and will not increase your energy cost like standard re-circulating systems.
From the Rinnai website..so don't shoot the messenger...
If this is not possible you have 3 choices to eliminate the wait time or waste of waiting for hot water:
1. You could use a re-circulating line that keeps hot water following through a loop in your water system and then through your Rinnai. This is a poor choice for two reasons. First it wastes a lot of energy (probably at least $100 / year). Second, it will shorten the life of your Rinnai and reduce your warranty.
2. You could add a small electric hot water tank (only a few gallons) to the hot water side of your Rinnai and run a re-circulating loop through it. The Rinnai will still heat all the water and you will not shorten the life of your Rinnai or impact its warranty but you will still waste energy. You could lessen the energy waste by running the pump on a timer.
3. You could add a cold water line re-circulating system to your common points of use. This is a system that will circulate water from your Rinnai to a point of use by utilizing your cold water line as a return. This does not shorten the wait period for hot water but it does eliminate water waste and will not increase your energy cost like standard re-circulating systems.
I like that third one to eliminate waste, but until the city gets their act together and manages our supply a LOT better, they can not expect me to pay out of pocket to save a few wasted gallons here and there...
The second one seems intriguing as well, but having lived with this setup for over 8 years now, I suppose we are used to it and it isn't worth the money and time to re-do everything.
our gas water heater burst today. luckily it is outside in a shed so it didnt mess up anything. I am debating doing tankless, but not sure i want to pay 50% more than a regular one. flooding isnt a concern so i guess i would do it for energy savings. Anymore recs on plumbers to install or where to purchase rinnai locally? thanks
You specifically asked for Rinnai but we installed a Noritz tankless a few years ago. For others reading this in future searches--our gas usage dropped 35% the next year. Now after this mild 2011-12 winter, our total gas usage for the past 12 months is going to be about 50% less than 2 years ago when we still had old tank heater (and colder weather!). Frees up a lot of beer money!
DM if you want details on the installer. They did an adequate job. Nothing special, but no problems either.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
