Purchasing a house with tankless water heater ok? (price, property tax, vent)
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We have a tankless (Navien, with a built-in recirc) in our current home and we put a Rinnai in our previous home (also with recirc loop, but these are homes in the 4k sq ft range so they need it or we wouldn't get hot water very quickly). Both are great, but I think I'm liking this Navien more, which was a surprise!
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Conventional gas-fired storage water heaters have energy factors between 0.50 to around 0.70, while electric models range from 0.75 to 0.95. ... gas tankless water heaters have energy factors in the range of 0.69 to 0.85, while electric tankless water heaters have energy factors in the range of 0.98 to 0.99. ... In the U.S., water heating accounts for approximately 20 percent or more of an average household’s annual energy expenditures. The yearly operating costs for conventional electric and gas-fired storage water heaters average approximately $450 and $200 respectively. This suggests that the operation costs for electric tankless water heaters would also be higher than gas tankless units. ... Given its high power requirements, electric tankless water heaters have received mixed reactions
from electric utilities... a recurring theme that appeared is that consumers often have unrealistic expectations and do not understand the limitations of the tankless water heating system. This is especially true in the case of residential customers. While the potential energy savings may seem attractive, many consumers are disappointed after installing a tankless unit and finding that the limited hot water flow rate is not enough for meeting all of their hot water needs.
I have friends that are professional plumbers and they now flat out recommend against any consumer purchasing a tankless water heater. Too much dissatisfaction. Folks with teenagers especially find out kids take showers FOR EVER and the utility bill INCREASES -- there is no longer the "natural limiting factor" of eventually getting cold water to cut the shower to an end...
I currently have/take care of a few Electric, Natural Gas and Propane Tankless water heaters and lots of natural gas water heaters from 20 to 80 gallons and a few electric ones.
By far I prefer gas tank type heaters and until recently they were dirt cheap... I have some I bought for $88 years ago for rentals and they are still going strong 30 years later.
Each has it's advantages... any tankless heater is more complicated from the get go and I have had more service calls with these than all the tank type put together.
An advantage of tankless is never ending hot water... this could be good or bad... especially if you are in the middle of drought.
My electric whole house tankless heaters need to be descaled every year or so... mostly do to the hard water but also because the coils get so hot.
Economy of use depends on what gas, propane and electricity cost...
In my own home I have natural gas Bradford White Tank heaters and very pleased...
The homes with the electric tankless are in an area with no natural gas and very expensive propane...
Heating only the water you use sounds great and maybe if you have a small household with no one home during the day.
My friend put in a tankless to save money... he spends more because his daughters now take even longer showers and more baths... no need to worry about running out of hot water.
Had one now for 7 years with no problem. My gas bill is almost zero in the summer and I have all the HW I'll ever use.
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