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Tankless Water Heater

8K views 56 replies 11 participants last post by  Alan 
#1 ·
When I built my house I decided to try a tankless water heater. I'm not having any problem with this other then when hot water is first requested. It is a gas unit and the burner lights as soon as water is flowing but it takes about 10 to 15 seconds for the water to get hot at the outlet of the water heater. For someone to get hot water requires running water until the outlet temperature rises and then for this to reach a faucet. Richmond's help desk said I should have hot water immediately but I know better than this and it will take some time for the heat exchanger and the cold water that is in the heater along with what will be passing through, to get up to temperature. I will be calling back to the desk again but I'd like to hear what others have experienced along this line.
There is a second problem too. If hot water is being used and the faucet is turned off, the burner will shut down, but if the faucet is turned back on, there will be hot water from what is in the pipes but cold water will be drawn to heater and it will take the 10 seconds or so to get hot so after the pipes are purged you get a blast of cold water.
I'm thinking about some type of recirculating pump that could be on a timer that would move water through the heater before water is drawn.
Any comments on tankless water heaters and a recirculation pump?
 
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#47 ·
It's funny, most people who spend a great deal of money on anything will never admit how poorly it performs. Typical electric tankless can save, in an ideal residential situation about $2.00 a month. Now in order to save that you have to adjust your habits. In commercial installations I think they are great, mostly because they truly do offer continuous heated water. But those installations are commonly public bathrooms or other single use applications where there aren't conflicting uses...such as opening two faucets at once. The life expectancy is long for tankless, some say 20 years. That just may be enough to calculate the savings to justify it's purchase....of course by then you need another one. :laughing: And since most residential meters calculate demand by the highest peak, one blast from the tankless will create that, some require 120+ amps to operate.
 
#51 ·
I have never mentioned anything about the cost of operation. I also know, even with a tanked water heater, that there is a delay for getting hot water to the faucet - it's what is in the pipes. My only question was for convenience and not running any extra water into the septic system because the heater needing some time to get the coils hot (10 to 15 seconds).
 
#52 ·
I have never mentioned anything about the cost of operation. I also know, even with a tanked water heater, that there is a delay for getting hot water to the faucet - it's what is in the pipes. My only question was for convenience and not running any extra water into the septic system because the heater needing some time to get the coils hot (10 to 15 seconds).
My comments were a generalization, not necessarily directed at you...I apologize if it came off that way.
 
#54 ·
wow I=V/R
man alan you just can not give up with the storage tank thing. so i will tell you that you are right and the to links i have given are wrong. so my question is prove it to them, that they have to have a storage unit if using recirculating pump and then hire a lawyer and sue them for false advertising and let me know first if you get a lawyer and second let me know how much money you were awarded since no one else understands but you.:jester:
http://www.gothotwater.com/
http://video.pbs.org/video/2195214406/
 
#56 ·
lol no i posted the ohm equation because i know you would understand the joke.since there is a lot of resistance about a recirculating pump on a tankless
 
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