[MJS3071]

Time for us to replace the water heater in our home and we want to go with a tankless system and that is the some total of my knowledge on subject. While I'm handy and can do most plumbing/ construction, I would prefer to allow the professionals install this one. I want to get the best system for our needs and home but don't to over buy. I am wondering if anyone has any tips or advice that I should be aware of before purchase. We have an 1800 sq. ft. home with 2.5 bath and natural gas water heater. Thanks in advance.

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[joecaption]

Might want to make some local calls and get some prices first, the total price may change your mind about one.
There not going to be a savings pay back.

 

[pro handyman]

I think tankless water heaters are awesome! Want to put them in my house. Don't have much experience with them myself but a plummer friend told me it's better to have the smaller electric models installed at each point where hot water was needed then to have one bigger one. He told me smaller electric models are more cost effective then the larger gas models.

 

[md2lgyk]

We have a gas tankless. I installed it myself when we were building the house. It really wasn't difficult, though I did have the gas company run the line for it while they were onsite anyway installing my backup gas furnace. There was no wiring involved; my unit plugs into a standard wall outlet to power the control circuitry.

The key to proper installation of a tankless heater is planning. It must be properly sized for the groundwater temperature and gpm demand. Location is important too because the stainless steel vent piping is seriously expensive (think $30 per foot or more). I mounted mine in the attic and vented it through the wall it's mounted on so the run is very short.

Tankless heaters are more expensive than tank units. I paid around $1200 for mine. There may not be a payback in my lifetime (I'm 65) but I don't really care. We love the endless supply of hot water.

 

[SuperJETT]

We love ours. We have a Rinnai 8.0gpm (55F rise) high efficiency. $900 for the unit, $80 for the venting kit, some gas pipe, etc., total was around $1200 for me to install it. A plumber is going to charge probably $1000+ to install one in the same situation because I had to run gas pipe, water lines, electric circuit, condensate line, and cut through a block/brick wall for the vent.

I wasn't worried about the payback but with 3 kids that will soon all be teenagers, I imagine it will pay for itself eventually. The bigger thing is *with 3 kids going that will soon all be teenagers*, we won't run out of hot water, plus I didn't have any way to vent a typical gas water heater vertically and didn't have the electrical capacity for an electric water heater.

They aren't for all situations, but work very well if installed properly.

 

[pro handyman]

We love ours. We have a Rinnai 8.0gpm (55F rise) high efficiency. $900 for the unit, $80 for the venting kit, some gas pipe, etc., total was around $1200 for me to install it. A plumber is going to charge probably $1000+ to install one in the same situation because I had to run gas pipe, water lines, electric circuit, condensate line, and cut through a block/brick wall for the vent.

I wasn't worried about the payback but with 3 kids that will soon all be teenagers, I imagine it will pay for itself eventually. The bigger thing is *with 3 kids going that will soon all be teenagers*, we won't run out of hot water, plus I didn't have any way to vent a typical gas water heater vertically and didn't have the electrical capacity for an electric water heater.

They aren't for all situations, but work very well if installed properly.

So you don't have any problems with keeping up on demand? Luke I said before I don't know much about them.

 

[redman88]

when i worked at a prison the Tankless water heaters were crap. but it was mainly due to hard water, and over use.

 

[SuperJETT]

So you don't have any problems with keeping up on demand? Luke I said before I don't know much about them.

Not at all. I just checked, 49F incoming cold and 118F at the tap with a meat thermometer, so that's a 69F rise. We can take a shower and run the dishwasher at the same time, etc etc and never have to think about running out of hot water. If the upstairs bathroom was done, I'm sure we could run both showers at the same time no problem.

We have the RC80iN, the comparable model now is the RU80i http://www.rinnai.us/water-heater/product/ru80i-reu-kb2530ffud-us (probably exactly the same, just renamed)

 

[jagans]

OK Jet, so now you have to install a ball valve in your bedroom so you can kill the hot, and listen to them teenagers scream!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAH! :thumbup::thumbup:

 

[SuperJETT]

OK Jet, so now you have to install a ball valve in your bedroom so you can kill the hot, and listen to them teenagers scream!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAH! :thumbup::thumbup:

Hah, already tested it. Our oldest is 11 and sometimes takes a little longer than I think she should. I'm an ex-submariner, so I was used to 2 minute showers where you got wet, turned it off, soaped up, rinsed off and were done. Anyway, I was downstairs air-sealing rim joists and decided to turn the hot off. I did, but the problem is our cold is so cold and the hot is only 118F apparently, that I shut off pretty much the entire shower since the bulk was 'hot' water.

I need a diverter to shut off the hot and replace it with cold at the same time...hrm

 

[md2lgyk]

Ah yes, submarine showers. Remember them well.