Water Heater Kaput!

[Bozz10mm]

How hard is it to convert to tankless? Any special wiring other than what's there for an electric WH. I guess I mean how expensive is it.

 

[Darkpriest667]

How hard is it to convert to tankless? Any special wiring other than what's there for an electric WH. I guess I mean how expensive is it.

You can get a tankless that will more than meet the needs of a 5 person household for like 550 bucks. As far as installation, yes there is some tubing involved, most of the members here could set it up themselves. Idiots like me have to hire someone. I plan on replacing the 8 year old water heater in the house I just bought with a tankless this year.



This will run 2 showers and a faucet simultaneously.

OR a shower and your washing machine.

Rheem Performance 36 kw Self-Modulating 7.03 GPM Tankless Electric Water Heater RETEX-36 - The Home Depot

Get hot water for your space with this Performance Self-Modulating Tankless Electric Water Heater. This energy-efficient tankless water heater delivers an endless hot water supply and consistent temperature

www.homedepot.com

 

[oldag]

I'm dreading the day, and it's probably gonna be soon, that I have to replace my electric water heater. It's going on 18 years old, access is outside the house, and a 17 year old crepe myrtle is growing 2 feet in front of the access panel. Very poor planning on my part.

 

[Vaquero]

You can get a tankless that will more than meet the needs of a 5 person household for like 550 bucks. As far as installation, yes there is some tubing involved, most of the members here could set it up themselves. Idiots like me have to hire someone. I plan on replacing the 8 year old water heater in the house I just bought with a tankless this year.



This will run 2 showers and a faucet simultaneously.

OR a shower and your washing machine.

Rheem Performance 36 kw Self-Modulating 7.03 GPM Tankless Electric Water Heater RETEX-36 - The Home Depot

Get hot water for your space with this Performance Self-Modulating Tankless Electric Water Heater. This energy-efficient tankless water heater delivers an endless hot water supply and consistent temperature

www.homedepot.com

36 kW!
Holy crap!

 

[toddnjoyce]

Yep, we have a softener. I think it helps but the water still seems hard. Wondering if there is anything else to use short of a still.

Your softener should* be able to keep up with the SAWS mineral supply. Ours does after a short discussion on how to program it with the plumber across the street.

Not all softener controllers allow the adjustability ours does, but most do.

 

[SA_Steve]

Especially if you live on the N side of SA. The new pipeline has much softer water and delivers water to the network a couple miles NE of 1604/281.

 

[bbbass]

Thankfully, it is on the ground level of the washroom and there is a drain right in front off it!
Like I said, it LOOKS new, but the manufacture date shows "2010", so I guess that's about right,.

Sorry, didn't read the entire thread.

They don't make em like they used to.... when I first started my Home Inspection biz, the avg life of a water heater was 12yrs. But there were many many of the much older ones still working at 20+yrs or even longer. Oh, you'd replace a thermostat or a heating element, but the liners were made from thick materials.

Nowadays you buy a wonder heater and are lucky if you get 4yrs out of it... the outer jacket/covering will last longer than the liner and downpipe. It's planned obsolescence

 

[Darkpriest667]

36 kW!
Holy crap!

I always go high end. It never uses that much power unless it's on. It's not like your water heater which is constantly having to turn on to keep the water warm. It actually saves you electricity. You can get lower end ones that use less.

Check how much energy your water heater uses if you have an electric. Tankless is a no brainer when you do the math.

 

[avvidclif]

You can get a tankless that will more than meet the needs of a 5 person household for like 550 bucks. As far as installation, yes there is some tubing involved, most of the members here could set it up themselves. Idiots like me have to hire someone. I plan on replacing the 8 year old water heater in the house I just bought with a tankless this year.



This will run 2 showers and a faucet simultaneously.

OR a shower and your washing machine.

Rheem Performance 36 kw Self-Modulating 7.03 GPM Tankless Electric Water Heater RETEX-36 - The Home Depot

Get hot water for your space with this Performance Self-Modulating Tankless Electric Water Heater. This energy-efficient tankless water heater delivers an endless hot water supply and consistent temperature

www.homedepot.com

Let's see. The 24kw needs 3 40A breakers using 8ga wire. I would have to up my power to the house from the Coop (currently 200A), replace the breaker box and run wiring to support the 24kw model. By the time I paid an electrician to do all of that I could buy 4-5 water heaters. Don't compute to me, not at my age.

 

[lightflyer1]

I only have gas so it works out well for me! No electrical other than normal 120V. I will install one of these next. The nat gas fired ones are considerably more expensive ($1500 to $2k). Something like this:

Rinnai Super High Efficiency Plus 11 GPM Residential 199,000 BTU Interior Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater RUR199iN - The Home Depot

Welcome to ultimate efficiency. With technology that operates only when hot water is needed, super-efficient heating coils, no pilot light and no storage tank to heat and reheat water, you save on energy

www.homedepot.com

I think I could even install it but won't. Comes with isolation valves and TPR. Isolation valves allow flushing yearly easily.

 

[Axxe55]

I always go high end. It never uses that much power unless it's on. It's not like your water heater which is constantly having to turn on to keep the water warm. It actually saves you electricity. You can get lower end ones that use less.

Check how much energy your water heater uses if you have an electric. Tankless is a no brainer when you do the math.

If I were having a new house built, or major renovations or a huge remodel, tankless might make sense, because it could be easily added into the materials and labor costs, when plumbing and electrical were being done, or upgraded.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Just remember that the regs have changed on WH now and they are now fatter than before due to required extra insulation IIRC. What fit last time gallon wise may not fit this time. Check the actual dimensions not the capacity. Mine blew out Thanksgiving of 2019 and they were able to mediate the water damage and dry everything out and replace the WH, but no repairs done to the house. We are both on the COVID high risk list and don't let anyone in the house.

I like to put a wooden "stool" under them when I install one and usually cut off barrel for a catch basin under it. Only have to "need" it once to feel like a genius.

 

[Axxe55]

Mine is located in the garage. And when it failed the last time, and started leaking, it went right out the garage, since the floor has a little bit of slope to it.

 

[lightflyer1]

I like to put a wooden "stool" under them when I install one and usually cut off barrel for a catch basin under it. Only have to "need" it once to feel like a genius.

The plumber installed a pan under everything that is drained to the outside yard in the new install. I installed the last one 17 years ago. Pans weren't really known to me then. Good thing to have though as it flooded the whole first floor of my house when the tank let go and it just kept filling and spilling until I shut the main off in the morning. A basin would have done no good. That only really helps if the drain valve is leaking, which is common. I had such a time this time trying to get a 50 gallon stuffed back into the closet. Next time gas tankless.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Mine is in the laundry room, close to the garage door.
Catch basin under it with PVC pipe routed out the garage in event of a leak.

 

[lightflyer1]

Mine is located in the garage. And when it failed the last time, and started leaking, it went right out the garage, since the floor has a little bit of slope to it.

Mine also in the garage along a common wall to my living room. Flooded garage and first floor. It had all night. Tank must have split and water run all night.

 

[Axxe55]

Mine also in the garage along a common wall to my living room. Flooded garage and first floor. It had all night. Tank must have split and water run all night.

Mine is located on an outside wall, and luckily it was just leaking from the element fitting, so for about a week until I could replace it, I shut the water and the breaker off when it wasn't being used.

Luckily, I was able to back into the garage with the new one to unload it, and load the old one to haul it off. It was still a PITA to replace.

 

[lightflyer1]

I noticed something when quickly looking over the specs of the electric vs gas tankless heaters. Huge price difference for one. The on gas one I checked had a 15 year warranty vs the 1/5 year for the electric. Is that common?

 

[FireInTheWire]

Tankless gas. Only way to fly.

 

[lightflyer1]

Three back surgeries over the last 25 years from an accident. I pay people to do the things I don't want to do now. I tell them they are here so my wife has someone else to complain about besides me. Takes some of the load off.