VERY OT Water heaters without a tank

I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost 160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18 hrs.
per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost 160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18 hrs.
per day.

If the insulation is good enough it shouldn't make much difference.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

They're called "combi boilers" in the UK. The main thing you have to
worry about is getting it fitted competently. If nobody in your area
even knows what they are, forget it.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Hi Leslie

I have heard of these before, but have no experience myself. Rinnai is the
brand that I have heard advertised. Here is a link that I found. Hope this
helps.

http://www.rinnai.us/Products/water_.../overview.aspx

Steve
Alaska


"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
...
I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost 160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18 hrs.
per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Hi Leslie

Me again. Also visit www.rheem.com. They have tankless units as well.

It looks to me like the reviews are very good and the life expectancy could
be 2 1/2 times as long so you would be saving both in unit cost and in
usage.

We just replaced ours about 4 years ago so may have to start thinking about
this fairly soon ourselves.

Steve
Alaska


"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
...
I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost 160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18 hrs.
per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I have a friend who lives along and she has one of these. I'll ring her
as soon as I can and ask her what she thinks of hers. Knowing her she
won't know anything about the economics of the thing! but she'll know
whether she likes it or not. I'll let you know what she says.
..
In message , Leslie & The Furbabies
in MO. writes
I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost 160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18 hrs.
per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

On Aug 11, 8:22 am, Patti wrote:
I have a friend who lives along and she has one of these. I'll ring her
as soon as I can and ask her what she thinks of hers. Knowing her she
won't know anything about the economics of the thing! but she'll know
whether she likes it or not. I'll let you know what she says.
.
In message , Leslie & The Furbabies
in MO. writes



I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost 160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18 hrs.
per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

We have one, and the main problem is that it takes some time to "fire
up" and reach my kitchen sink. We pay for our water by the gallon,
and it can take a sinkful of water(no kidding) to get it to run hot.
Ergo, wasted water, more cost. Also if you were ever planning to use
any kind of solar heating that can prove very difficult and costly to
include in your tankless system. For central heating it can't be
beaten, but for showers, we have a point-of use electric heater with
integral pump, and that is very efficient. I threaten to have a point-
of-use heater for my kitchen; as it is, if a small quantity of hot
water is needed, I boil the kettle and use that in a small bowl. We
only wash dishes in the dishwasher.
It all helps if you have the heater very near to where it will be used
with only a short pipe run to the faucets/taps.

Hope that helps

Joan

This isn't about the tankless water heater, but mom had a timer on her hot
water heater to heat from 5 PM - 8 PM. She had hot
water to wash dishes in the sink, and to take a shower. Even in the winter
the water would be warm the next day. If I needed hotter water to wash
dishes, I would heat it in the kettle. When the hot water tank had to be
replaced, she got a smaller one that was 30 gal or less-----don't remember
exactly.
Barbara in SC where winter nights will get down to 32 and below during Dec -
Feb
"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
...
I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times
per week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost
160 hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a
water heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day
for hand washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank
would prolly cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down
for 15-18 hrs. per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as
expensive as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the
performance of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I
know they are quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in
features and what should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I
assume what is available here may be very different from what others may
have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

We have a travel trailer that we take to the mountains and it has one of
those hot water heaters. The hot water supply has always seemed to be
immediate and unlimited. I've never quite understood how it works but, of
course, I don't understand how the radio works.
While you're thinking (gasp), why don't you consider a timer on the
regular hot water heater and investigate one of those snazzy kitchen faucet
things that does always ready nearly-boiling hot water? V-e-r-y
interesting, Leslie. Let us know how it goes. Polly

"Bobbie Sews More" wrote in message
...
This isn't about the tankless water heater, but mom had a timer on her hot
water heater to heat from 5 PM - 8 PM. She had hot
water to wash dishes in the sink, and to take a shower. Even in the
winter the water would be warm the next day. If I needed hotter water to
wash dishes, I would heat it in the kettle. When the hot water tank had
to be replaced, she got a smaller one that was 30 gal or less-----don't
remember exactly.
Barbara in SC where winter nights will get down to 32 and below during
Dec - Feb
"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
...
I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times
per week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost
160 hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a
water heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day
for hand washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank
would prolly cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down
for 15-18 hrs. per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as
expensive as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the
performance of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I
know they are quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in
features and what should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I
assume what is available here may be very different from what others may
have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

DH has looked into tankless hot water heaters. One thing is
size. For multi uses in a house you need a good size unit.
That might not be a problem for you alone but if you had a lot
of company and you are doing showers, dishwashing and laundry
there may be too much pull on a smaller unit and you may run
short. Here in SO. Cal. water heaters are a source of clean
water in case of an emergency but that shouldn't be a consideration
for you there.
A couple of years ago the gas guy was fixing a problem with the
neighbor's water heater and he said when he replaces his hot
water heater he is going tankless. More efficient and less
fuss. Bosch sells them but quite honestly with the help I have
had on their washer/dryer I would be hesitant to buy anything
from them again. They have been a huge disappointment.
They are not the DIY install like a standard WH. Not sure how
that might effect initial cost.
DD is living with us now and she has a tendency to run the HW heater
out. (she pays her share of utilities) but we figured we'd have
to turn a tankless one off on her or she might float away!
Taria


Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. wrote:
I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower 7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost 160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18 hrs.
per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Thanks Joan. If I design the house with all the bathrooms, kitchen and
laundry very close together would that eliminate much of the 'it can take a
sinkful of water(no kidding) to get it to run hot' problem???

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"joanb" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 11, 8:22 am, Patti wrote:
I have a friend who lives along and she has one of these. I'll ring her
as soon as I can and ask her what she thinks of hers. Knowing her she
won't know anything about the economics of the thing! but she'll know
whether she likes it or not. I'll let you know what she says.
.
In message , Leslie & The Furbabies
in MO. writes



I've been doing some pondering- I know very dangerous! BG

Living alone now, I realized I am paying to keep a tankful of hot water
heated for many, many hours without none to minimal usage. If I shower
7
times a week, wash 3-4 loads of laundry and run the dishwasher 3-4 times
per
week then I have a demand for hot water about 9 hours per week. I am
heating water 24/7 which is 168 hrs. per week- so I am paying for almost
160
hrs. of hot water that I do not need or use. I don't see putting a
water
heater with a tank on a timer since I need hot water during the day for
hand
washing and small jobs and the cost to reheat the entire tank would
prolly
cost more than the savings if I had a timer and shut it down for 15-18
hrs.
per day.

The cost of an on-demand/tankless water heater is 3 to 5 times as
expensive
as a water heater with a tank. What I am curious about is the
performance
of the tankless water heater. What are the pros and cons? I know they
are
quite popular outside the USA- what should I look for in features and
what
should I avoid? Does anybody in the USA have one? I assume what is
available here may be very different from what others may have???

Any thoughts?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

We have one, and the main problem is that it takes some time to "fire
up" and reach my kitchen sink. We pay for our water by the gallon,
and it can take a sinkful of water(no kidding) to get it to run hot.
Ergo, wasted water, more cost. Also if you were ever planning to use
any kind of solar heating that can prove very difficult and costly to
include in your tankless system. For central heating it can't be
beaten, but for showers, we have a point-of use electric heater with
integral pump, and that is very efficient. I threaten to have a point-
of-use heater for my kitchen; as it is, if a small quantity of hot
water is needed, I boil the kettle and use that in a small bowl. We
only wash dishes in the dishwasher.
It all helps if you have the heater very near to where it will be used
with only a short pipe run to the faucets/taps.

Hope that helps

Joan