Water heater - Tank vs Tankless?

I converted in the sense that I moved to a house with tankless for the first time a few years ago. For me, there are pros and cons, but the pros outweigh the cons. The one complaint from my house hold has to do with the time it takes for hot water to reach certain parts of the house and the fact that if we want to wash in hot water, we have to start a faucet near the wash room to make sure the washer is actually getting hot water.

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I converted in the sense that I moved to a house with tankless for the first time a few years ago. For me, there are pros and cons, but the pros outweigh the cons. The one complaint from my house hold has to do with the time it takes for hot water to reach certain parts of the house and the fact that if we want to wash in hot water, we have to start a faucet near the wash room to make sure the washer is actually getting hot water.

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Maybe it takes longer, but we have that issue with a tank, too.

everything i have read says that tankless is great for gas, but the utility will need to upgrade their generation plant and all the wires from the plant to your tankless electric water heater in order to have enough power to run it.

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everything i have read says that tankless is great for gas, but the utility will need to upgrade their generation plant and all the wires from the plant to your tankless electric water heater in order to have enough power to run it.

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You might be in the wrong thread.

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Water heater

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*Hot water heater

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I can not stop calling it this. I catch myself, but no many how many times the first words that my brain comes up with is "hot water heater".

To the OP...
I've messed with this some. Here's my opinion/lessons learned

- I will not even consider electric tankless; NG or LP only
- You can't go by the GPM ONLY; you must take into account DeltaT. If the DeltaT isn't met, you'll get your gpm, but it will not be at the temp.
- most literature at, for example- a big box store, doesn't account for the DeltaT
- fudge that DeltaT to (the extreme possible high side) so that if your source varies (cooler than normal) you still meet the ultimate goal: how water.

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Unfortunately, you just don't understand jokes.

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Accurate.


Also, thanks admin for moving this to the correct board.

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I've messed with this some. Here's my opinion/lessons learned

- I will not even consider electric tankless; NG or LP only
- You can't go by the GPM ONLY; you must take into account DeltaT. If the DeltaT isn't met, you'll get your gpm, but it will not be at the temp.
- most literature at, for example- a big box store, doesn't account for the DeltaT
- fudge that DeltaT to (the extreme possible high side) so that if your source varies (cooler than normal) you still meet the ultimate goal: how water.

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Thanks. Yes, I did see some literature on the nominal starting temp and the change expected per that temp. There are "rule of thumb" guides listed per region, but nothing specific that I could find.

Look at some old threads on this topic.. lots of info..
My experience .. had two bids on tankless.. second plumber asked why I was going tankless.. not getting hot water.. I said no .. but I am retired and travel a lot and do not water water in attic..

His comments: tankless developed in Europe ( he was European .. now us citizen) )where they put smaller ones throughout old houses to get plumbing installed.. excellent for places where you put a small one in kitchen. Another at bathrooms etc. ( plumbing old houses)..

In Us people use the as a single larger one but unlimited hot water.. so if lots of kids etc.. I never had issues with running out of water.. family of five..
Unless you set up a recirculating thing you water with be cold at first regardless ..

He then said …. be sure I understand I need electricity to keep the computer running.. no electricity.. no hot water .. ( I have gas and tankless was gonna be gas).. but electrical computer panel.. in Texas we lose our power grid a lot.. for days.. during severe freezes.. no electricity .. no hot water .. also the safety freeze mechanism will not work and unless drain the electrical prime pump.. your electronic panel will have a little water that can freeze.. he replaced a lot of those last Texas power outage..

You need to drain and flush / treat the tankless once a year … if not ( and the plumber can tell).. your warranty goes invalid..

He was happy to put in whatever I wanted and tankless was way more. I said what do you have at your house..
I put in a regular water heater with tank.

If you currently have tank electric, stick with that. Electric tankless are complete garbage and you have to upgrade your panel because it takes 120 amps to run one.

If you switch to gas tankless you will never recoup that initial cost on savings.