I think we are going to need a new one. Trying to get an idea of what's good before somebody talks me into buying something that I don't need. We have a gas one now and are a household of 4. Are the tankless ones any good?

I read those tankless ones suck. I just replaced my RHEEM. It lasted about 10 years. I bought another one. I forgot the total cost: 6-800 bucks sounds about right.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

My plumber has a tankless in his house, and I trust his plumbing opinion 100%.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advic ... oice.shtml


Conventional tank heaters
A conventional gas water heater costs about $380, uses $179 in fuel a year and should last about 13 years. That's a total (life-cycle cost) of $2,707. A standard electric water heater costs more than twice as much to run and has a life-cycle cost of $5,680. Ouch!

Yes, you can turn down a conventional heater when you're not around. You can even shut it off completely as long as you know temperatures won't dip below freezing. But it takes time and energy to heat all that water back up next time you need it. It's not exactly a convenient solution.

Tankless savings
Tankless heaters use less energy because they're not trying to keep a tank of water hot all the time. A high efficiency gas heater without a pilot light costs only $90 a year to operate, and it should last 20 years. That adds up to a life-cycle cost of $2,370 - more than $300 cheaper than a standard gas heater.

Electric tankless heaters, by the way, aren't nearly as attractive. Their life-cycle cost over 20 years is an estimated $5,982 - about the same as a conventional electric water heater.

Pros and cons
There are two other things to like about gas tankless heaters. As you point out, they don't take up much room. And if you locate the heater close to the shower or sink you won't be waiting forever for hot water to arrive.

On the down side, on-demand heaters are a lot more expensive initially than conventional heaters. In addition, you'll have to run a gas line into the house if you don't already have a gas appliance.

Bottom line? Of the two options you mention, go with a gas tankless model. Its advantages far outweigh its few problems. Just make sure to read the fine print. Make sure your heater will get water hot enough and deliver enough of it to suit your needs.

All of this assumes you plan on holding on to your house for a while. If you're headed for a quick sale, choose a conventional heater

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

If Spaulding is looking to replace a conventional water heater, there is already a gas line. For how many people would this really be a problem? I know of only one person with a house containing only electric appliances.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

How long do you plan on staying?

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DO NOT BUY A WHILRPOOL WATER HEATER. Lowes sells them cheap, but they have a long history of design problems, recalls, & class action lawsuits. I bought one as my secondary unit a few years ago & it lasted 1 year. Buy an A.O Smith or a Richmond.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Water heaters are just like most home appliances. Many brands are exactly the same, but for a different label, as they all fall under the same corporate umbrella.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

I know, but do a search on Whirlpool Water Heater problems & you'll see what I mean. The American Water Heater Company makes the Whirlpool heaters.

Also, another excellent brand is Bradford-White.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

A.O. Smith and Bradford-White are good choices. Those are what I pick up from HVAC and plumbing supply houses.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

When we replaced ours, they said they didn't even offer them because they aren't worth it.

To put it another way, if tankless water heaters were clearly an upgrade over the traditional model then there wouldn't even be a question. It would just be that everyone would switch to that.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Then you need a new plumber.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

No, I do not.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

-So the countries largest plumbing supply company (Ferguson) drops carrying tankless water heaters because of the many problems and the continual need for service, but your guy says they are good? This after $500 bonuses given to sales person who sells them

-Seen 5 houses in the last 2 years go up that start at $2 mill, up to $5 mill and not one of them using a tankless system due to the many issues.

-Warranty on the system is void if you do not have an authorized Tankless water heater cleaning done each year.

-Community plumbing service desk manager, who sells them, would say not to get one.

I could go on and on of bad stories, people removing them (As I have been asked to remove 3 of them) and suppliers that dont carry them or promote them to customers.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Go for it...call Chus's plumber when you have no water pressure

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

We all know that you know everything.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

State select and bradford white are good manufacturers.
Tankless have been causing problems in areas without premium quality water. If your water is even slightly hard, its not a good choice because of how they're designed. They have very restrictive/narrow water tubes which are surrounded by fire. They're narrow so that they heat water quickly. Problem is that they are susceptable to buildup of sediment. In houses where you don't have great water, they become quickly restricted and don't work well or at all. Todays water heaters are pretty darn efficient.
My personal opinion on the tankless is this, the technology ist quite ready yet.
But I do know of a couple customers with them that liked them. More said they didn't last and didn't provide the reliability they hoped for.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

My guy is the best plumber that I have worked with in my almost twenty years in the trades. I trust his opinion completely, and I will continue to use him when I need a plumber at my house, or somebody else's.

Bigfan wants to have a pissing contest over something so trivial because he knows everything about everything. No thank you.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Well my post is just my opinion based on the experience I have working on standard heaters and the tankless heaters. No pissing intended. I just think the tankless have design flaws that restrict pressure in any but the best possible conditions. The ongoing maintenance, cleanings and filters plus initial setup costs in my opinion outweigh savings.

Q, filters help a bit but filters don't prevent all the sediment buildup that restricts water flow/pressure pressure. Regular heaters are mostly maintenance free. Maybe you pull and clean the burners and replace a thermocouple every couple three years. These tankless require annual flushes and maintenance. Now that I think of it like that, its not shocking that a plumber might recommend them. But again, these are just opinions. I would not buy a tankless myself.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

This Consumer Reports article is a bit dated but seems to confirm some of the concerns raised by BF & DS...
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/water-heaters/tankless-water-heaters/overview/tankless-water-heaters-ov.htm
Tankless water heaters:They're efficient but not necessarily economical

Heating water accounts for up to 30 percent of the average home's energy budget. Some makers of gas-fired tankless water heaters claim their products can cut your energy costs up to half over regular storage heaters. So is it time to switch?

Probably not. Gas tankless water heaters, which use high-powered burners to quickly heat water as it runs through a heat exchanger, were 22 percent more energy efficient on average than the gas-fired storage-tank models in our tests. That translates into a savings of around $70 to $80 per year, based on 2008 national energy costs. But because they cost much more than storage water heaters, it can take up to 22 years to break even—longer than the 20-year life of many models. Moreover, our online poll of 1,200 readers revealed wide variations in installation costs, energy savings, and satisfaction.

With the help of an outside lab, we pitted Takagi and Noritz gas-fired tankless water heaters against three storage water heaters. We didn't test electric tankless heaters because many can't deliver hot water fast enough to replace a conventional water heater if ground­water is cold. Even in areas with warm groundwater, most homeowners would need to upgrade their electrical service to power a whole-house tankless model.

Our tests simulated daily use of 76 to 78 gallons of hot water. That's the equivalent of taking three showers, washing one laun­dry load, running the dishwasher once (six cycles), and turning on the faucet nine times, for a total of 19 draws. While that's considered heavy use compared with the standard Department of Energy test, we think it more accurately represents an average family's habits. We also ran more than 45,000 gallons of very hard water through a tanked model and a Rinnai tankless model to simulate about 11 years of regular use.

Here's what else we found:

Water runs hot and cold
Manufacturers of tankless water heaters are fond of touting their products' ability to provide an endless amount of hot water. But inconsistent water temperatures were a common complaint among our poll respondents. When you turn on the faucet, tankless models feed in some cold water to gauge how big a temperature rise is needed. If there's cool water lingering in your pipes, you'll receive a momentary "cold-water sandwich" between the old and new hot water. And a tankless water heater's burner might not ignite when you try to get just a trickle of hot water for, say, shaving.

Nor do tankless water heaters deliver hot water instantaneously. It takes time to heat the water to the target temperature, and just like storage water heaters, any cold water in the pipes needs to be pushed out. And tankless models' electric controls mean you'll also lose hot water during a power outage.

Up-front costs are high
The tankless water heaters we tested cost $800 to $1,150, compared with $300 to $480 for the regular storage-tank types. Tankless models need electrical outlets for their fan and electronics, upgraded gas pipes, and a new ventilation system. That can bring average installation costs to $1,200, compared with $300 for storage-tank models.

Tankless units might need more care
During our long-term testing, an indicator on the tankless model warned of scale buildup. We paid $334 for special valves and a plumber to flush out the water heater with vinegar. Many industry pros recommend that tankless models be serviced once a year by a qualified technician. Calcium buildup can decrease efficiency, restrict water flow, and damage tankless models. Experts suggest installing a water softener if your water hardness is above 11 grains per gallon. Ignoring this advice can shorten your warranty.

Efficient storage models are pricey
We also tested the $1,400 Vertex, a high-efficiency storage water heater by A.O. Smith. The manufacturer claims its installation costs are similar to a regular storage model. But its high cost offsets much of the roughly $70 per year the Vertex will save you. Instead, we recommend buying a conventional storage water heater with a 9- or 12-year warranty. In previous tests, we found that those models generally had thicker insulation, bigger burners or larger heating elements, and better corrosion-fighting metal rods called anodes.

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“Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office.”- JD Vance
“My god, what an !diot.”- JD Vance tweet on Trump
“I’m a ‘Never Trump’ guy”- JD Vance

Let your husband worry about the water heater. Shouldn't you be planning your meals and laundry schedule for the coming week?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Thanks guys.

Wouldn't one of the advantages of going tankless be no chance of someone leaving you an Upper Decker?

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

That would be the ONLY reason. Big Fan is right...tankless water heaters are garbage.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I, for one, am shocked that Chus would choose to side with his guy, a skilled tradesman who has been trained in the biz, over an internet know it all.

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I see a lot of guys mentioning brand names. Just curious,what are your opinions on RHEEM?

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

I hope Darko's feelings aren't hurt.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Offering advice at this place is a tankless task

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

They're good, and they're offering a $200 rebate on their energy efficient 40/50 gallon heaters...

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

We just replaced one in my mother's house. She bought a Richmond with a tank on sale at Menard's for around $300. My uncle is a plumber and he told her to get one with a tank.

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Back off, Warchild. Seriously.