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OT: Tank vs Tankless Water Heater

NikkiSixx

NikkiSixx

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Bought a place that has a water heater that is 23 years old and still functioning..

Do I replace with another tank, or just go tankless.. I think it would be fairly easy to install the tankless if it stays at regular 120 volts electric levels. If I need to run a 240 line, it could be done, just runs up the costs. Maybe the tankless works best on the higher electric only?

Thoughts or experience with doing something like this?
 
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Baxter48

Baxter48

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NikkiSixx said:
Bought a place that has a water heater that is 23 years old and still functioning..

Do I replace with another tank, or just go tankless.. I think it would be fairly easy to install the tankless if it stays at regular 120 volts electric levels. If I need to run a 240 line, it could be done, just runs up the costs. Maybe the tankless works best on the higher electric only?

Thoughts or experience with doing something like this?
Click to expand...
What I was told tankless doesn’t really save you money because it takes more btu for instant hot water compared to a tank heater. Imo can you go gas or propane? We switched from electric to gas, you can go with a smaller tank and It’s money saving lot less monthly bill. We went with a power vent it’s a little more expensive but worth the investment
 
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M

Man Woman & Child

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NikkiSixx said:
Bought a place that has a water heater that is 23 years old and still functioning..

Do I replace with another tank, or just go tankless.. I think it would be fairly easy to install the tankless if it stays at regular 120 volts electric levels. If I need to run a 240 line, it could be done, just runs up the costs. Maybe the tankless works best on the higher electric only?

Thoughts or experience with doing something like this?
Click to expand...

I looked into this and was told by 3 "experts" (a licensed plumber, a long time home inspector and a long time realtor) that you can't do tankless with electric. They're for gas only. Well, technically you can do it, but the electric bills will break you. The only tankless products that make any sense with electric is like an under sink instant hot water faucet type thing. If you can run gas to it, go tankless all day. But if you're stuck with electric, you're screwed. Edit to add - quick google search seems to dispute this, so maybe there are products out there that are efficient enough?
 
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NikkiSixx

NikkiSixx

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sounds like I'll just choose the tank replacement option..

this place could indeed become a rental/seasonal home

Sadly, no gas option here, all electric. Appreciate the insights!
 
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SeaOfRed75

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Early on when tankless we're becoming a thing, had a friend look into getting one and iirc couldn't get one without replacing the vent pipe all the way as it needed double walled due to hotter vent temps? Older home and a long time ago so I could be off.
 
H

H2M

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Man Woman & Child said:
I looked into this and was told by 3 "experts" (a licensed plumber, a long time home inspector and a long time realtor) that you can't do tankless with electric. They're for gas only. Well, technically you can do it, but the electric bills will break you. The only tankless products that make any sense with electric is like an under sink instant hot water faucet type thing. If you can run gas to it, go tankless all day. But if you're stuck with electric, you're screwed. Edit to add - quick google search seems to dispute this, so maybe there are products out there that are efficient enough?
Click to expand...
Correct. Electric tankless is normally only practical for a remote sink, it just can't keep up with the demands and takes too long for hot water. I've installed a propane driven tankless for the main part of the house but also have a tank for the kitchen sink & dishwasher which is quite aways from the tankless source.
 
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Baxter48

Baxter48

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NikkiSixx said:
sounds like I'll just choose the tank replacement option..

this place could indeed become a rental/seasonal home

Sadly, no gas option here, all electric. Appreciate the insights!
Click to expand...
is propane available in your area? If so I’d sure look into getting a 500 gallon tank, heating the house is more economical with gas/propane let alone hot water heater and cooking stove. Our 100 year old farm house is heated by propane plus hot water and I think we use roughly 1000 gallons for the year, we hooked up a generac 18 kw to run the house when there is a power outage
 
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4.6.3

4.6.3

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Electric tankless takes a ton of amps to put out limited hot water.
 
4.6.3

4.6.3

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NikkiSixx said:
Bought a place that has a water heater that is 23 years old and still functioning..

Do I replace with another tank, or just go tankless.. I think it would be fairly easy to install the tankless if it stays at regular 120 volts electric levels. If I need to run a 240 line, it could be done, just runs up the costs. Maybe the tankless works best on the higher electric only?

Thoughts or experience with doing something like this?
Click to expand...
You won’t just be running 240. If you want it whole house you’ll probably be upgrading your service and panel., or installing a sub panel because of load demand on them
 
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HuskerInCarolina

HuskerInCarolina

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WHCSC said:
I have tankless 120v and am constantly waiting for hot water 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
Same! I don’t like the tankless. The side of the house where the water heater is gets warm water in 30 seconds. The other side of the house, 2 minutes if I’m lucky. Although, for some reason the shower on the other side of the house gets hot quick. But the 2 sinks in the bathroom, 2 minutes or more. It’s insane. And yes, I am turning the hot water knob for those sinks lol
 
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SuperBigFan69

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HuskerInCarolina said:
Same! I don’t like the tankless. The side of the house where the water heater is gets warm water in 30 seconds. The other side of the house, 2 minutes if I’m lucky. Although, for some reason the shower on the other side of the house gets hot quick. But the 2 sinks in the bathroom, 2 minutes or more. It’s insane. And yes, I am turning the hot water knob for those sinks lol
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That is funny!
 
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Anon1707625086

Anon1707625086

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NikkiSixx said:
Bought a place that has a water heater that is 23 years old and still functioning..

Do I replace with another tank, or just go tankless.. I think it would be fairly easy to install the tankless if it stays at regular 120 volts electric levels. If I need to run a 240 line, it could be done, just runs up the costs. Maybe the tankless works best on the higher electric only?

Thoughts or experience with doing something like this?
Click to expand...
Electric tankless sucks. You won’t have hot water at 120 other than hand washing.
gas tankless is good, requires some maintenance, need to close to the outside to vent or $$$$
 
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R

raymondbrown

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A tank water heater stores and continuously heats a set amount of water, making it a cost-effective option with a lower upfront price. A tankless water heater heats water on demand, providing an endless supply of hot water while using less energy over time. The best choice depends on your budget, household size, and hot water usage needs.
 
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bigboxes

bigboxes

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raymondbrown said:
A tank water heater stores and continuously heats a set amount of water, making it a cost-effective option with a lower upfront price. A tankless water heater heats water on demand, providing an endless supply of hot water while using less energy over time. The best choice depends on your budget, household size, and hot water usage needs.
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Thank you, totally not AI poster!
 
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PvilleHuskerTim

PvilleHuskerTim

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WHCSC said:
I have tankless LP and am constantly waiting for hot water 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...

We have had a NG tankless for about 20 years. Initially we had the same problem in that 1 side of the house (and main level and upstairs) took a long time to get hot water. We added a very small water heater that heats the water in the pipes, and we get hot water almost instantly all throughout the house. Essentially, a circulating water heater. Doesn't really add hardly anything to monthly utility bills. Wifey likes to keep the temp at 140 degrees.
 
WHCSC

WHCSC

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PvilleHuskerTim said:
We have had a NG tankless for about 20 years. Initially we had the same problem in that 1 side of the house (and main level and upstairs) took a long time to get hot water. We added a very small water heater that heats the water in the pipes, and we get hot water almost instantly all throughout the house. Essentially, a circulating water heater. Doesn't really add hardly anything to monthly utility bills. Wifey likes to keep the temp at 140 degrees.
Click to expand...
Tell me more
 
H

HUSKERFAN66

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Every plumber or supplier has talked me out of tankless....especially electric.

Distance is huge. Tabkless gas is ok if washing machine, kitchen and bathroom are close. Otherwise need unit in multiple locations which becomes infeasable
 
V

Vanhusker

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I started out in property management and have taken care of my own rentals for years. My $.02, don't replace the water heater just because it's old. Run it into the ground. You'll never get as many years out of the new ones.
 
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salsa red

salsa red

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Vanhusker said:
I started out in property management and have taken care of my own rentals for years. My $.02, don't replace the water heater just because it's old. Run it into the ground. You'll never get as many years out of the new ones.
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My parents have one thats like 30 years old, they looked to get a quote for a new one to install and they wanted like $5k to install it. My AC went out recently and I got a few quote, one big company wanted $20k. Ended up using a referral for a company that ended up around $6200. The margins on some of these big home purchases are quite large.
 
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RBigredMax1

RBigredMax1

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bath bathing GIF

This is what we use in Iowa. I’m learning a lot in this thread.
 
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PvilleHuskerTim

PvilleHuskerTim

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WHCSC said:
Tell me more
Click to expand...

My plumber somehow connected a small "regular" water heater (probably the smallest you can get?) to the tankless so I think they somehow work in tandem. The small water heater keeps the water warm/hot in the lines all throughout the house. That helps because when we turn the shower/bath on upstairs it gets hot very quickly. The tankless then supplies most of the hot water.
 
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Husker.Wed._rivals

Husker.Wed._rivals

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Baxter48 said:
is propane available in your area? If so I’d sure look into getting a 500 gallon tank, heating the house is more economical with gas/propane let alone hot water heater and cooking stove. Our 100 year old farm house is heated by propane plus hot water and I think we use roughly 1000 gallons for the year, we hooked up a generac 18 kw to run the house when there is a power outage
Click to expand...
I added up my power needs and felt an 18kW would suffice. The Generator Store in Omaha refused to install anything less than a 24kW. He did a calculation for running my jacuzzi, an electric dryer, the air conditioning, and every light and appliance in the house all at the same time. I told him an 18 would be enough and if he couldn't handle that I'd make the purchase somewhere else. He said that was OK make the purchase somewhere else. He said he was "saving me from myself" since taxing the 18kW could mess up the transfer switch, etc. The 24kW was $1000 more so I went with it.
 
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Baxter48

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Husker.Wed._rivals said:
I added up my power needs and felt an 18kW would suffice. The Generator Store in Omaha refused to install anything less than a 24kW. He did a calculation for running my jacuzzi, an electric dryer, the air conditioning, and every light and appliance in the house all at the same time. I told him an 18 would be enough and if he couldn't handle that I'd make the purchase somewhere else. He said that was OK make the purchase somewhere else. He said he was "saving me from myself" since taxing the 18kW could mess up the transfer switch, etc. The 24kW was $1000 more so I went with it.
Click to expand...
The power company could have told you your peak usage, but hey for an extra 1000 dollars I’d have bought the bigger one also. In my situation it was 6000 dollars higher and i haven’t had any issues with a 18 kw running our well and mini splits and drier
 
StayFrosty2

StayFrosty2

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salsa red said:
My parents have one thats like 30 years old, they looked to get a quote for a new one to install and they wanted like $5k to install it. My AC went out recently and I got a few quote, one big company wanted $20k. Ended up using a referral for a company that ended up around $6200. The margins on some of these big home purchases are quite large.
Click to expand...
Holy crap! $5K to install the water heater? Where do they live, I am curious because about 7 years ago (in Omaha) I had one replaced at my first house and with the heater and install I was under $1750. Granted I didn't go with a larger tank and swapped size for size so I suppose not much modification needed to be done. It was gas. Can't believe how some of these things get charged. I'm in the wrong business.
 
Husker.Wed._rivals

Husker.Wed._rivals

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Baxter48 said:
The power company could have told you your peak usage, but hey for an extra 1000 dollars I’d have bought the bigger one also. In my situation it was 6000 dollars higher and i haven’t had any issues with a 18 kw running our well and mini splits and drier
Click to expand...
In 4 years the generator has kicked when we lost power a few times for 10 minutes or so. We had power out for 4 hours a couple years back and had guests over, so that was a relief. We had another 2 hour outage one night last year and I told the wife I was going to turn on every light in the house and outside to show people "I have power and you don't." Mrs. HW told me to act my age.
 
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SantaBarbaraSker.

SantaBarbaraSker.

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NikkiSixx said:
Bought a place that has a water heater that is 23 years old and still functioning..

Do I replace with another tank, or just go tankless.. I think it would be fairly easy to install the tankless if it stays at regular 120 volts electric levels. If I need to run a 240 line, it could be done, just runs up the costs. Maybe the tankless works best on the higher electric only?

Thoughts or experience with doing something like this?
Click to expand...

Tankless all the way…Installed one recently and would never go back. Why heat your water when you’re not using it. Installed mine myself in a day. As long as you’re putting it in the same location as your original water heater, it’s pretty much idiot proof. I know how to sweat copper pipes, but even if you don’t, you can use shark bite fittings just as effectively as soldered pipes.

There’s no legitimate reasoning, not to go tankless, especially if your current water heater took a dump.



.
 
WTFMatt

WTFMatt

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SantaBarbaraSker. said:
Tankless all the way…Installed one recently and would never go back. Why heat your water when you’re not using it. Installed mine myself in a day. As long as you’re putting it in the same location as your original water heater, it’s pretty much idiot proof. I know how to sweat copper pipes, but even if you don’t, you can use shark bite fittings just as effectively as soldered pipes.

There’s no legitimate reasoning, not to go tankless, especially if your current water heater took a dump.



.
Click to expand...

Unless you have issues with running out of hot water, a tankless water heater is completely unnecessary. The initial cost is too much higher than a tank heater to justify.

They also require gas to operate efficiently and require yearly maintenance.
 
SantaBarbaraSker.

SantaBarbaraSker.

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WHCSC said:
I have tankless LP and am constantly waiting for hot water 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...

The “instant hot water” thing is a complete misnomer. The water still has to make it from the tankless heater just like it does the tanked heater. Has to travel the same distance from the heater to the faucet. Unless you put a tankless heater under every faucet, there’s gonna be no difference in time it takes for you to receive hot water to a faucet. The benefit of tankless is in the fact you’re not heating water in a tank 24 hours a day even when it’s not being used. Another benefit is, it’s essentially endless hot water. Providing you have the unit sized correctly you can be doing laundry, washing dishes, and have three showers going and you’re never going to run out of hot water midstream. Our gas bill has gone down significantly since installing a tankless heater.




.
 
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o_waterboy4582

o_waterboy4582

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SantaBarbaraSker. said:
The “instant hot water” thing is a complete misnomer. The water still has to make it from the tankless heater just like it does the tanked heater. Has to travel the same distance from the heater to the faucet. Unless you put a tankless heater under every faucet, there’s gonna be no difference in time it takes for you to receive hot water to a faucet. The benefit of tankless is in the fact you’re not heating water in a tank 24 hours a day even when it’s not being used. Another benefit is, it’s essentially endless hot water. Providing you have the unit sized correctly you can be doing laundry, washing dishes, and have three showers going and you’re never going to run out of hot water midstream. Our gas bill has gone down significantly since installing a tankless heater.




.
Click to expand...
There are tankless water heaters with recirculating pumps. An extra line is run to the farthest plumbing in the house to create a loop of hot water thus shortening wait times.
 
SuperBigFan69

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Don't you weirdos just start your shower...then brush your teeth. By then the water is warm.

Who starts their shower and jumps right in?
 
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skin-tight

skin-tight

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my Hot Water Heater just started shitting the bed 3 days ago.

Quote for replacement of 40 gas Hot water heater tank is 2800, Quote for tankless set up is 4800

Does that sound about right?
 
NikkiSixx

NikkiSixx

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skin-tight said:
my Hot Water Heater just started shitting the bed 3 days ago.

Quote for replacement of 40 gas Hot water heater tank is 2800, Quote for tankless set up is 4800

Does that sound about right?
Click to expand...
I am budgeting 1k.. I think you can get the water heater for around 500ish.. then you need somone comfortable with the copper pipe solder connections.. i budgeted another 500 for that, or diy maybe with a torch and a prayer.. not going tankless
 
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