Electric Tankless Water Heater

1,985 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by Jason_InfinityRoofer
ags4rocks
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Any advice on these? I just need to use it for one bathroom and a kitchen......Thoughts? or should i just use a old fashioned tank!!
ChoppinDs40
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
i've always heard the electric tankless don't perform well, but that for an entire house.

Maybe you know this but they pull some serious power - you'll need a new circuit for it.

We're putting a 2gallon tank under our outdoor kitchen and had to run a 20A circuit just for it.
Jason_InfinityRoofer
How long do you want to ignore this user?
At my other house, I had THREE of these units that served all 4700 square feet combined.

Electric tankless are by far the most efficient means of heating when it comes to tankless. Pretty much all of the heat is put straight into the water. That said, my home had 400 A of service through two separate 200A panels and those tankless heaters each had two 50A circuits running to them, if I recall.

The nice thing was that I was never without endless hot water, and with three units, there was never a shower that was not in service, even when the units were down for repair (which I did myself).

My opinion is that if you have the power source to safely power them, they are great. Instantly hot. Wildly efficient. HORRIBLY POWER HUNGRY.

The downside to them is that when the power goes out, you have no hot water. With a tank water heater, you have hot water for a little bit and lukewarm for while. If you have a generator, that will solve that problem but you need a crap ton of power to make them work.
evan_aggie
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
What size generator you got!?!
UnderoosAg
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Jason_InfinityRoofer said:

Wildly efficient. HORRIBLY POWER HUNGRY.



That's like saying she's super hot for a fat chick. Electric water heaters are anything but efficient.

Gas tankless > gas storage > electric tank storage > electric tankless

Jason_InfinityRoofer
How long do you want to ignore this user?
UnderoosAg said:

Jason_InfinityRoofer said:

Wildly efficient. HORRIBLY POWER HUNGRY.



That's like saying she's super hot for a fat chick. Electric water heaters are anything but efficient.

Gas tankless > gas storage > electric tank storage > electric tankless




Hahaha....fact chicks aside, gas can't be more efficient for heat transfer. Physics won't allow it. It's just that it's cheaper at its inefficiency. It's still cheaper to send that heat out your roof and use a little to heat the water than use 98% of the heat directly into the water with electric. Cheaper...not more efficient.
evan_aggie
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I agree with your point, but...

At the end of the day someone may ask which is better? Wouldn't you default to the answer that provides you cheap and endless hot water?

I don't care if electric is 99.999% efficient, and gas is 0.0001% efficient if they do the same job and one is half the price of the other to operate and one quarter the cost to install.
AgProgrammer
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
We have electric tankless in our barndo and in our house. Absolutely love them. More than enough hot water, no need to vent outside, etc. If you have the power, they're awesome. The ones we use have (3) 40amp doubles and will pull up to 108amps of 220v at full tilt (middle of winter and high flow). We have dual 200amp panels as well.

I think they get a bad rap for people who wildly under size them and are then disappointed. Case in point, people who think they'll just take the existing power for an electric tank heater and use that for an electric. That doesn't work.
Cody 91
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Have an Emax tankless at the lake because I didn't have a great way to vent and didn't want a traditional pilot light burning through my propane when I'm not there most of the time (and don't like to wait for hot water when I show up late on a Friday night).

It runs the entire house - dishwasher, washing machine and showers all at once. No issues. It does require 3 30A breakers, but when it comes on I don't notice any light flickering or other impacts. Some reviews on the Rennai brand suggest that happens with them.

The install was easy and as mentioned no venting. So far love it.
BMach
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I installed a 7gpm to replace two tanked heaters. I had to install a sub panel to power it since it required 3 dual pole 50a breakers, but other than that installation was easy. Completely satisfied with its performance.
aggolfer
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I bought this one for my shop. I thought it was broke but come to find out my water pressure/flow was too fast for it to keep up. It works for what I need it for but wouldn't want it for day to day use.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0888HQWTF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Jason_InfinityRoofer
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Well, the OP asked about electric and qualified it with usage in a bathroom. For a unit of that size, I would think the upfront cost of electrical, which may already be in place and sufficient, would outweigh the costs of getting gas there including lines, exhaust, etc. I mm just spitballing here. Maybe he's got all that. If he has both options and the up front costs are the same, the. Yeah, I'm with you, gas all the way.
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.