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Old 03-08-2019, 08:57 AM
4K3OGH 4K3OGH is offline
 
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Default Tankless Water Heater Questions

Looking at putting in a tankless water heater at home. Im on a well, is this doable?

Cheers
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Old 03-08-2019, 09:08 AM
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58thecat 58thecat is offline
 
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Been running a renai system since 2007....no issues.....water into house goes through iron eater and water softener before going to the hot water heater.

I do the filter checks and never had to clean out a screen etc so this route works for us.

Never run out of hot water....washing machine going, bath tub filling up, dish washer running and I still get a hot shower....
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Old 03-08-2019, 09:09 AM
leeelmer leeelmer is offline
 
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Yes but you need a water filter system, or at the very least a descaler/
The tankless works great but does not like scale or hard water.
That is the vast majority of the problems with the tankless systems on well water.
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Old 03-08-2019, 01:15 PM
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They work great but like others have said already. Have a filtering system etc. ahead. Also do the cleaning/descaling once a year and it will be good to go.
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Old 05-24-2019, 06:00 AM
SammyS778 SammyS778 is offline
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I believe that tankless water heater is really only worth the extra money if you have a high demand for hot water, such as a large family that showers at the same time. We live in a house with our parents and 4 kids, so getting a good tankless unit was a must. These reviews helped a lot . As a result we have an unlimited amount of hot water while enjoying cost savings from the energy efficiency.
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Old 05-24-2019, 09:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SammyS778 View Post
I believe that tankless water heater is really only worth the extra money if you have a high demand for hot water, such as a large family that showers at the same time. We live in a house with our parents and 4 kids, so getting a good tankless unit was a must. These reviews helped a lot . As a result we have an unlimited amount of hot water while enjoying cost savings from the energy efficiency.
The inverse could be true as well. If you are a small household, why pay energy costs to have a large tank of water constantly heated?

Can anyone who owns a tankless comment on how long you have to run the water before it gets hot? I heard it can take twice the amount of running water before you get hot vs. a standard tank system.
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Old 05-24-2019, 10:22 AM
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When I looked into them as I was building my house I was warned away from them because they are not made for Alberta winters. The exhaust vent is an issue for some reason, the condensation ate the insides out and they were extremely problematic. They may have fixed the problem by now though?
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Old 05-24-2019, 10:26 AM
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I have a Rinai system in our house as well (was in the house when we bought it) and we certainly waste water waiting for the hot to come to the tap. the further away the tap is from the Rinai, the longer you wait for hot water. But in saying that, it would take some time with a hot water tank as well unless you had a recirculating system. I would guess that the furthest tap I have from the Rinai is about 70-80 feet which equates to a bit of water in those water lines. I have had some issues with this system (ventilation, bugs getting into it) so there is some maintenance for sure but like others have said, its an endless amount of hotwater when needed.
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Old 05-24-2019, 10:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette View Post
When I looked into them as I was building my house I was warned away from them because they are not made for Alberta winters. The exhaust vent is an issue for some reason, the condensation ate the insides out and they were extremely problematic. They may have fixed the problem by now though?
I've replaced 3 that had frozen & split the heat exchanger due to how short their chimney/ combustion air intakes were. Some have freeze protection and will fire to prevent, but what a waste of fuel $$ and cycling of the equipment (wear & tear). Too short of an air intake/ exhaust is bad news on them in my experience.
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Old 05-24-2019, 10:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sharpstick View Post
I have a Rinai system in our house as well (was in the house when we bought it) and we certainly waste water waiting for the hot to come to the tap. the further away the tap is from the Rinai, the longer you wait for hot water. But in saying that, it would take some time with a hot water tank as well unless you had a recirculating system. I would guess that the furthest tap I have from the Rinai is about 70-80 feet which equates to a bit of water in those water lines. I have had some issues with this system (ventilation, bugs getting into it) so there is some maintenance for sure but like others have said, its an endless amount of hotwater when needed.
Please tell me you haven't had beetles come out of the tap into your glass
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Old 05-24-2019, 07:29 PM
speedfreak speedfreak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spidey View Post

Can anyone who owns a tankless comment on how long you have to run the water before it gets hot? I heard it can take twice the amount of running water before you get hot vs. a standard tank system.
You definitely need to run the water a little longer. All the low flow taps don't help. I have a navien which has the recirculating option although I don't run it in that mode. Love ours though. As mentioned showers, laundry, dishes no issues. I run a vinegar flush every 6 months or so if I remember.
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Old 05-24-2019, 09:44 PM
hogie hogie is offline
 
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Another thing is a condensate nuetralizer. The condensate is acidic and can cause problems. Same as high efficiency furnace condensate.

Do some research, not hard to make one. There are commercial ones available as well.
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Old 05-24-2019, 09:50 PM
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Originally Posted by hogie View Post
Another thing is a condensate nuetralizer. The condensate is acidic and can cause problems. Same as high efficiency furnace condensate.

Do some research, not hard to make one. There are commercial ones available as well.
Good point, I’ve been doing a trick in my own home where my condensate drain runs into my floor drain (though tied in below slab). I just put the limestone chip in my floor drain p-trap and let it be the neutralizer. When I rough places in I’ll run condensate drains this way to act like a trap seal primer, that and to keep the floor clear of trip hazards.
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Old 05-24-2019, 10:40 PM
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When I looked into one I was told not worth it, our ground water is colder and it takes more gas to heat the water. Also told there were lots of problem chopper wheel that ignites the flame, I think this goes back to the hard water scale.
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Old 05-25-2019, 07:48 AM
buzzard buzzard is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spidey View Post
The inverse could be true as well. If you are a small household, why pay energy costs to have a large tank of water constantly heated?

Can anyone who owns a tankless comment on how long you have to run the water before it gets hot? I heard it can take twice the amount of running water before you get hot vs. a standard tank system.
I say 3 times as long!!! It really waste's a lot of water, we have to run soooo much water to get it hot. Had this for 12 yrs. Replaced it once. We are on a well. Soft water
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Old 05-25-2019, 12:32 PM
4K3OGH 4K3OGH is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaberTosser View Post
Good point, I’ve been doing a trick in my own home where my condensate drain runs into my floor drain (though tied in below slab). I just put the limestone chip in my floor drain p-trap and let it be the neutralizer. When I rough places in I’ll run condensate drains this way to act like a trap seal primer, that and to keep the floor clear of trip hazards.
Caber, Ive had some tell me that my intake/exhaust is too long (horizontal approx 18') any input on that?

Because I am on a well and do not have a water softener set up I am leaning towards a traditional gas heater with the power vent. My exhaust distance wont be an issue will it?

Cheers
4
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  #17  
Old 05-27-2019, 03:31 PM
jef612 jef612 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spidey View Post
The inverse could be true as well. If you are a small household, why pay energy costs to have a large tank of water constantly heated?

Can anyone who owns a tankless comment on how long you have to run the water before it gets hot? I heard it can take twice the amount of running water before you get hot vs. a standard tank system.
The water coming out of the tankless unit is at full temp in less than 3 seconds (In my experience).

The problem that many people find is that the entire hot water supply line up to your faucet is already full of water that isn't hot, so you need to empty the line before you get to the hot water behind it. This is a bigger issue with low flow faucets and oversized water lines.

This issue happens whether you have a traditional tank system or a tankless. If you are waiting an extremely long time for water, then your hot water supply line to the faucet is either very long/too big, or you have a low flow fixture that is restricting the water output by design.

Either that - Or perhaps there is some mechanical issue with your water heater. Scale can make those heat up times take longer.

A hot water recirc system will circulate hot water throughout your house and keep all of the water in the supply lines hot, and this will provide nearly instant hot water at the tap. Although more convenient, those systems are more costly to install and operate, and your efficiency goes down somewhat.
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