Hot Water Supply Ideas

[pcmc]

In my bucket list I would like to eventually get rid of the 50 gallon electric water heater in the cellar and replace it with a wall mounted tankless system.

Could you offer ideas and advice as to which would be the best way to go, propane vs. electric?

(vacation spot used once a month or 1 week spurts when we are lucky)
It will be in a cottage drained and winterized in the fall, so draining the unit having the internals exposed every year is a concern of mine. Meaning when I last changed an electric heating element in the 50 gal tank it was coverd with corrosion. I'm not sure if that is from being summerged in the tank or exposed to open air all winter. The tank is flushed/ drained every fall. The new unit could be plumbed so antifreeze could fill the unit if that will help anything.

Also propane or electric? I am leaning towards propane thinking it will be cheaper in the long run, but I'm not sure long term how it will last being shut off most of the time. Will the internals rust and shorten the life span of the unit, or have issues trying to ignite when it hasen't been in use for so long?
The electric unit will only draw power when called for and no worries of gas leaks, BUT would require a huge generator should power go out. The generator issue really isn't a concern but an empty factor on the con's column. The service is 200amps so electric is feasible.

I appreciate all of your views, inputs, and thoughts, thanks.

[ishoot308]

Hi PCMC;

I think you will find like I did, that when it comes to tankless, on demand hotwater heaters propane is the better and more efficient way to go.

We had a propane tankless unit installed in our island home and absolutely love it! Propane is very safe when installed correctly so just make sure a qualified plumber who has experience in installing tankless heaters does your work and you should be all set.

No need for antifreeze in the winter as there is a gravity drain in most of the units sold today specifically for winter draining. Very simple to do.

Good Luck!

Dan

[songkrai]

Probably the least expensive way is to just go and purchase a simple 30 gallon electric hot water tank. Unless you have a lot of teenagers a 30 gallon is just fine.

The electric tankless heaters vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Wiring is a cost issue. And the up front cost of unit. Few know how to repair such.

Propane tankless heaters work fine - I have one. Most last a long time. Up front cost is high. Then there is the plumbing of gas pipes to unit. The venting either through wall with a power vent or up ceiling through roof. I just would not let anyone cut into your roof for a vent. Too many potential issues. With propane tankless heaters you have to understand flow rates and water pressure. All affect performance.

You might get satisfaction thinking your are saving energy costs with a tankless propane heater and bragging rights.

Do a cost analysis and see how long the payback time is.

In my final conclusion - I would have preferred a simple 30 gallon electric. Simple and lower cost when time comes to replace. I would put a simple on/off switch for when going away for a week or such - just turn it on/off.

[NoBozo]

When my wife and I got married back in '66, we bought a New 12x55 Mobile Home. It had a 30 gallon electric hot water heater. It was fine for the two of us. We lived there for 12 years. During that time, I replaced the heating element once...and then later, replaced the entire water heater.

The first time..It seemed that the heating element corroded through... and self destructed. The second time it failed.. The original heater tank was alleged to be "Glass Lined"...whatever that meant..perhaps the inside of the heater was "Glazed" with a ceramic...Anywho.. It was cheap enough to just replace the entire tank...I think it was about $75 for the new tank at the time..Did it myself. NB

[BroadHopper]

I bought a house that had on demand electric hot water units that were attached to the faucets. They were OK during the summer months when the supply water was warm. During the winter months the hat water was not hot. My guess this will be OK on the lake in the summer.

The latest house, I replaced a 40 gallon tank and Celtic boiler with a System 2000 natural gas unit. It is tank-less and the unit hangs on the wall. Very slick and I never spent more than $130 a month in gas. Occasionally the house has two families during the weekend and I had plenty of hot water. I am please with a tank-less system.

[Denny Crane]

I was debating the same issue last year after my propane super store that ran off the burner died. I have an aging propane boiler and ended up putting in a Marathon hot water heater from NHECO, under 800(50 gal) plus plumbing and electrician's cost. The tankless sounded great but was going to run approximately 7k. I wanted to nurse the boiler for a few more years and I thought running the boiler between may and november just to heat hot water would take some years off its life, so I opted for the electric. Show up, flip the switch, end of our stay flip it off. Simple. I believe Marathon has a lifetime warranty?

[AC2717]

Originally Posted by Denny Crane

I was debating the same issue last year after my propane super store that ran off the burner died. I have an aging propane boiler and ended up putting in a Marathon hot water heater from NHECO, under 800(50 gal) plus plumbing and electrician's cost. The tankless sounded great but was going to run approximately 7k. I wanted to nurse the boiler for a few more years and I thought running the boiler between may and november just to heat hot water would take some years off its life, so I opted for the electric. Show up, flip the switch, end of our stay flip it off. Simple. I believe Marathon has a lifetime warranty?

I was a firm believer in do this as well, till some research and a exact account found out that turning the heater on and off can cause bacteria to grow and possible cause of infections in your body, sometimes deadly, the name escapes me right now.
For the little you save it is not worth the risk. YOu would have to turn it back on, let it heat up and then run the water for a while making sure you flush the tank out in order to be safe.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Denny Crane

The tankless sounded great but was going to run approximately 7k.

WOW! 7 grand! How big a unit did you need? I think mine was installed for $2,200.00 if I remember correctly and does the entire house (3 beds 2 full baths) easily. No problem with multiple showers at the same time.

[pcmc]

Thankyou for the info,
Much appreciated.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

WOW! 7 grand! How big a unit did you need? I think mine was installed for $2,200.00 if I remember correctly and does the entire house (3 beds 2 full baths) easily. No problem with multiple showers at the same time.

Our Masonic Lodge just purchased a propane tankless 4.6 Gal per minute heater for less than $1100. Fixtures will run a few hundred more at the max, and we have two certified LP installers who are doing the install.

I agree Dan, $2k is realistic, $7k is unbelievable.

We are going with this unit because we only need hot water 3-4 times a month at the most. Currently we have an oilfired boiler with an 80 gal. tank that is 30 yrs old, was top of the line at the time, and now is a time bomb waiting to go off. With the oil heat shut off from 5-1 to mid to late Oct last year, we went through over 200 gals of oil.

We are figuring a payback of less than two years.

Woo hoo.

[Water Camper]

I wanted to comment on turning the water off/on. At both our house and the cottage I have had 24 hour timers installed that I can set to go off/on at pre-defined times. At home I saved about $40 the first month I had this installed. I have no comparison for the cottage as I had one installed along with new plumbing and hot water tank right after we bought the cottage. At the cottage we turn off the hot water when we leave for the week, and back on when we arrive for the weekend, it then runs on my preset schedule.
I have had no issue at either location turning the water off/on. Both are on artesion wells, the home has a full scale water treatment system, the cottage only has a small inline filter.

Hope this helps,
Bill

Is the summer here yet !!