Replies

1. 
   Norman | Oct 22, 2012 10:49am | #1

   I went with another tank.

   I did a fair amount of research. Consumer Reports points out that the break even point for a tankless could be 10 years out, owing to the higher install costs, etc. They also point out that the longer the warranty, the more likely the unit is to last longer. (duh). The greater the BTU capacity, the faster the tank will reheat, an often overlooked consideration.

   Good luck.

2. 
   DanH | Oct 22, 2012 08:23pm | #2

   Generally a tankless is a losing bet.  There are two cases where it might make sense:

   1. Where space is limited and a standard heater would simply be too large.

   2. In a situation where hot water will be used intermittently, as in a vacation cabin.

   Otherwise, just pick the best gas tank you can find/afford.  Pay attention to efficiency.  You may want to consider a "condensing" unit with a blower fan, vs a standard draft unit, but understand that the blower is something else that can fail.

   If currently you tend to run out of hot water a bit too frequently, consider either getting a unit with a higher BTU rating or one with a larger tank (or both).  (But also keep in mind that running out of hot water convinces teenagers to get out of the shower.)

1. 
   weemalky | Oct 25, 2012 07:39am | #4

   Thanks Dan, more space is always nice but not an issue. The existing standard draft unit lasted over 20 years. I've heard the tankless save some money but have also heard there is a slight delay and if more than one fixture is calling for hot it could be a problem. Have you heard anything about using 2 units or using a small(10 gallon) tank in conjunction with the tankless?

1. 
   DanH | Oct 25, 2012 05:55pm | #5

   It's a myth that tankless saves money in the general case.  It's only in relatively oddball cases (mostly cases of intermittent use) that it makes sense economically.  A good, well-insulated tank unit is quite efficient for standard residential conditions.

   A small tank (usually electric) is fairly often used for "remote" bathrooms and the like where it would otherwise take a long time for hot water to arrive.  Though electric units cost more per BTU to operate, they can be insulated up the wazoo, so the "standing losses" are about zero.  And if fed "hot" water from the main heater the electric use can be minimized.

3. 
   BossHog | Oct 23, 2012 07:25am | #3

   I'm a fan of gas fired power vent units. The best quality you can buy.  (So you don't have to go through this again for as long as possible)