I’m planning on putting in a tankless domestic hot water/ forced hot water system. Is this a good idea?
Where should I look for information?
I didn’t see other posts regarding this?
thanks so much.
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Replies
You mean a tankless water heater in an existing or new home?
Gas?
There have been manymanymany posts here on the topic. Use the search function?
I put a gas unit in our place 2 mos ago in place of an electric tank unit. Things seem to be working out.
Here are some articles from the magazine too:
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/dtSearch/searchResults.aspx?ctl00%24Header%24searchfor=tankless+water+heater&channel=finehomebuilding&page=1&x=28&y=2
Generally speaking, if you don't have a lot of long runs and can locate the unit close to laundry, kitch and/or main bath, things can really work well.
If not, waiting 4 minutes for hot water, even though it's 'bottomless' and paying 1,000's of $ just for venting the unit buried somewhere in the middle of the house might not be worth the initial investment.
Pat
here's one
64840.1
Others have given you a starting point concerning where to look for info. I would just like to point out one fact that should be considered when deciding whether to use gas or electric to heat water.
The electric element is usually embedded in the water supply. The gas flame will always heat a component that contains the water.
This means that all the heat energy from the electric system goes into the water, disregarding the heat transfer to the pipes or tank from the water. Considering how much energy water is able to absorb, this is probably not a big concern. Additionally, there are no venting requirements. From a green perspective, it is almost always better to produce electric power in a big plant and move it to various locations than to burn up the energy at the end-user location.
Gas is hot and fast, and also getting more expensive (not necessarily because of scarcity). The rub is that you must vent the flame, and much of the energy goes up the chimney. In other words, a lot goes to waste.
Yeah, read some of the other discussions ...
Tankless is not a replacement for the majority of domestic water heaters. Do it for the right reasons ... don't get sucked into the 'energy savings' hype that seems to be being sold by ... installers or manufacturers.
Remember ... there is NO free lunch ... even if you buy me lunch.