Hello world,
I’m currently choosing a water heater, and the tankless models look the best for me, as I don’t have much space to install a unit.
I’ve already read this article (https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2019/08/30/tankless-water-heaters-2) and this one
https://houseweather.org/best-gas-tankless-water-heater/
Still, can’t decide whether I’m going for gas or electric heater…
So, you’d be very helpful if write some pros and cons
thanks a lot
Replies
Money Money Money Money
Unless you have enough solar to run the heater, gas is likely give you more hot water for the buck. (that is if you use hot water)
https://www.consumerreports.org/water-heaters/tankless-water-heaters-vs-storage-tank-water-heaters/
Storage tank: In our tests, we judged the annual energy consumption cost of the conventional water heaters to be Very Good for the gas model and Fair for the electric. Both rate Good for energy efficiency. We calculated that the annual operating cost for a gas model is $245 (based on an average price of $10.86 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas) and the yearly cost of running an electric model is $580 (based on an average electricity rate of $0.132 per KWh).
On the other hand, if this is for a guest bath that is seldom used, the lower installation cost could win the day.
and with limited space, make sure you have access to handle gas lines, exhaust and access for maintenance, and understand the electric requirements. (need larger wires for an on-demand electric heater)
Thanks a lot Mike! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I think I'm gonna instal a gas one, cause it really seems cheaper, considering the annual energy consumption
by the way, how did you make your link active? I just realized that links in my post(https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2019/08/30/tankless-water-heaters-2) and (https://houseweather.org/best-gas-tankless-water-heater/) are not clickable, but yours is so. I looked up for this https://www.finehomebuilding.com/forum/active-web-links-in-posts article, but I guess Im just too dumb to get it right
What about the AO smith heat pump model?
This one supposedly only costs $114 a years to run:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/A-O-Smith-Signature-Premier-50-Gallon-Tall-10-year-Limited-4500-Watt-Double-Element-Electric-Water-Heater-with-Hybrid-Heat-Pump/1000213655
I have one of those, (which makes extra sense for me, since it helps avoid dehumidifier use in the basement where it is located)
But Henry said he has very limited space.
the heat pump water heater is not only quite a bit bigger than a tankless unit, it also needs to have enough space for air circulation to feed the air-to-water heat pump.