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[World Traveler]

My home turned 29 yesterday and slowly but surely I am having to replace so many things. Most of the expensive things, like the air conditioners, have been taken care of. Now it is time for the water heaters to be replaced. One is a 30-gallon and one is a 40-gallon. 

I understand that the tankless water heaters are the way to go. They appear to be faster and take up 1/4 the space that the old type of water heaters do.

I know no one who has one. So I would appreciate any comments of those of you actually them in your home.

What are the pros/cons?  How do I know which size to get to do the same job that the 30- and 40-gallon tanks did, as they don't measure the water supply the same? Do you suggest an electric one or a gas one? Are they really as fast as advertised? Which brrands to consider/avoid?

Thanks in advance for any information your personal experience with owning gives you.

[Sooner]

If you have a house with long runs from take to water location, they are not as fast.  

[Icegoddess]

Last I heard, they did not make electric ones.  

[lovesrecess]

my daughter and her husband built a new house about two years ago. They got a tankless water heater and like that it takes up less space, but DD is really unhappy that it was a lot of money up front, but it also costs a lot more money to operate.

[Kiakc]

We put one in at our old house.  What is nice is you never run out of hot water.  Ours was gas and it does have to be vented to the outside.  It is also recommended it be inspected and cleaned annually plus it takes filters that need changing.  Nothing will grow in front of the vent because of the hot exhaust.

[World Traveler]

Thanks for the feedback.

The choices I have been looking at are either electric, gas, or electric/gas, which makes more sense to use. Purely electric would mean I would have no hot water if the electricity went out, so that doesn't seem wise.

I did ask one of the salesmen about whether or not they could be put them in the same place as the water heaters, which were both inside, and I was told they could be inside, as long as there is ventilation, and of course there is because of the old water heaters. Many people, evidently, have them outside.

I found all sorts of pricing, with the electric/gas being the most expensive, which makes sense. However, I am having a hard time knowing which size to get because from what I have read, you base it on how many gallons were MINUTE OF HOT WATER you want. Well, I have no idea. I just know that I spend X-amount of minutes in the shower and I have all the hot water I need/want; but how many gallons I have actually used, I have no idea.

Same with the washing machine and dishwasher. I have no idea how many gallons I am using.

Probably need to talk with a contractor rather than the salesman, who assures me their best and most expensive is the way to go.

[LdyBugz]

I just had to replace a 12 year old, 40 gallon gas water heater last month.  It cost me $2350 for the plumber and the water heater.  I also had to have an electrician install a separate outlet for the exhaust system on the new water heater.  The exhaust on the old water heater was tied into the exhaust on the furnace which is now illegal to do and not up to code.  That cost an additional $200.

In getting quotes for a new water heater, I had asked two diffetent plumbers about installing a tankless system.  Both cited that the tankless systems require yearly maintenance to clean out sediment, maybe twice a year depending on water usage, and the cost for maintenance service is $250-$300 per visit.  It would also require the installation of a larger gas line and additional electrical work.

Considering the options, I just went with the traditional tank model.  It's in the basement next to the furnace.  I don't spend time in the basement except to do laundry so the space issue wasn't a concern for me.  I also didn't want to have to worry about having maintenance done on a tankless.

You should get some quotes and recommendations for your area and your home.  A tankless set up might be a better option for your situation.  

[CoffeeNut]

@World Traveler    According to the EPA, the standard shower head uses 2.5 gallons per minute.  That gives you some idea how much water you use when showering.  

[World Traveler]

@LdyBugz Thanks for your post. A lot of good information. As you and another poster mentioned, there are maintenance costs, which I don't recall being mentioned to me at any point in the conversations I had with salesmen. They may have and it just flew over my head.

I did have an electrician come out this past Saturday to give me a quote as to the cost to have the tankless wired. He is to get back to me in the coming days. 

[World Traveler]

@CoffeeNut Oh, thanks for that! Based upon that, I should get something that lets me use 50 gallons for my shower! ha! I do enjoy relaxing under the shower. I will have to time myself tomorrow morning and see how long I actually have the shower running.