Hot Water Heaters
 

(an aside, 4 people in the house and 2 of which are teenagers) I have 2x50 gal propane hot water heaters, 10 years old, set up in line. The thought was that have one (the last in line) fairly hot, and the first just warm. When the needed, I could turn up the first to hot as well...ie when I wanted to fill the big bath tub.

The first in line has stopped working. I can't /won't light. So we have been working on just one. Which is OK because we have the other (last in line) that works fine.

I am looking at upgrading the tanks. I saw online to have 1 propane tank coupled with a "tankless" hot water source. I don't know the price, setup requirements, cost etc.

I just want to have adequate hot water. Again, have two teenagers and a big bath tub that we don't use that much.

Should I just replace both 50 gal propane tanks, have a repairman come out to fix the first in line that doesn't work, or do the hybrid propane tank and a tankless source?

Cost is an issue to a degree. Or the increased value to the house with a tankless?

Thanks

Lewdog is also in need of a new water heater. Will be subscribing to thread for details. I only need one replacement though. Not sure the options.

Good thread OP.

Shit, if they're only 10 years old I'd try to get the 1st one working. Might be something as simple as the thermal cutoff being tripped.

Mine produces hot water, is 13 years old and original to the house but makes the loudest popping sounds when heating up. Anytime you run hot water, it starts up again and it's just super loud. It's done this the whole past year we've owned the house but it worries me. So just thinking about replacing it before it blows. Or at least the wife has convinced me to just replace it.

Thoughts?

Is it electric or propane?

Natural Gas.

It won't "blow up" as long as the pop-off valve is functional. Not unusual to hear some creaking from the temperature changing but shouldn't be anything too dramatic, might just be a cheapass builder grade water heater.

are expensive

If you go tankless, you shouldn't need another propane heater coupled to it. I have a tankless system and we've never ran out of hot water.

It is going to blow up and your house will look like Hiroshima or Nagasaki..whichever you prefer

I've had three hot water heaters in 12 years.

One was a GE, which was defective from the manufacturer. They offered to pay for the part but with the labor, I just decided to get a new model. That one lasted five years, yet it was a 12 year model.

The next was a Whirlpool that lasted six years. Again, it too was defective but Home Depot pro-rated it and gave me $300 towards a new Rheem platinum, which has been in for about four months.

Good times.

Hot water heater is redundant

Tankless are everywhere in Europe. They are awesome but they use an assload of fuel. The electrics are insane inefficient

It is a cheap ass builder grade heater. A.O. Smith is what it says.

Heh. I was about to post something like this.

"If the water is already hot, why does it need to be heated?"