PDA

View Full Version : Does anyone here have an instant hot water heater in their home..


Joe Seahawk
02-20-2006, 08:07 PM
I'm very close to accepting a proposal to install one in my home. The unit I'm deciding on is a Rinnai Continuum (http://www.rinnai.us/products/waterheaters/)
I am curious if any of my friends on the planet have one or know much about them..

Thanks!

Saulbadguy
02-20-2006, 08:12 PM
They are expensive, but from what i've heard, will use %20 less energy than a normal water heater.

Iowanian
02-20-2006, 08:18 PM
I helped a buddy install one last year. They've had it a year, and I asked him during the superbowl how they liked it, and he said it was great, and their bill had gone down quite a bit.

ragedogg69
02-20-2006, 08:24 PM
since im kinda in the industry, ill give you my $.02:

Tankless hot water heaters work well but have 2 major problems. They are pretty expensive and they cut down on your water pressure. I have heard taht they are now making models that dont hurt your pressure tho, so YMMV. The pros being simply: cut down on heating costs and get hot water faster.

Joe Seahawk
02-20-2006, 08:24 PM
I helped a buddy install one last year. They've had it a year, and I asked him during the superbowl how they liked it, and he said it was great, and their bill had gone down quite a bit.

That sounds good :thumb: I bought this house about 3 years ago and had the local gas utility install a gas meter, they installed the meter free of charge as long as I hooked something up to it within six months..

It's been 3 years and they finally called me last week and told me I had to hook up a gas appliance by May, so this seems like a good appliance to start with..

I'm supposed to be done by now with the remodel/upgrades that I haven't started yet.. :)

CrazyHorse
02-20-2006, 08:36 PM
I've been considering the same thing. Someone told me I could rent one from the gas co. for about 11 bucks a month. Dont know how true that is. But if so, it could give you the opportunity to test drive one before you sink the money into it.

I did not know the water pressure may drop though. For me, that's pretty important. It's the biggest reason that I would want one. The way it is now, I have great water pressure, but run out of it too quickly.

plbrdude
02-20-2006, 08:54 PM
since im kinda in the industry, ill give you my $.02:

Tankless hot water heaters work well but have 2 major problems. They are pretty expensive and they cut down on your water pressure. I have heard taht they are now making models that dont hurt your pressure tho, so YMMV. The pros being simply: cut down on heating costs and get hot water faster.


not to be nit picky, but it's not the pressure that drops. in order to pick up an acceptable temp rise they have to slow the flow down. this usually needs to be in the 2 gal per min neighborhood.this allows the water to be heated approximately 55 degrees over what it enters the unit. in an extremely cold climate it could need to be slower to gain the extra degrees. in a small nutshell, the faster the flow of water passing through the unit, the harder it is to heat. going w/ a gas unit is definately good as they heat fast and are fairly reliable from what i've seen. word of advice: if any one considers a whole house elect. tankless. call a qualified electrician and have your entire system checked. most whole house elect models have an amp draw of 100+amps.

plbrdude
02-20-2006, 08:57 PM
and a side note, the gas models i've seen, running 1 appliance. you will not run short of hot water.period

Chiefsrocker
02-20-2006, 09:22 PM
I agree with the pressure drop problem with these water heaters. Also the ones I have worked on with some age to them are that they do have a tendency to leak, and almost all the parts are foreign made, so they are expensive and dont take "normal over-the-counter" parts (i.e. thermocouples, ignitors, gas valves, etc. etc.). IMO, the parts expense, leak problems, and initial high cost may outweigh the savings in fuel cost. Just my opinion!

rich karlis
02-20-2006, 11:10 PM
If you are running hot water baseboard off of a boiler and not a steam system you might be better off installing a storage tank on a dedicted zone from the boiler. Just another option you could look into.