Professional Member*
Hi to all,
HVAC contractor here. I want to install a gas hot water heater. My kids.....well I guess I should say all of us must use to much hot water. My electric bill is always so high. I want to change out my water heating method. I'm not asking how to install one, I can do that but rather I want to see if anyone has installed a Rinnai water heater in their home and is happy with it? If not an on-demand type, what did you install and are you happy with your selection?
Thanks
Professional Member*
I don't have one in my home, but we've installed many of them and the majority of our customers like them. They have a minimum flow rate though, so you can't just trickle the hot water. We tell our customers to turn it on full. That's about the only problem we've every had. Much better system to heat hot water than water tanks.
Professional Member
We have had our Rinnai for almost a year and a half. We never had a problem with it, my wife would never let me change it back to a tank
"We'll have to outwit the fiend with our superior intelligence." Yukon Cornelius
Some people are like Slinkies---not good for anything, but still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs!
Professional Member*
2 for 2 so far better start picking out the one I want.
I see the offer them in both LP and Nat. The town I live in is going to Nat in about 1.5 years, Hope I can convert to natural gas at that point.
Regular Guest
We had some installed in a school system here. We had to take them out & install tank type. They gave too many problems.Too many parts to go bad. With tank type there are very few parts to go bad & it they do, they are easy to get parts for & repair. Depending on you water conditions you need to flush these systems about every 6 mo.We have to install flush kits & purchased a pump kit to perform the flush on units
I may be wrong ,but I don't think you can convert these units from 1 fuel to the other
If you choose to go this route good luck to you. I install the tankless cause that's what the customer wants,but I wouldn't have 1
Professional Member*
Yes, Farmboy is right. The water conditions can make a big difference. We installed a Rinnai in one area where the customer did not have water treatment, and we've had a few problems with it. Regular maintenance (flushing) is required.
Professional Member*
Noritz, Rheem, Rinnai and Takagi all make respectable tankless water heaters. Ask three agreeable contractors for a bid and references. If they try to talk you out of it, get another bid.
Water condition is important, so if you have hard water get a bid for a softener to go with your new tankless and keep thinking GREEN.
MA
Professional Member*
I'll put the water heater in myself. I have town water, so I think I have the water conditioning thing covered. The only thing holding me back it to see if I can convert it to natural gas when our new town line is run. We have city sewer, just got city water and now the gas. But it may take 1-2 years to complete. So it will have to be propane to start.
Professional Member*
make sure it can be converted before you buy one, if it can make sure you get everything you need right from the start.
years ago in my previous house i did the same thing with a power vented water heater.
found out when the natural gas came down the street that my 2 yr old tank could not be converted............
Professional Member*
i thought about putting in a tankless water heater, instead i installed a 50 gallon power vent water heater with R-20 insulation. my reasons were my 2 kids like taking long showers & with a tankless you get endless hot water & an endless gas bill. The other reason most of the tankless heaters you have to be certified to install them. so you can take a class. the problem is that there is so many exclusions that there isn't really a warranty at all. now if you have a hot tub tankless is the way to go. with the 50 gallon I also installed a timer which shuts it off @ night, so I'm not reheating it @ night. it has a 6 year warranty. parts are easy to get anywhere. even when it shuts off @ night the water is still hot in the morning. just my input.Originally Posted by energy star
Professional Member
This unit is easy to convert and I have never had any callbacks
We dont sell norwitz but I hear good things about them also
http://www.rinnai.us/Products/water_...Technical.aspx
I remember my first day,It was fun!
Professional Member
As per the information I get from asking this questions of those who deal with them a lot, I would have to advise you on seeing the cost effectiveness from a tank to tankless.
A tankless costing 4 times that of a tank system. The average life of a tank water heater- 10-12 years. The average life of a tankless- 10-12 years. The amount of energy saved and the maintenance costs.
The savings in energy usage is usually taken by the initial investment. But then an investment isn't an investment unless it makes you money.
The size of the tankless must be correct for the gallons per minute vs the temperature of the incoming water in relation to the length of time. It is possible to run out of hot water or run with water not as hot as you would like, thus a larger capacity heater will cost more.
If cost or savings is not a big issue- your good for either one.
Professional Member*
Please don't flame me......
Sometimes I have this idea to incorporate a a 50 gallon gas or oil hot water heater with my gas furnace. I would install a coil in my duct and a small circulator pump on the the water heater and run the pump so I would always have hot air coming up out of my duct work. Kinda a pre first stage heat. Then my mind takes it always jumps too a solar panel on the roof. Always looking to save money, but I yet have acted on either of these ideas.
Professional Member*
Be more comfortable and save money.
MA
Professional Member*
My lp gas rate is 2.30 a gallon, my electric is .07kwh. I can't justify the cost of a tankless. One of you tankless guys prove to me I can save money with one.
Here is a calculator you can use.
Karst means cave. So, I search for caves.
Professional Member
I think something that was previously stated should be emphasized, that being the maximum flow rate, instantaneous water heaters have a minimum and maximum flow rate therefore you need to understand when sizing the unit my not meet multiple simultaneous uses, the other problem I've had with customers is if they have a large tub and a large valve to fill the tub it takes much longer to fill than they used to with a tank type.
Professional Member
When offering tankless water heater you have to explain all these concerns to the customer. We NEVER sell tankless based on payback, I don't think there is one.
Yes fill rates on large capacity tubs can be slow, but you can fill the tub with out running out of water. My wife has a 65 gallon tub, she has no problem filling it. At my home every morning two showers are taken simultaneously then one immediately following the first two. Our 50 gallon tank could not keep up (wife and teenage son take long hot showers). We never have a problem now.
We install a lot of Rinnai heaters. We will install 4 this week. Only one has ever have a problem, control board went bad. Every other customer has been very happy, because they know what to expect and what not to expect.
Tankless is not for everyone, BUT they do have their place. IF they are installed properly, they will deliver a lot of hot water and do it more efficiently than standard tank heater.
The biggest problems we run into when servicing systems installed by other companies are; most are installed incorrectly and the customers we feed a line of steer poop and now are upset about the performance of the system and that it has not saved them tons of money.
Again, I am very happy with mine and our customers are happy with theirs.
JMO
"We'll have to outwit the fiend with our superior intelligence." Yukon Cornelius
Some people are like Slinkies---not good for anything, but still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs!
Regular Guest
Running out of hot water is one way to get them out of the shower. If my wife & kids had endless hot water , My water & gas bill would be very high. These tankless burn around 150-200,000 BTU . That's more than most of the gas furnaces that heat homes !
I just can't see a pay back(vs tank type ) even for my own use & I can buy at cost & install & maintain
Professional Member
Rinnai water heaters modulate from 15kbtu to 190kbtu. If you are washing your hands it will fire on low only for as long as you are using it. If one person is showering you should be operating at less than half capacity depending on water DT, not the full 190k. If I have a chance tomorrow I'll clock my meter and see what it is burning with one shower. But yes, DON'T buy one for payback.
There is an ON and OFF switch on the controller, 5 min in the shower, flip the switch, that will get them out of there.
"We'll have to outwit the fiend with our superior intelligence." Yukon Cornelius
Some people are like Slinkies---not good for anything, but still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs!
Professional Member*
With the money you save you can add a heated towel rail, that's living!
http://usa.hudsonreed.com/catalog/Fl...rmers/325.html
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