which hot water heater to buy?

Discussion in 'Horn Depot' started by zork, Feb 10, 2011.

  1. zork

    zork 2,500+ Posts

    Here are two choices from Sears:
    #1The Link

    614$, 12 year warranty, 50 gal

    and

    #2
    The Link

    $449.99, 6 year warranty, 50 gallon

    vs
    The Link

    $854, 12 year warranty, 50 gallon. energy star.

    the most expensive one is much more efficient. or should I go to home depot or lowes or some place else in the dfw area?
     
  2. mcbrett

    mcbrett 2,500+ Posts

    None of the above- really.

    Efficient water heaters came out in the 90's. In 2011- they are slowly being replaced by tankless water heaters. Why does it make sense to pay for energy to heat 50 gallons of water, so that this hot water can sit on standby in a tank 'in case' you suddenly need it. Tankless water heaters will cost about what the most expensive one will cost you $800-$900- but, will pay for the net increase in probably less than two years, and then be a net winner easily after that (exacts depend on your use and local elec. rates of course!)

    Tankless Water Heater from Bosch

    Rheem Tankless Water Heaters

    There are plenty of manufacturers- but, don't limit yourself to what Lowes or H Depot may or may not have- this is seriously worth the effort to get 21st century technology. If you have heard of the new retrofit businesses that go around improving buildings- this is one of the first things they change. It's a no brainer!
     
  3. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    Tankless heaters are great, until the warranty gets voided due to hard water deposits. Take a look at hybrid systems like .this one, as an example.
     
  4. dalhorn1

    dalhorn1 1,000+ Posts

    Tankless water heaters are great, yes, but the installation costs can far exceed what a typical tank install would cost. If you consider a tankless system, be sure to get installation quotes before you shop the model of box you buy.
     
  5. mcbrett

    mcbrett 2,500+ Posts

    Question- don't hard water deposits depend on your local water supply? E.g. San Antonians with the aquifer have much more to worry about than Houstonians etc.

    Installation costs- certainly, agreed. Smart to check this out before.

    My main point is- the writing is on the wall from a technology perspective. Tankless is relatively new, the economics are strong already, and there certainly are details to be worked out, but, these are performing well already.
     
  6. accuratehorn

    accuratehorn 10,000+ Posts

    I believe you would qualify for the home energy tax deduction if you install an energy efficient system, which is 30% of the cost up to a $1500 tax credit, right off the top of the income tax owed. This assumes the credit will be in effect again next year.
    We got a tankless Bosch, and there are some valves and piping you have to buy, ours is gas. It's definitely more expensive to change over from the type you already have.
    There are some that mount on the outside of the house, some inside. There are small ones you can mount under each hot water using device, too.
    Ours has been somewhat of a pain to adjust. There are two knobs, one for amount of gas burning, which raises temperature. That is straightforward. But the other knob varies flow, temperature and the amount of water needed to start the flow of hot water. It has this centrifugal device which somehow ignites the gas, so you don't have a pilot. It works, though.
    There are some things you can remove and clean out, and some valve that is supposed to be rebuilt every four years. This may take care of the hard water deposit problems, but not sure depending on how bad your area is for this.
    Wouldn't the hard water also decrease the life of a conventional water heater?
     
  7. Rinnai is a great tankless heater. plus tankless are 12 year standard warranty and are expected to last 20 years. traditional tank heaters don't last much longer than their warranty (don't let the older models fool you - they've been dropping the standard warranty steadily over the years and they do go out pretty much on cue).
     
  8. zork

    zork 2,500+ Posts

    The house was built in '86, has the 50 gallon heater in the attic. It is about 15 years old and I don't want to wait till it dies to replace it.

    My natural gas line source is about 150' down the driveway in a house we will likely move out of in the next two years.

    I'm still interested in a decent water heater though I don't think I want to go the tankless method at this point.
     
  9. are you installing it or hiring someone/a company?
    water heaters are actually pretty easy. it's the heavy lifting that makes it a pain in the ***.
     
  10. scottsins

    scottsins 1,000+ Posts

    To the OP:

    WTF is a "hot water heater"? How does the water get hot before going into the heater? Why do we need to heat water that is already hot?
     
  11. mcbrett

    mcbrett 2,500+ Posts


     
  12. accuratehorn

    accuratehorn 10,000+ Posts

    Now that you have explained your priorities, I recommend chucking the old hot water heater out in front yard, and putting a chili pot full of water on the stove, with a note that says, "here's your water heater, sucka."
     
  13. zork

    zork 2,500+ Posts

    150' of new gas line and the other installation charges would make the tankless too expensive for the return even if I were to live here for 10 years.

    I should have taken the government money last year to get the rebate but didn't have or take the time to do so then. I'll probably go the 12 year warranty tank route.
     
  14. Texanne

    Texanne 5,000+ Posts

    scottsins is in charge of the "Department of Redundancies Department."
     
  15. accuratehorn

    accuratehorn 10,000+ Posts

    If it isn't leaking and you are going to move soon, why replace it? Get a water heater pan and put it under the heater in case it starts leaking. Maybe you won't have to replace it before you move. They don't usually start leaking a lot, they rust out and start dripping for some time. Or is it already dripping?
     
  16. BigWill

    BigWill 2,500+ Posts

    ^
    I
    I
    I


    don't listen to him. If it were a toyota transmission dripping, he'd recommend an overhaul [​IMG]
     
  17. accuratehorn

    accuratehorn 10,000+ Posts

    Well, that's different. That would be an emergency.
     
  18. Uninformed

    Uninformed 5,000+ Posts


     
  19. the electric tankless are not efficient. the tech isn't there yet.
    there is another rebate program going now- state of texas-The Link
     
  20. mcbrett

    mcbrett 2,500+ Posts

    Agree with accurate. Why saddle a house you are leaving in 2 years with mediocre, 20th century tech when you could opt for a 2 year fix, and let the next buyer do what they want (which likely would be tankless anyways.)

    Or, go for the tankless, and charge more for the house, advertising its lower utility bills as reason why. Educated buyers get this logic, and pay more for lower cash outlays over time.
     
  21. NickDanger

    NickDanger 2,500+ Posts

    Do you not have ANY gas in the house? Are you SURE you have to run 150 feet?
     
  22. Perham1

    Perham1 2,500+ Posts

    WTF is a "hot water heater"? How does the water get hot before going into the heater? Why do we need to heat water that is already hot?

    Didn't George Carlin do a bit on this? Why not just a "water heater"?

    Makes sense, but people still say "hot water heater".

    I was recently in the market for a new heater. Turns out, my pilot light just needed relighting.
     
  23. zork

    zork 2,500+ Posts

    Nick,

    The current tank heater is natural gas as is the furnace also in the attic(they are 10 feet away)
     
  24. The gas line that comes in to your house should easily be 3/4" and probably 1". You only need to tap a line that is already within the home - closest to the heater location - to run 3/4" to the tankless. it's easy. i doubt it could be more than 20', but i guess you would know.
     
  25. NickDanger

    NickDanger 2,500+ Posts

    It's sometimes more to upgrade electrict that it is to run a gas line. If you already have a gas heater, I'd just replace it with the cheaper one and put an alarm on your phone to drain calcium once a month ot whenever you replace air filters. People don't adjust their offers on houses because of the water heater.
     
  26. mcbrett

    mcbrett 2,500+ Posts


     
  27. 7Titles

    7Titles 500+ Posts


     
  28. NickDanger

    NickDanger 2,500+ Posts

    There will always be a reason found to push for a lower price. When I sell a house I put $0 in the allowance for repairs and tell them they have 30 days to inspect all they want and then walk if they wish while I continue to receive other offers, but I won't get into a deal where they hire a deal assassin to make it look like there are a bunch of repairs that justify a renegotiation. They never do the repairs or they already had them factored in to their offer and it's just too much trouble to explain to a dipsh** realtor that "lender required repairs" don't mean "inspector noted potential repairs" and a seller doesn't have to do **** unless the lender requires it and the seller has agreed to pay for it.

    I've bought and sold pretty old homes and buyers have come in and had inspectors note that certain things are not "up to current code" on a 100 year old home. I had one where their inspector criticized the framing on a house that had been there for 75 years without incident. THAT guy got an official reprimand and so did their realtor. Probably not the way to make any friends, but I have very little use for the residential realty community.

    Even if someone were to express some concern over a hot water heater (it WAS George Carlin - same routine as non-flammable, flammable and inflammable, why are there 3 words for 2 concepts?) they won't get a $600 discount for a working water heater that isn't brand new. Not from me anyway.

    I'm frequently a dick when it comes to stuff like this.
     
  29. mcbrett

    mcbrett 2,500+ Posts

    Nick- No argument here about the BS that happens when a house is bought/sold.

    My story is nonetheless true, and there are plenty others like that. I personally am willing to increase my offer on a home if I see it has lower monthly expenses than a comparable, apples to apples.

    Real estate deals can really suck. People can be annoying. Water is wet.
     
  30. BigWill

    BigWill 2,500+ Posts

    the big problem is that most residential agents are borderline retarded.

    Yes, there are really good ones. But there 9 fucktards for every decent agent.
     

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