Is a tankless water heater the answer?
I have a mountain cabin which I get just occasional use (6 or 7 times a season) My water system uses a 400 gal holding tank which I carry water into from a local, public Artesian well, and use a pressure pump to provide water pressure to a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink & toilet and a naval shower (3 gal/minute with shut off at shower head) and a 10 gal hot water heater.
The problem is that the hot water heater seems to fail every 3 or 4 years. It has failed again and I am trying to figure out best solution. I am sure it is failing because it sets without use (turned off and drained between uses) In the past, I just replace with same, but now am thinking that it might be time to consider something different.
My question is if a tank-less unit might be the answer. using good spring water so not worried about hard water; no gas, just electric, longest run is about 15′ from heater closet to Kitchen, about 8′ to bathroom sink and 4′ to shower. Is this something I should consider? Have 110 outlet in closet, but would consider 220 if better. at rate I am going, tanks have cost me close to ,000 for a stupid 10 gal tank.
What is your experience and recommendation? Could there be something I can do to save the tank heater I have now? It is only 3 years old.
Tagged with: 3 years • amp • artesian • bathroom sink • best solution • gal tank • good spring • hard water • holding tank • hot water heater • spring water • tank heater • tanks • toilet • water pressure • water system
Filed under: Tankless Gas Water Heater
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A friend of mine installed a tankless in his house and he seems happy with its performance.
220 V appliances are generally more powerful, but I wouldn’t think you’d need that much capacity unless there were two showers which might be used simultaneously.
You didn’t say what actually failed on the present tank heater, but if it’s electric, it might just be the heater element – if it’s ever been powered up w/the tank empty, it will overheat and melt the element. They must be covered with water when the thermostat kicks on.
Is the tank failing or the elements. If it is the tank I would try something different. A tank-less HWH saves you the most money be being close to the use point and many of them are located under sinks or in the bathroom etc. By putting a single unit out by the where the other one was you will only get the savings of keeping a smaller amount of water hot for a small period of time.
If the elements are failing I would guess that you are not filling the tank before turning it on and you are burning them up.
I have an electric tankless in my house and love it. The one I have wasn’t overly expensive, but it does require a single 240V, 60A circuit. The brand name is Titan and they are available online if you are interested. If you can’t find it through google, email me and I will give you a website.
I would suggest that you drain it and shut it off at the breaker before you leave each time though. That way, no water will be sitting in it. Since it provides immediate hot water, when you return to the cabin, all you would have to do is to open the water valve and turn on the electric and you will have hot water right away.
Professional Remodler, good answer. I didn’t realize they had come down that much in price already, or that there were so many sizes now. I found the link and include it for asker.
We have a summer house on a well with a Bosch LPG-fired tankless heater – it is now approaching 15 years old and has been efficient and effective for that entire time. We, or family, use the house for about 48 days per year averaging 2 people at a time. We do have a washer also which we use perhaps 5 or 6 times per year. No dishwasher.
Together with the LPG-fired stove we use perhaps 5 gallons of propane per year. We also ran the system for two full weekends on a small barbecue-type tank – with leftovers. We were changing suppliers so we were between bulk tanks.
You might try that and bring the propane tank with you as-needed.
Whoops! Forgot the links – and yes, we did purchase a reconditioned heater. Links to both gas and electric.
What type of failures have your past heaters suffered? I cannot visualize how draining and shutting them off would contribute to their early failure. Spring water as a rule is pretty high in mineral content and a common cause of heater element failure is calcification, mineral build up. If that has been your problem it would certainly be cheaper and easier just to have a spare element laying around. On the other hand most of the top brands of tankless heaters now have coated elements that prevent calcification failure. A tankless heater is certainly an option, but due to the costs, one wouldn’t be the answer if it were my situation. Even if you had to buy an element and thermostat both for the little heater every year it would take years to add up to the price of a tankless.