SpiceWare's Blog

Did it need special, expensive wiring?

No, it's natural gas. They said I could run it for about a week off a computer UPS.

No, it's natural gas. They said I could run it for about a week off a computer UPS.

 

Oh, OK. Thanks. If I ever get one, I'd like it to be electric. I don't trust natural gas.

Super interested to see how this works out, especially with respect to cost savings and with hot water volume. please keep us posted!

 

david

I've had a tankless water heater for four years now - definitely recommend it!

 

Now, there are some potential issues, and they depend a lot on how big you go on your heater. I went with the largest you can get - 199,000 BTU - without needing a special permit. But you want to go big on these if you can, especially if you live in a cold climate.

 

Of course going big may come with issues. There is a chance your gas piping is not adequate. It depends on a lot of things but these water heaters use a lot more gas than regular heaters. In my case, 3 times more. The heater was near the gas main into the house so it wasn't an issue. However, in many cases, pipes either need to be upsized or your pressure in your system might need to be increased. Increasing the pressure usually works but this can mean that any weaknesses in your piping could case a leak.

 

Other issues are that unlike a regular heater is the venting. The exhaust vent will be far hotter so you need to ensure it's adequately insulated and the proper piping used (may need to be wider than the existing.) These water heaters also pull in so much air for combustion that they often need an inlet to pull in outside air for it, otherwise they will suck the air out of your house and cool it down. If it's going in an attic or garage, this isn't necessary, but anywhere in the house, it is.

 

I can't comment on the savings as mine replaced an electric water heater. But it works very well and I'm happy with it.