Quote:
Originally Posted by amorak
I know before it was a big family savings thing (3-4+ people in a house) before it became economical...
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Actually, what I was told is a larger household means you recycle the water in the tank more frequently so it's not that bad. With less people in the house you just end up heating water in the tank, which then sits there and has to be reheated so it's not as efficient. Personally I don't think there is a huge difference.
I have a tankless system. It's a Rinnai which is the top rated manufacturer... and it's certainly nowhere close to $1000. From the experiences we've had it's not something I would go bargain hunting with. Looking at the Bosch unit at Home Depot it is not Energy Star rated and only does 3.5 gallons per minute which I'm thinking is a little light and could cause problems. I believe the Rinnai unit I have is over 9. The Rinnai is a 6 burner unit so it will only fire off the number of burners required to heat the water to your temperature. I don't know if the Bosch unit is the same or not but it's something I'd check.
Beyond the unit, you need to make sure the installation is done properly. The gas line to the system needs to be the first T off the main line. You'll also need Atco out to replace your gas meter so it pushes enough gas through for both your furnace and water heater otherwise your water heater might cut out.
Another consideration is to leave your tank system in place (assuming there is nothing wrong with it). By doing this you have a supply of water sitting at room temp instead of pulling water directly from the line. The tankless system then doesn't need to fire as many burners off to heat the water this adding a bit more efficiency. The other advantage is if there is ever anything wrong with your tankless unit you can have them reconnect the gas to the tank and you'll have hot water. They can then take the tankless unit to the shop and fix it or if they have to order a part it's not as big a deal.
I love the tankless system. As the second showerer in the morning from time to time I had a shorter shower as the tank ran empty. I no longer have that issue. We can also run the dishwasher and shower at the same time.