tankless water heater - lp

[rockriver]

looking for info... first hand or professional... or gossip.
brand/model recommendations or steer clear?
or any info would be appreciated.
on a tankless water heater for a very small "cabin"
1 bath and small kitchen.

[Grand58742]

I had a natural gas tankless in Germany in my apartment and liked it. I've thought of going to one here, just quite a bit on the initial start up and might take a while to pay off.

Pro's: Generally dependable and doesn't use a lot of gas compared to the tank designs. Gets water hot pretty quickly. On demand means you aren't burning gas when you don't need to be

Cons: Requires electricity (at least my model did), don't have that reservoir of water for emergency use, initial start up can be expensive

Overall, it's not a bad investment from the start since it does tend to be efficient and you really won't go wrong by getting one.

Here's a list of models that rate at the Energy Star. You really can't go wrong with one of the brand names like Rheem, Kenmore or Ruud in my opinion.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=gas_tankless.display_products_html

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Same as Grand, had one in Germany first tour and it was ok. It did its job and same comments on pros and cons. It wouldnt be my primary but i wouldnt hesitate to say put one in a shop or small bathroom etc.

[Bama]

I also had one in Germany, it worked well. I just had to get use to the "whooshe" when you turned the hot water on. It was a small unit mounted over the john. The first time I was using the john and it fired up over my head I nearly came unglued. Funny how I forgot about it untill I read this thread. The only thing I can add about a new purchase is that they run about six times as much as a conventional water heater

[SeldomSeenSlim]

I've never been to Germany, but I do have a tankless water heater. I have a Bosch 1000LP (I think that's the model). It is a smaller unit designed to provide hot water for one outlet at a time. The ignition is a standing pilot. I've had it about a year. Bought it last February when my tanked heater developed a leak.

It provides HOT water. Not kind of hot, but HOT. It isn't instant though. Have to run the faucet for a bit to get it kicked on and churning out the hot water. Under a minute. I've never actually timed it. Once you have hot water in there you can stop and start (like when doing dishes) and you don't have to wait. For showers, you can sit in there for as long as the propane lasts and have hot water. Propane consumption is less, though I don't have an exact figure. Only going by the percentage my tank was at in August when I had it topped off.

The small unit is just fine for me and seems like it would fit your needs. Either take a shower or do dishes, but not at the same time. Not hard when it's just two of us here.

If I had to do it again I would probably get the model that has the hydro ignition. Basically a small turbine that turns when the water flows to generate a spark to light the propane. The standing pilot doesn't consume much, but more than 0. The pilot is simpler and less chance of something breaking. Toss up really.

I can't recall how much it cost. I want to say $500-$600. The tax credit was in effect then so it was essentially free after that.

Install was simple. The one gotcha converting from a tanked model to a tankless is that tankless have a larger vent than a comparable tanked model. My old tanked heater had a 3" vent and the tankless is 4". Instead of going through the mess of redoing the whole vent I just capped the 3" and ran the 4" through the wall. I could have necked it down, but the manufacturer recommended a longer distance than I had to work with before a transition. It likely would have been alright, but going out the wall was easy.

I really can't think of anything bad to say about it. It's been flawless in performance thus far. Even this time of year when the water coming into the house is damn chilly it makes a nice hot shower.

[Maid Marion]

We replaced our hot water heater with an on demand unit and we love it. The initial cost was less then $400.00 and it only requires 2 D batteries to give it the spark it needs to work. No outside electricity. It takes about 20 seconds for the hot water to kick in but once it does........relax and enjoy. It is an Eccotemp. No complaints and its been 3 years. Had to replace the batteries one time.

[610Alpha]

Have you looked at a "Point Of Use" water heater? They are less than $300 @ Lowe's.http://www.lowes.com/pd_294798-1136-...roduct_price|0

Just another option to consider.

[rockriver]

thanks guys,
this is the kind of info that i was looking for.
i wish the stores around my area had these for sale. i would sure like to go
put my hands on them and check them out.
looks like i'll have to order one off the internet..
not used to ordering household appliance off the internet!!
rr

[rockriver]

update.
i went with the eccotemp. thanks maid.

it looks like prices have come down a lot.

i ordered the cheaper version. had some credit card problems. my fault.
the bank wanted to confirm i'd made the order. i didn't confirm, therefore delaying shipping. my fault.
ordered it through build.com after pricing at a bunch of places. i couldn't locate one locally.
when it showed up, build.com or eccotemp or ?? had actually sent the higher priced unit. billing me for the lower priced unit!! i called and left a message.
no response. we needed a water heater... so just installed the bigger unit.
we love it so far.
i called a buddy to help with installation. - gas -
folks this isn't rocket science.
probably a good idea for me, but very doable!

yes. it is higher cost up front. but no gas usage till you turn on the faucet!!
very important for my use.

thanks for all the suggestions.

[-06]

Thanks for all the tips/info. Putting in a new bath and going tankless. Will have washer,deep sink, Jacuzzi, shower, and double sink. Better inside or out?

[rockriver]

my cabin has a metal garage/storage area attached. it's dry but not insulated and not
air tight.
eccotemp is inside the garage. outside the living area. we used a 3"metal vent
through the wall.
they sell units for both indoors and outdoors.
good luck.
google tankless water heaters. there are many brands.
several i had heard of, but didn't know they sold water heaters.
the eccotemp is one of the less expensive brands.
and i got a good endorsement here.
pretty good reviews on several of the vendors websites.
good luck!
rr