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Posted by hallerb@aol.com on April 4, 2008, 8:10 am
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> > Since there's been some discussion about these critters here lately, I
> > thought I'd add my take on them. I have three customers who actually
> > have them, so I speak from some experience.
>
> > First of all, the answer to questions like "should I install one?", "are=
> > they more efficient/cheaper/better than a tank heater?" is definitely
> > "it depends". It depends on (in no particular order):
>
> > o where the heater is installed (how far it is from the farthest faucet)=
> > o how big the heater is
> > o the water usage pattern
>
> > The last probably being the most important.
>
> > Two of my customers have the same type of older-generation tankless
> > heaters (Aquastar, a French-made unit, now handled by Bosch for spares).=
> > Two of them are installed in the attic crawlspaces of a
> > commercial/residential building, probably because the remodeling
> > contractor didn't want to sacrifice any more space in the living units
> > than necessary (and also simplified venting, since they're right under
> > the roof). This makes these two a pain in the ass to service; I've
> > overhauled both of them (replacing water valves and thermostats). Still,=
> > they operate pretty well.
>
> > One of these had an odd setup, which it took me a while to figure out.
> > Someone had written "OPEN 3/4 TURN" on the inlet valve, and it turned
> > out that sure enough, the heater would simply not function correctly if
> > it was opened any further. Not enough hot water in the shower, though
> > the kitchen sink was OK. The culprit was the shower valve, which was a
> > strange one that was full-on with temperature control; there was simply
> > no way to have anything less than full flow in the shower. This shows
> > that there's a definite limitation to how much flow these heaters will
> > handle.
>
> > Another customer has this same heater in their fairly large house.
> > They're very happy with it; they have plenty of hot water and their gas
> > bills are lower.
>
> > My other customer just installed a Tagaki heater outside her house. This=
> > unit is remarkably small, requires no venting, and supposedly has a much=
> > higher capacity (and is more efficient). (Having electronic ignition
> > doesn't hurt, either.) I'm told that this is pretty much the state of
> > the art today. Too early to tell how it'll affect her gas bill.
>
> > One thing that ought to be considered is insulating hot water pipes to
> > further avoid heat loss.
>
> > --
> > The best argument against democracy is a five-minute
> > conversation with the average voter.
>
> > - Attributed to Winston Churchill
>
> I gues the most interesting FACT overlooked, on purpose, =EF=BF=BDIs I mys=
elf,
> and the other poster on the last thread have experianced a reduction
> of more that HALF in heating water costs, based on summer use ;[ when
> no heat is being used to heat the building}- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
just how does anyone specifically determine water heating savings,
usage varies, incoming water temperature varies, fuel costs vary.
there are too many variables to pin down.
if one compares the energy guide lablels a 50% savings isnt possible.
at most about 30%
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