Tankless hot water heaters

[CajunMama]

I've started reading about them and i think i'd really like to install one in my house. Does just one do the job for all faucets like a regular water heater? I have a gas water heater now and it's up in the attic. I can only imagine what could happen if the drip pan gets clogged or what a pain it'd be to have to replace it.

[Miss Mary]

I'm curious about these too. I'll bump up this topic for you Kathy. We just have the standard gas hot water heater. But it's over 9 years old and who knows when it could go too.

[Ed Mahmoud]

They installed a tankless hot water heater in the shower in the little apartment above our shop in Kamay, TX, and it is difficult to get an even temperature, it cycles uncomfortably hot to uncomfortably cold.

[gtalum]

With a tankless, the important factor is capacity. You need to make sure that you get one large enough to handle the demand for as many things as you might realistically run at one time. I have considered them, but every time I've looked I can't justify the added expense. With energy costs on the rise they may make more sense now, though.

[Pburgh]

I have a multi-level home and my hot water tank was on the top level. (What are builders thinking???) I had it moved to the basement and just had to have it replaced last year. I was thinking about the tankless at the time and couldn't justify the cost either.

[hunter84]

I'm also thinking of getting one too to save a little money. I know they cost more but I think it work be better in the end. Capacity/flow is important. We have 3 bathrooms so I have to make sure there is enough flow. I'd like to find out if it would work on an infloor heating system too, that would be nice.

[DanKellFla]

My mother-in-law has one that is gas powered. Other than keeping dangerously hot, it works great. She litteraly never runs out of hot water. Before you ask, I have no idea what the capacity is. Go to Home Depot/Lowes durring the week and ask to talk to somebody about those. And, research it on the net.

[Jack8631]

I've heard some good things about the tankless heaters, and that they are coming down in price to where they might be competitive with conventional water heaters in certain applications when you consider the efficiency. Not for everybody, I'm sure.

[Dionne]

I have installed the tankless gas water heaters. Some folks love them others hate them. The larger families seem to dislike them the most. People that live alone like them. The most important feature about the on demand water heaters is that you MUST use low volume faucets. You have to create enough back pressure to allow the water to heat. If you currently live in a home that causes the shower to fluctuate when someone in the kitchen uses water.....the tankless heater will not solve your problem. Your problem is in your supply lines. The tankless heaters are better suited to new construction rather than a change out. This allows design of adequate supply lines.

I personally would not have one......give me a 40 gallon natural gas heater.

[Miss Mary]

Karan - I knew Dionne would come thru for you. He answered many of our home repairs/upgrades guestions on the Hearth and Home Forum for us too!

I've always wondered if one would be better also.

So if you were going to put one in, the time to do it would be when you build a new home, adding the correct supply lines and preferably in a small, retirement type home? For an empty nester perhaps? Thinking down the road......