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replacing gas fired water heater

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laura_3
laura_3 Member Posts: 7
in Domestic Hot Water
Interested in pros and cons of replacing (2006 40 gallon) gas water tank
with tankless system. Area is small where present tank is located and have heard of additional venting due to new energy efficiency code. Quantity of hot water not a big issue due to only 2 people in home.

Comments

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,897
    Hello: Is there a problem with the existing heater?

    Yours, Larry
  • laura_3
    laura_3 Member Posts: 7
    no, but it is 10 years old and I am assuming I will only get another couple of years out of it...planning ahead
  • laura_3
    laura_3 Member Posts: 7
    Informative and FUNNY video. My 1927 house has shoe-horned the present water heater in to its current location and I hear that the new water heaters are larger(wider) to meet the energy efficiency code. I also heard about not being able to vent into the chimney, which is the present situation. Running some new venting to an outside wall will be tricky...I think
    so these are a few reasons why I thought about going tankless.
    With 2 adults in the home there isn't a great demand for large quantities of instant hot water.....
    thank you for info will continue to do research
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,897
    Hello: Is there a problem with the existing heater?

    Yours, Larry
  • laura_3
    laura_3 Member Posts: 7
    No, tank is 10 years old and will need replacing in next year or 2
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    @laura , There are a multitude of water heaters in the market. They aren't any larger than they were 10 years ago and many, many of them still vent through the chimney. What brand is your water heater? Replacing the anode rod in them can make them last many years too.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,851
    edited October 2016
    If it were mine, I'd leave it alone.
    Tank heaters are fine. Tankless will not only cost more to buy, it's going to need constant maintenance.


    If you have decent water and the glass lining was done well on the tank you may get another 10 years out of it or more.

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,240
    I would run the old water tank to the bitter end. When they fail they (usually) start to seep a little water and they (usually) don't let go and make a big flood. Mine is a 10 year tank installed in 2003 (fingers crossed)

    Your correct, the new water heaters can be several inches larger than the old ones due to increased insulation.

    as far as venting goes you may be able to relocate a power vent water heater and vent through a side wall as relocating the water and gas a few feet isn't usually a big deal if it is an unfinished basement
  • laura_3
    laura_3 Member Posts: 7
    thanks all
  • Henry
    Henry Member Posts: 998
    If you read the manufacturers instructions, you had to purge the tank once a year. Tank failures are due to an accumulation of deposit at the bottom of the tanks that isolate the metal from the water and the hot flame. By "purging" the tank, you get rid of sediment at the bottom of the tank. It can last more than 15 years! Instant water heaters do not work up North nor with high capacity faucets! We stopped installing instant gas water heaters in 2006 and the utility service company has a nightmare of service calls about them.
  • adambnyc
    adambnyc Member Posts: 260
    Henry said:

    If you read the manufacturers instructions, you had to purge the tank once a year. Tank failures are due to an accumulation of deposit at the bottom of the tanks that isolate the metal from the water and the hot flame. By "purging" the tank, you get rid of sediment at the bottom of the tank. It can last more than 15 years! Instant water heaters do not work up North nor with high capacity faucets! We stopped installing instant gas water heaters in 2006 and the utility service company has a nightmare of service calls about them.

    My Rheem tankless works great. Knock on wood it hasn't given me any issues and I don't regret the upgrade. I wouldn't have done the upgrade if I couldn't do it myself. I was getting some very high quotes. After getting State and federal rebates, the tankless was VERY inexpensive but only because of the self install. This was not an easy install. And yes, was inspected by the town.

    Hatters video is funny, but they are many of the reasons I did the upgrade. The floor space in the basement did matter a lot. Also going direct vent let me move it completely out of the way and to any wall. I ran out of hot water constantly. 3 kids in the house... 3 very smelly kids. Also, I have noticed no difference in flow.

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