calling all electricians

[mellowyellow]

there seems to be a lot of pro. electricians<br />that visit here and was wondering if anyone<br />has experience using/installing a "hot water<br />on demand" system. I have 2 electric hot water<br />tanks in my old drafty basement and they cost<br />me a small fortune to run. on demand sounds good<br />to me in theory....

 

[Emby]

Re: calling all electricians

I am not an electrician. Assuming you are referring to the units that install under a sink (or equivalent), I have some limited knowledge. They are wonderful and will save you some money. They work great for things like washing hands, or possibly for an automatic dishwasher. Don't try using one for the shower though. The one's I've dealt with basically try to super heat the moving water. The result is the hot water similar to coming from a standard hot water heater. They say not to use them for extended periods. I think the super heater either starts heating up everything else too, or it's just too hard on the heating elements themselves. The thing I like best about them is that the water is hot in 1-2 seconds. You don't have to wait for the hot water to course through the pipes from the hot water heater to the faucet. This is great if you are in an area that has occasional forced water conservation. I hope those professional electricians out there can verify this for us.

 

[Alrobot]

Re: calling all electricians

As far as I know there are two types of on demand systems. One is a 5 gallon unit below the sink, very limited capacity if you want to run a shower. The other is a recirculator system that pretty much just cycles the water back to the heater tank until you get the desired temp then it shuts off. In california we use this stuff called "natural gas" to heat our water. Might be worth looking into, its a bit cheaper than electricity...

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: calling all electricians

I could run 10 hot water heaters for what it costs<br />the left coast to run a small a/c unit in Calif. (niagra falls hydro) . <br />however there are "whole house" units that I have<br />researched that look good. seems like a smart<br />meathod for heating water.<br />1) it's always hot<br />2) it only heats water when you need it.<br />my plumber looked dazed when I asked him.<br />hoped someone had hands on experience with one...<br />seems perfect for a boat (to me)<br /> http://www.e-tankless.com/products.php?PHPSESSID=ee7ec4ef23c4fab3fa73d38e36a6f54d <br />thanks,<br />M.Y.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: calling all electricians

bump^<br />winter's coming guys...

 

[RICKRICK1]

Re: calling all electricians

My neighbor has one (gas not electric) he is very pleased with the amount of hot water and the savings (long run). His was about $600 installed, and the plumber had to have it certified by the gas company prior use.

 

[MIKE F]

Re: calling all electricians

mellowyellow,<br />I'm interested in them also. I don't know much about them though.I did a web search, a while back, for tankless hot water heaters, and came up with 4 or 5 different companies at least. One of my two hot water heaters, is about 12 years old, and I'm expecting it to blow out any day now. <br />I asked a plumber a while back - he didn't know anything about them.<br />I did see, a couple of weeks ago, that Home Depot now carries them. That might be a good place to start, looking for info.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: calling all electricians

Bosch makes an on demand heater for whole house use. It's available in Nat. Gas or electric. These are very popular in some European countries. Why store all that hot water all day while you are at work? I think the Elec. ones draw pretty hard while they're on but it's momentary, not ALL DAY LONG! <br /><br />A lot of plumbers are reluctant to try anything "new and unproven" (like suspenders). These have been in use in Europe for many years (tankless heaters and suspenders) and they have been quite reliable. I'm sure hard water will ruin them quickly though (as well as your conventional tanks) so consider your water hardness.

 

[Alrobot]

Re: calling all electricians

ya, that Niagra hydro is cheap, I just hope my A/C doesn't have to run as much this winter as it did last winter...they say we might even get some of that water from the sky this year. I agree that most plumbers are leary of trying something they see in Popular Mechanics, but you are the customer, stick to your guns...One other thing... What's a basement...

 

[one more cast]

Re: calling all electricians

I switched from a standard electric water to lp gas and saved about 1/3. Call the gas company and they may pay for your water heater if you sign a 3-5 year contract. It only cost me a little over $100 to switch to gas and that was for installation.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: calling all electricians

thanks again, you guys are the best!<br />Big Al (country bear jamboree right?), I lived<br />in Long Beach for 10+ yrs, but that was before<br />the recent brownouts. sparktricity is a lot <br />cheaper here, but it ain't free. to top it off<br />we have really hard water which is murder on<br />hot water tanks. my basement(the thing under the house)<br />gets pretty cold in winter and those units are<br />working all day long even with insulation.<br />perhaps our mates across the pond can shed some light here?<br />$600 is a bit pricey, but I bet I get it all back<br />within a year. now I have an excuse to go to home<br />depot

 

[Scoop]

Re: calling all electricians

Mellow, I saw an installation on a show on TV. I think it was this old house or something like that. They said they work pretty well if you have one shower on at a time. They mentioned that if you run more than one shower or one shower and a clothes washer that you would still want your hot water heater to preheat the water slightly. Not nearly to the temp it would normally be set to. On the hard water, you would want to get a water softener even if you had a hot water tank especially an electric because of the calcium build up in the tank. They do sell the instant units in gas and electric. I am not sure if one works better or not. Gas usually will provide more heat at less cost. The one I saw on the show was electric and had 2 or three elements in the circuit. Most 50 gal and above regular tanks will have two elements also. If you get one, let us know how it works. We were thinking of them for a replacment water heater in my friends cabin.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: calling all electricians

hi scoop,<br />these units are rated in gallons per min.<br />there are single units for just a shower or<br />sink, and then there are MUCH bigger units<br />that can heat the whole house.<br />or you can install 1 for each shower.<br />it's not a matter of if, but when for me now.<br />will let you know how it turns out...<br />where are the guys from Europe? they've been using<br />this for years over there. would love some advice<br />from someone who has one installed.<br />another link for those interested:<br />(they have propane for your cabin here)<br /><br />http://www.tanklesswaterheatersdirect.com/shop/tankless waterheaters/electricwaterheaters/electricwaterheaterbuypage.asp<br /><br />regards,<br />M.Y.

 

[Capt. Bob]

Re: calling all electricians

I though youse from up North guys, called that thing under the house a celler? <br /><br />Ya'll even have an extra room for mud , right?

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: calling all electricians

LOL! we also have a thing called an attic on top<br />of the house and something most people have never<br />seen called a "barn"... <br />have 2 cisterns(sp) too, but that's way over most<br />people heads.

 

[Scoop]

Re: calling all electricians

Mellow, I have a cistern too. Mine was built under the front of the house. A previous owner broke through the basement wall and now we use it as a storage area. It is the only dry place in the basement. Basement is 9 foot deep with 24" rock walls.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: calling all electricians

we have a winner!<br />I have 2 of them here. house is built about 1850<br />and is less than 1" off from front to back with<br />a plumb bob.( new houses aren't that good) <br />3600 sq. ft, 12ft ceilings, 84" windows etc.<br />been remodeling for 5 years and I'm about half<br />done...LOL

 

[Alrobot]

Re: calling all electricians

Mellow:<br />You hit the nail right on the head, (country bear jamboree). Since they raised the price of electricit in Cali we haven't run out of electric. Seems only the cheaper electric was in short supply, but somehow the more expensive electric is plentiful. And without building any new plants, funny how that works... Have you taken the Jet Boat Tour of the Niagra River. Did that last year on vacation. What a rush, I highly recomend it...

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: calling all electricians

howdy Big Al,<br />yeah that is one fun ride isn't it? the best<br />attraction at the Falls IMHO. 20% of ALL the<br />freshwater in the entire world is right here.<br />36.5 million gallons/min. goes over the horseshoe<br />falls alone.<br />makes you wonder what that "terrorist cell"<br />outside buffalo had planned??? who knows how<br />many people would lose electricity if they shut<br />down the hydro plant...God Forbid!!!!

 

[Scoop]

Re: calling all electricians

Mellow, my house is a veritable pup compared to yours. 98 years. I will never be done with it. Just put a $15,000 roof on it. It took a crew of 10 guys a week to get it done. House is built fairly well, but there are a couple places where there is not enough support. It was built with central heat, no fireplaces. It also has a central vac system that dates back to 1912. The thing is almost as big as me. I can say, I bet you know about a repair project that snowballs. One time, I went to uplug the drain on the second floor shower (Put in in March 1915 according to the newspaper under the cement floor)and ended up replacing the kitchen sink. Now those are stories.