Hidden
costs:
>
Tankless units are not made in your town. They are high tech gadgets
requiring precision engineering. Heat exchanger is special metal
alloy and expensive to replace, especially if improper
installation
causes dripping condensation that corrodes exchanger.
> Hot water takes just as long to reach faucet > tankless
is
not 'instant' unless located under sink or next to bathroom
>
Many units installed outdoors to avoid need for larger vent to outside,
and demand for adequate fresh air. This can locate water heater farther
from usage points in house.
> Outdoor tankless units have internal heater to keep unit from
freezing
in
winter, which adds standby cost similar to storage-type heaters.
> Tankless need more fresh air to support high combustion rates.
This action draws air through cracks and works against HVAC.
> Minimum 1/2 to 2/3 gallon water flow before tankless turns on.
Faucet located far away might not
activate heater immediately. Consumer might wait longer for hot water
to arrive. Hot water may not arrive. Ask questions.
> Water flow requirements for tankless are not consistent with
water conservation.
> Tankless warranty does not match 20-year promotion claims
> check warranty papers, since repairs will leave you without
hot
water until parts arrive
>
Parts are not available at local store. Parts not interchangeable
between brands. Parts may not be available on weekend. If tankless unit
lasts 20 years as claimed, who will carry parts in year 15? Ask
questions.
> Problems are difficult to diagnose. Causes can be from a
number of combined internal and external factors. No hot water during
delay.
>
Homeowner dependent on professional service. Repairs are not done
by low-cost handyman. Tankless are complicated electronic computer.
Trained service technician required.
> Tankless problems vary from brand to brand.
> You are connecting
motherboard and sensors to electrical and plumbing systems, and to a
gas burner with vent to outdoors. These things each have problems
without adding a computer.
>
Self-installed tankless can void warranty. Read manual. Each
brand has
installation protocol
that must be followed for warranty to take effect. Homeowner installed tankless needs repair.
> No hot water during power loss > no power to
electronics, no hot water.
> Instruction manual recommends cleaning combustion parts
yearly, de-liming yearly, cleaning air filter yearly, and cleaning
water filter monthly. Constant maintenance is a nusiance and
eliminates savings. Read tankless instruction manual and compare with
tank-type water heater.
>
Tankless are prone to
lime build-up
in heat exchanger. Tankless must be de-limed each year, adding
long-term expense.
>
Softener and filter are required. Tankless cannot be exposed to hard
water or parts will clog and fail within 2 years. Read
research pdf
> Promised savings do not match reality. > Exception:
household with reduced consumption, and
with bath/kitchen located near tankless unit will realize more savings
than home with multiple tankless units blazing each time a bath is
run.
> Tankless consume more energy per gallon of
water heated than storage-type heater. Read manual that shows
tankless-gas
require
larger gas line and larger exhaust.
>
Undersized gas line or gas meter will
cause tankless and other gas appliances to malfunction.
>
Tankless use more energy per minute of operation than storage-type
heaters.
> Tankless cannot be connected to heat exchanger. Each gas
burning appliance sends heat up vent stack.
This is wasted
energy. Heat exchanger can recapture some heat. If tankless
vent is slowed by heat exchanger, combustion will
slow, causing computer to turn off unit.
>
Tankless cannot store heat gathered from other sources.
In comparison,
storage-type
heaters can store heat gathered from heat-pump-exchanger,
solar-heating, geothermal, drain water recovery & wood stove.
> Gas: Converting to tankless-gas is 3x more
expensive. Larger gas
line is required. Larger vent. Read
installation spec
sheet & ask questions.
>
Electric: Converting to tankless-electric can require additional 90-120
Amps. Check amp requirement of unit. Check main breaker to see total
amps matches requirement. New
breaker panel and service may be necessary. Read tankless spec sheet
& ask questions.
> Promise of unlimited hot water not consistent with energy
savings.
>
Low water
pressure causes tankless computer to shut down burner.
> Incoming cold water during winter might not heat without
oversized unit or additional tempering tank. See tempering tank
> Tankless temperature is pre-set to 120 degrees. Read
tankless manual to see how to adjust temperature. If adjustment is not
simple do-it-yourself, then that can add a service call.
>
Raising thermostat setting on tankless means that less hot water is
available. Tankless may not achieve thermostat setting if incoming
water is cold.
>
Future planning: Storage-type heaters can be adapted to meet future
needs: For
example: low-flow water systems that conserve water; integration with
solar;
integration with heat-exchangers. Tankless are limited to hydrocarbon
fuel and high water
flow.
>
Recapturing CO2 from gas appliances at each home is not likely
> converting to electric water
heat could be
the
future, since CO2 from electric generation can be centrally recaptured
at power plant when technology discovers method.
> Your storage tank works fine. It is easy to
fix and replace. It is cheaper over the long term. There are many ways
to reduce costs and save with storage-type
heaters. Read
Sources:
see links bottom of page
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