Dennis wrote:

Not for nothing, but my 40 gal gas (spec grade) was installed when the house
was new in 1978 and is still going strong.

We put in a Paloma PH6-DP in 1987, and have never made a repair
(although I bought a similar unit, for parts, for $50. about 15 years
ago- hard to find these old units). My local propane distributor has
one like it for their kitchen/ washrooms. We also cook with gas. Our
water pressure is about 20psi max (gravity system from a spring up the
hill) and this thing has always worked fine for us (family of 7 then,
3 now).The only thing I'd want different is the auto lighter- piezo or
"the little turbine" (Bosch), because of the gas- but the unit is on
the wall next to the toilet (in NW earthquake country- 2 shakes, no
problems), so it probably heats that space- a little.

Tankless are really good for cabins and the like. part of the home the wasted
energy in the heating season helps heat your home so its not wasted at
all....... for the heating season. true its a loser for AC

We do have a small place- around 1000sq'- and the space for a tank is
also an issue. When we heated and cooked with wood, I had a tank that
ran through the woodstove... and took all insulation off of it- using
it as a radiator, as well as a hot water tank. That setup, w/ a solar
water panel, would be my favored Luddite fallback mode...

you could likely save a few hundered a year in heating costs for your
new home by doubling wall thickness and upgraded insulation...... at
say 30 grand extra... thats not a good deal either

Amen to that... I'd favor going to radiant floor heating, if the house
is situated to take advantage of that... and, if I lived in horse 'n
dairy country, I'd go for the 250 sq' slab with pipes embedded, on the
downwind side of the house, upon which manure is piled, to fire the
heat exchanger in my own slab flooring... ^..^