Jim wrote:
Since I'm faced with the strong prospect of replacing my failing water
heater I'm curious to learn what others think of the tankless variety
compared to the contemporary water heater tanks. Single homeowner not
having to deal with others showering, etc. Might be inclined to use the
shower while a clothes or dishwasher were operating though.

Although I'm leaning towards gas fired, electric could be considered as
an option if cost effective.


I'm getting ready to install a Bosch gas fired tankless
heater in a small beauty shop. It's rated at 4.3 gal
per min. The other unit I installed was an electric
unit and the problem you have to look out for is the
flow rate. If you want the kind of hot water flow
you'd get from a standard tank type heater, you will
have to get a very high capacity tankless heater.
For high capacity, the gas unit would be the way to
go. A high capacity electric unit requires a lot of
power. The electric unit I installed was a two element
unit that required a separate 2 pole 40amp breaker
for each heater element/tank (about the size of a big
soft drink cup). The larger electric heaters require
more than a 100amp supply, ie expensive. If you have
natural gas you only need a 3/4" supply line with the
proper capacity and of course the correct vent and air
supply for combustion. I will post my results.

[8~{} Uncle Monster