"Jim" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all who replied. Opted to replace the failing heater with a
similar unit. Looking at the tankless variety I could not see where the
higher initial costs would be offset by efficiency's in any reasonable
time.


Maybe so; maybe no.

If someone is home most of the time and hot water is used duirng much of the
time or you routinely shut down the water heater when you intend to be gone
for a day then at present prices (including installation -- the demand water
heaters require 2 to 4 times the peak power of "conventional" heaters) they
are hard to justify.

The conventional heaters are just about dirt simple and use decades old
technolocy. The demand heaters have electronics which might be damaged by
power surges, etc.