"Stormlady" wrote in message
...
I'm looking for opinions/advice on these. I've just purchased a house
and the current hot water boiler is in the closet in the child's room on
the second floor. Aside from the fact that this renders her closet
practically useless for hanging clothes, I'm concerned that if it leaks
there's going to be a huge mess with damage to her room/floor and the
floor below. Unfortunately due to the layout of the house (4 mini
levels/split level in a townhouse) and the location of the plumbing,
there's nowhere else to put the boiler so I was considering getting one
of the tankless systems. I think this could be installed in the crawl
space under the 2nd level, (tank would never fit in crawl space). The
house is currently wired with 125 amp service providing electric heat for
1200 square feet of living space with 2 adults and 2 small children
living there. Is it feasible to install? Is there anything else I
should consider? Is 125 amp enough to run one of these? This is my
first house and I've owned it less than a week, so I know nothing about
anything when it comes to home renos/installs....

Any help appreciated
Heather


Short version -- Don't do it - you'll still have a potential leak
worry.because you'll still have a water heater with its associated joints
and connection in your closet. Water leaks are likely to come from the
connections, not from rusting through the tank body.

Long version -- For an interior location like you've described, the hot
water tank (I hope it's not actually a "boiler"!) should already be sitting
in a tray to keep leaks from causing damage -- and it's probable that the
tray has its own drain, which should ease your worries about water damage --
if a fitting on the tank leaks, the water goes into the tray, and then
drains outside. Even without a separate drain, any new leak from the unit
is likely to be small at first, and retained in the tray, and you're likely
to notice the water before it ever becomes a big problem.. If your existing
hot water tank was improperly installed (ie, without a tray), your
before-sale building inspection should have uncovered that fact.

I'm not a fan of tankless water heaters, having used them for a number of
years at apartments in Asia. Tankless heaters were always considered
"low-end" and the bigger, better apartments had a conventional hot water
tank.

As you've described your situation, if you substitute a tankless unit for
the existing tank, you'll gain some closet space, but it won't get hot
water to your sinks any faster because they'll still run through a length of
cold tubing. Also, you won't have eliminated your worry about water damage,
because the tankless unit has fittings and connections that are just as
likely to leak as those of a tank. I don't like the suggestion of a series
of smaller tankless units because it means giving up cupboard space in each
kitchen or bathroom, a considerable extra expense for wiring and plumbing
each unit -- and also creates several new opportunities for leakage
problems.

I'd suggest you check on how the existing tank is installed, and if the
existing unit has been there for a long time and you're really really
concerned, buy a new one now and make sure it's installed with a proper
drain.

By the way, there are several other more serious water-damage areas with
which to be concerned, including the hoses to your washer (which may burst
after a few years of use if they are kept under pressure), leaks in/around
the disposal, blockages in the air conditioner condensate line, ice dam
problems around the gutters if you live in the north, and water intrusion
around the foundation if the property isn't sloped sufficiently.

You might ask around your townhouse neighbors if anyone has had a water tank
leak problem -- barring multiple problem statements, don't obsess over the
issue and enjoy your new home --