In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 6 Feb 2021 22:58:10 -0500, Ed Pawlowski
wrote:
On 2/6/2021 10:33 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 6 Feb 2021 15:02:42 -0500, Ed Pawlowski
wrote:
On 2/6/2021 12:51 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
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For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...t-3092984-.htm
Common sense would say to stay with the 34k. Maybe add a water heater blanket
if the heater is in a cool spot. You might want to look at on demand or tankless water heaters.
If considering an "on demand" heater do the math. I don't know what my
bill for just heating water is, but my gas bill for the dryer, grilling,
cooking and hot water is $10 to $12 a month. No way to justify the cost
of equipment.
I've thought of it so that I wouldn't have to wait a long time upstairs
for hot water. Too much effort to do it myself and too much money for a
cheapskate like me to pay. Some day I should time it and see how long I
really have to wait.
The heater itself is from $600 to $1400 depending on size. Then you
either have to pipe gas and a vent or enough wire to handle at least
18kW for a small one, 27kW for a larger one.
There you go. No wonder it's expensive and no wonder I'm not ready to
do it myself.
I decided now was the time to see how long it takes to get hot now.
Slid the time from my Android phone to the middle, where it gives
seconds, and turned on the water. After 10 seconds, the phone screen
went black and when I got it lit up again, the clock with seconds was
gone. I tried everything but couldn't get it back, and the water never
got hot. Oh, no, no hot water!!!!
Then I realized I'd turned on the cold water. Tried again with the
clock app. 20 seconds. That's all. It's really not worth spending
$1000 to save 20 seconds twice a day, plus it takes up space under the
sink and requires some maintenance every several years.
When I was 10, we moved to a ranch-style house and the water heater was
at the far end from the bathroom and I had to wait for hot water. But
in the dorm and then NY apartment buildings, I didn't have to wait at
all. Then I moved here and the first thing I did is insulate the hot
water pipe to the upstairs bathroom, in the basement. Since I only use
it every 12 hours, insulation didn't help at all.
But tonight settles it. No more plans for instant hot water.