On 16 Jan 2004 11:45:22 -0800, (Michael
Sutton) wrote:

any one have one these tankless hot water heaters?

I researched this to death also......

check the flowrates - like filling my bathtub wide open is 10 gpm-
next to none of them will keep up with that-- of course patience is a
virtue...most of them will do 3-4 gpm easily - showers(most if not all
new heads are 2.5 gpm mand. gov. reg I think) however you can usually
remove that little orifice restriction.....

gas is probably the best money-saving bet, right now, the future being
contingent on gas/electric rates

the newest invention for these is the miniature (hydro-electric)
generator that produces enough electrical current to light the pilot
when the water flows- saving the pilot light costs

another consideration (along with all the others covered in previous
posts) is maintenance..unless you install (recommended) a water filter
in front of this thing it should be cleaned and inspected yearly
(scaling will kill these things efficiency and life expectancy)


good insulation and a timer on a standard water heater is probably
better.....if you are creatures of habit.....include a timer override
button and you can handle the occasional "out of ordinary schedule"
event...if you can wait the 15-30 min for water to heat