Choices between tankless and high recovery powered vent hester

[Terry Clark]

As my 40 gallon gas, Bradford White heater is getting old , I am struggling with a choice between tankless and high efficiency high or quick recovery traditional water heaters. I have done sizing requests on the navien web site and they indicated thier largest unit would likely work, but would be at the upper limits on capacity. Another thing that bothers me about tankless is some of the horror stories I hear of warranty issues. They are more complex. I am a diy guy. I worked in maintenance in a coal fired power plant for a good many years, and I'm not afraid to do an inwith stall just concern about warranty issues. On the other hand a high recovery, tank type unit with power vent seems less frustrating. Feel free to give your opinion on this choice and thanks in advance.

 

[FishScreener]

With the last updates of the energy standards for tank type heaters, the efficiency of the tankless, by not having storage losses, can’t save you enough to recover the difference in initial cost before the tankless is worn out.

Simply stated, a tankless can’t pay for the difference in initial cost, before it wears out.

A few years ago, before the energy standards for the tank type heaters were updated, a tankless could generally break even. But in a normal household situation they don’t.

The only place the tankless work out now is installations like the portable shower trailers for fire camps, where forty or fifty wilderness fire fighters need to shower one after another.

And, adding in the cost of upgrading the gas or electric service, to handle the increased demand, makes it even harder to justify a tankless installation.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Plus the tankless heaters often need lots of fussing over.
Flushing, changing or cleaning filters.

All the working parts are jammed together so tight, often hard to work on.

 

[Terry Clark]

Thanks for the responses. Any opinions on the tank type models. Power vent, high rcovery and so on?

 

[CT18]

I am a plumber and would not have a tank less. I have installed probably 30 or so in houses and i hate them. First you have to make sure you have the gas volume to supply the burner. Then you have GPM at water temp rise, the colder your incoming water the less GPM out you will get. You cant run more than one fixture and get a good volume of water. Then you have to flush them to maintain warranty. If it does break they will send a company trained person out to work on it. You just cant have anyone repair it and be covered under warranty.

I put a 50 gallon power vent in for a family member with 4 baths and 5 people living in the house and they have never been without hot water. I would only run a tank less if i had space issues or a large jetted tub that needed a large gallon amount to fill.