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re: Pro's and Con's of installing a tankless water heater in attic
Posted on 1/5/21 at 11:09 pm to Spankum
Posted on 1/5/21 at 11:09 pm to Spankum
quote:
Pros are that you simply never run out of hot water.
Cons are the higher initial cost.
You can run out of hot water if there's a power outage or there's a problem with the controller.
Having actually installed a few of these things over the years, I'll list off the disadvantages that most here aren't aware of:
It's a more complicated system, there are more parts that can and do go bad.
It needs a much higher capacity gas service. Going from a 30k - 50k BTU burner to 150k - 200+k BTU burner means that there are cases where the existing gas lines have to be replaced because 1/2" pipes won't cut it.
Tankless heaters have a limited temperature rise delta, the colder the water going in means it's not going to be as hot going out. You'll have to consider that when sizing any tankless water heater and might have to adjust it between the winter and summer.
Some shower mixing valves don't play well with tankless heaters that are self-regulating. If the mixing valves closes the volume of hot water below the minimum threshold the tankless unit can turn off or throttle back, meaning your hot shower will turn very cold on you until you adjust the valves.
Larger gas units can produce a very audible deep humming when running, amplified by the attic framing they are often attached to. Sometimes it's the gas burner and the water moving through it that makes the noise.
2
Posted on 1/5/21 at 11:15 pm to Chad504boy
A buddy has them in 6 units, no issues. Only thing I remember is the plumber saying the vent pipe is expensive and of course the roof penetration.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 12:52 am to Bear88
quote:
st had to get one a few months ago after tank one busted. Water does not get quite as hot but my main complaint is I or wife have had to go in the attic several times to reset the damn thing. It will be cold water and it will read 110 error . You have to reset it , sometimes several times before it will stay on setting of 120.
You know you could try, I don’t know, googling the code and fixing the issue so it doesn’t keep happening
It’s usually not that hard
Posted on 1/6/21 at 7:00 am to VanRIch
A tankless doesn't heat the water as much?
Posted on 1/6/21 at 7:37 am to Jake88
Just an FYI...
The unit I purchased after doing some Consumer Reports and testimonial research is the Stiebel Eltron Tempra 24 Plus.
The settings go up to 140°.
I think it was around $700 new.
There were a few units rated higher but they were much more expensive. This one seemed like a solid unit that was affordable and met the needs of my household.
If you are trying to calculate based on size, remember the chart is rated on how many showers and sinks it will run at 1 time. You don't need to choose 1 so big because you have 3 showers in your house but how many you typically run at 1 time. My house has 2 showers but rarely do we run them both at the same time. I think the 24kw is big enough to handle 2 showers and 1 sink according to their chart. We haven't had any issues running out of hot water.
The unit I purchased after doing some Consumer Reports and testimonial research is the Stiebel Eltron Tempra 24 Plus.
The settings go up to 140°.
I think it was around $700 new.
There were a few units rated higher but they were much more expensive. This one seemed like a solid unit that was affordable and met the needs of my household.
If you are trying to calculate based on size, remember the chart is rated on how many showers and sinks it will run at 1 time. You don't need to choose 1 so big because you have 3 showers in your house but how many you typically run at 1 time. My house has 2 showers but rarely do we run them both at the same time. I think the 24kw is big enough to handle 2 showers and 1 sink according to their chart. We haven't had any issues running out of hot water.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 7:46 am to Jake88
quote:
A tankless doesn't heat the water as much?
If you look at the charts you will need to know the incoming water temperature and the unit capacity to heat that water to the desired temperature to maintain the output requirements of your household.
If the incoming water is 50° the 24kw unit might only put out 2.4 gpm of hot water. (enough for 1 shower) But if the incoming water is 70° that same 24kw unit would put out 4.5 gpm of hot water. (enough for 2 showers).
One poster above mentioned that you might need to adjust your temperature setting from Summer to Winter. I have found that to be the case at my home. When I originally set the dial it was during the summer when I installed everything. I just adjusted it again this month because I thought the water wasn't getting quite as hot as it used to.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 8:00 am to Chad504boy
quote:
Pro's and Con's of installing a tankless water heater in attic
Just go tankless.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 8:08 am to Chad504boy
Pro's its out the way.
Con's. A leak would really suck
Maintenance will suck
You have to use a vented model.
Other than that better than a tank heater in the attic.
Con's. A leak would really suck
Maintenance will suck
You have to use a vented model.
Other than that better than a tank heater in the attic.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 8:47 am to reggo75
Should I speak with different plumbers and buy it through them along with their install or buy it on my own and then call the plumber to install it?
Posted on 1/6/21 at 8:51 am to Clames
Good info.
If building new, i would consider going tankless and plan accordingly. Modifying an existing set up does not seem worthwhile imo after carefully reading this thread. Very nominal pros for a lot of unknowns especially maybe having to vent a roof, or change location adding lots of extra cost.
If building new, i would consider going tankless and plan accordingly. Modifying an existing set up does not seem worthwhile imo after carefully reading this thread. Very nominal pros for a lot of unknowns especially maybe having to vent a roof, or change location adding lots of extra cost.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 9:19 am to Clames
Those issues sound familiar. I was thinking about getting a tankless system 10+ years ago but my veteran plumber talked me out of it.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 9:24 am to USMEagles
quote:
Do they get as hot as the old kind, though? I
My Rinnai tankless has a max water temperature that is inadequate for me. However, there is a dipswitch on the unit that allows you to go about 15 degrees hotter.
If you go tankless you should put some thought into capacity. There are different size units. And if you’re feeding your whole house, depending on your household, you might need to parallel two of them.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 9:42 am to Chad504boy
If I have a vented gas water heater in my garage, would it not be a pretty simple switch to put a tankless in? I'm trying to think if there is anything else that would be require?
If OP has a tanked in his attic, I don't see how a tankless would be any worse as far as potential issues. As said a tanked has all the same potential issues PLUS 50 gallons or whatever of water in a tank. Any leaks that could happen in a tankless can happen in a tanked.
If OP has a tanked in his attic, I don't see how a tankless would be any worse as far as potential issues. As said a tanked has all the same potential issues PLUS 50 gallons or whatever of water in a tank. Any leaks that could happen in a tankless can happen in a tanked.
This post was edited on 1/6/21 at 9:44 am
Posted on 1/6/21 at 9:57 am to Captain Crackysack
quote:
The pros are that it’s 2021 and there is no reason not to have a tankless water heater besides being poor.
If there is a catastrophic event that cuts off the water supply, my tank water heater has a nice reservoir of water to use.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 10:01 am to Chad504boy
quote:Every plumbing professional will tell you that conversion of an existing water heater to this type of system is a tankless job.
Pro's and Con's of installing a tankless water heater in attic
This post was edited on 1/6/21 at 10:08 am
Posted on 1/6/21 at 10:23 am to Chad504boy
You do have to periodically flush/descale them. How hard will that be in the attic?
Posted on 1/6/21 at 10:27 am to Chad504boy
I know someone that went completely tankless due to having a conventional tank rupture in the attic.
The attic is an idiotic place to put an aqua time bomb.
The attic is an idiotic place to put an aqua time bomb.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 10:30 am to Chad504boy
In my opinion any water heater in an attic is a bad idea but a tankless one would be better as far as leaks go. Either style has a supply line which can bust and be a problem until it is shut off but the tank leaking is far more likely than a supply line failure.
Anyone with trouble getting hot water from a tankless water heater should look into on demand heaters installed in line near the device in question. They work great. They are pretty affordable, especially during construction, and are pretty good investment if the building is sold.
Anyone with trouble getting hot water from a tankless water heater should look into on demand heaters installed in line near the device in question. They work great. They are pretty affordable, especially during construction, and are pretty good investment if the building is sold.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 1:32 pm to Gtmodawg
Our tankless water heater is in the attic. No issues so far.
Cons - Takes longer for the water to get hot.
Pros - Never run out of hot water.
I would go tankless if had to do it again.
Cons - Takes longer for the water to get hot.
Pros - Never run out of hot water.
I would go tankless if had to do it again.
Posted on 1/6/21 at 1:41 pm to Tempratt
quote:
I know someone that went completely tankless due to having a conventional tank rupture in the attic.
The proper way to install them is with a drain pan with a drain line to your sewer system, so if it leaks it goes into the pan and then into your sewer system.
If you own a 2 story home you have water lines above your 1st floor. You can always get a water line leak.
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