Tankless Water Heaters/Boilers

[qwikz28]

Guys, The pilot light on my hot water heater will go out every couple of days and the pump seems to have gone on the furnace for the second time this year. I already replaced the burner mechanism on my hot water heater in May when it failed completely.

A few pictures of my utility room are attached here. Space is at a premium in there, so I'm looking into space saving options. I know there have been a few threads on wall mounted tankless hot water heaters, but I'm actually considering doing a drastic overhaul before it gets too cold and just pulling both and getting a combination tankless hot water heater and boiler. The house uses baseboard heating and it certainly makes sense to have one unit since they both, essentially, serve the same function.

Anyone have experience with this? I want to make a move before my wife realizes we don't have heat in the house.

[MDSheds_SS]

Only experience I have with wall heaters is service calls. I haven't installed one yet. I do more commercial work then residential. I do know it needs to be mounted on an exterior wall so it can be vented and suck in fresh air also you need check the gas pressure at your house to make sure you have enough on the input side. You should be able to call the gas company and ask them to check that for you.

[qwikz28]

Originally Posted by MDSheds_SS

Only experience I have with wall heaters is service calls. I haven't installed one yet. I do more commercial work then residential. I do know it needs to be mounted on an exterior wall so it can be vented and suck in fresh air also you need check the gas pressure at your house to make sure you have enough on the input side. You should be able to call the gas company and ask them to check that for you.

Thanks for the heads up. I do think I'd be able to mount it on an exterior facing wall, so that shouldn't be a problem. I've also been reading that most issues people have with them is due to faulty installation. The plumber I usually work with admits he doesn't have much experience with them, so I'm a little wary about doing this.

[The_Bishop]

If you do go this route, make sure you hire a plumber that is familiar with them.

[stoney2677]

Installed them.

Pros
Very efficient
Quiet

Cons
Price (equipment and labor)
Maintenance
More pumps, valves, and controls=more things to fail
No power=no hot water (why I don't have one in my house)

They do work well but expect to pay each year for maintenance and also to be replacing parts more often than you'd think.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

When I replaced my water heater, I asked about tankless, and he recommended against it unless I wanted long term payback through energy savings. He said there's a lot of maintenance and hassle, but the energy savings is large (it better be for the price premium up front!).

[LTb1ow]

Just to echo whats been said, the cost drove me away from one. And the water heater I got ended up being a very efficient model so while its not a tankless level, it was a huge step up from my older one.

[qwikz28]

Originally Posted by stoney2677

Installed them.

Pros
Very efficient
Quiet

Cons
Price (equipment and labor)
Maintenance
More pumps, valves, and controls=more things to fail
No power=no hot water (why I don't have one in my house)

They do work well but expect to pay each year for maintenance and also to be replacing parts more often than you'd think.

I'm willing to pay the price and for the maintenance if it works well and it's reliable. Space is at a premium in that room and it's worth it to me so long as it works well. Would you take on the project up my way? If so, let's talk.

[Blackbirdws6]

I went with a tankless but only because the options available to me for a traditional gas energy efficient unit were simply not viable (mechanicals are in crawl space with a generally low height). Maintenance hasn't been bad at all on it and my only gripe is waiting 30 seconds for the hot water to arrive. My wife appreciates being able to take her forever showers which likely negates any energy savings I would be achieving lol.

[sweetbmxrider]

[stoney2677]

Originally Posted by qwikz28

I'm willing to pay the price and for the maintenance if it works well and it's reliable. Space is at a premium in that room and it's worth it to me so long as it works well. Would you take on the project up my way? If so, let's talk.

Can't, no license to work in NY. I no longer have a plumbing license in NJ either after a staff change. I'll repeat whats been said, make sure whoever you get has done multiple installs. First question they should ask is if you have any high flow shower heads. If you do, the combis nor the hot water only tankless can handle that kind of flow. If you want you can send me any proposals to look over. Good luck.

[qwikz28]

Originally Posted by Blackbirdws6

My wife appreciates being able to take her forever showers which likely negates any energy savings I would be achieving lol.

Guilty!

Originally Posted by stoney2677

Can't, no license to work in NY. I no longer have a plumbing license in NJ either after a staff change. I'll repeat whats been said, make sure whoever you get has done multiple installs. First question they should ask is if you have any high flow shower heads. If you do, the combis nor the hot water only tankless can handle that kind of flow. If you want you can send me any proposals to look over. Good luck.

Thanks. I really appreciate your help. If you do come across someone good, let me know. I'm replacing the furnace pump tomorrow to buy myself time to do more research and find a good installer.