Dare To Be Tankless

Published by Green by Design under Renewable Energy

One of the most overlooked and forsaken appliances is the the hot water heater. How many of us pay any attention to it until the hot water runs out in the morning shower? It should be on our immediate list of appliances for an upgrade to a greener alternative.

You should start by visiting your storage or utility closet and see if you are hiding a large round 40 to 60 gallon water tank. That water in your closet is being heated when you are sleeping, at work or on a vacation. Not a great way to save on those rising energy bills.

For the “green home” the tankless hot water systems make the most sense. They are “on demand heating” so water is heated only when you need it in real-time.

They come in two common forms: gas and electric. The gas tankless water heaters are most commonly used for whole house applications and are normally more powerful, but come with more requirements than electric. Electric models are best used for single point or point-of-use. Examples would include a bathroom or kitchen sink.

Savings range from 15% to 50% over a conventional hot water tank and can be further increased by adding solar thermal to have the ultimate green hot water solution.

Even though design does not really factor into the buying choice, Rinnai (image left) and Stiebel Eltron (image above) have come out with some attractive gray/silver box covers…though there is nothing bad to say about the plain white box. What I would look for is the required heating capacity of the water you will use and then compare price. Prices start as low as $200 for a point-of-use electric, then $400 for smaller homes and over $1200 for the medium and larger homes. Each manufacturer has several models to choose from. As an example Bosch tankless water heaters include AquaStar 2400E ($1240), the most energy efficient in the Bosch line, or the 1600PS ($750), specifically designed as a backup to preheated water produced by solar-based systems or from woodstoves.

Note: Though many do-it-yourself homeowners are able to install them, it is recommended to use a professional.

7 Responses to “Dare To Be Tankless”

Julian says:

October 8, 2008 at 2:30 pm

Electric tankless can quite sufficiently supply hot water to an entire house. I don’t know why folks say they’re only capable of supplying unending hot water to a single fixture. It sends the wrong message.

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Michel says:

October 9, 2008 at 2:15 pm

I’m looking into getting this for our place, but I think we need to pass it by the condo committee.
Also, strangely enough, some companies won’t sell these in my province (Quebec), because provincial law requires documentation to also be available in French.

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Martha says:

October 10, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Michel,
Be the first in your condo building to put in a Rinnai — set the trend in Montreal, oh Tinman! Let us know if you install the Rinnai and how you like it. I love that Quebec requires bilingual documentation.

I checked out your blog, which inspired me to make Belgian waffles with bacon for breakfast tomorrow. Glad to hear you’re back on your bicycle, too.

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Rhonda says:

October 23, 2008 at 3:10 pm

We have four Rinnai’s heating all the water for our 8000 sq. ft. house. We replaced our old 100 gallon water heater, so they sit in the utility closet, NOT point of use. They have reduced our electricity bill by about one third. I highly recommend them!

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brenda says:

January 20, 2009 at 4:12 pm

How trouble-free are they? I have considered them, but been concerned about how reliable they are and whether I will need service on them. A regular hot water tank will last for 15 years with no expected maintenance. How about these?

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Pam says:

March 10, 2009 at 4:59 pm

Who do you use to install a gas tankless water heater? A plumber? I live in Montreal and would like to install but don’t know who to contact.

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Gena says:

August 20, 2010 at 1:06 am

I’ve installed Rinnai R85 tree years ago in Montreal. I love it – endless supply of hot water. All manuals in English, that’s true. But still, I was able to find a plumber. This summer my friend has installed Rinnai, and he is very happy too.
His installer: Service d’Installation J P, tel.: (450) 454-5714. You may find them at GazMerto web site.
I came to this site while looking for maintenance tips. Rinnai recommends maintenance check every year. I plan to do first check soon. My plumber is charging $74 per hour; minimum for 1h30min. And he is not able to tell me how long it will take… Maybe he does not know what to do? So, I’m still thinking… I also have Viessmann gaz boiler for water heating system. And that a lot of work (2 appliances).

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