[Villages Kahuna]

This suggestion is very much effected by the water piping layout in each house. But a tankless water heater may be the answer for both quicker availability of hot water as well as a lower gas bill.

I've owned three tankless heaters--one in our former primary residence in north suburban Chicago and two at our current "up north house" in southwest Michigan. I would never again buy a tank water heater. The tankless models that would very adequately serve any house in TV are about 2 feet wide by 3 feet high by maybe 8-9 inches deep. They can easily be hung on a wall or placed elsewhere out of sight. I have one in MI that's in an interior closet and vented up thru a roof chimney. The second unit is actually under a seat in a large shower and is vented out the side wall of the house.

The key to minimizing the cost of installing one is having connections nearby for incoming unheated water, outgoing hot water, the natural gas used to heat the water and a standard 120 volt duplex outlet to power the unit's computer controls. I live in a Lantana and I could place it in the garage where the existing tank heater is located. Or I could easily hang it on the laundry room wall or even in the master closet adjacent to the master bath. Tankless heaters are clean and quiet--absolutely silent most of the time when no hot water is being used.

Just a thought.