New gas hot water heater or tankless

[Bay Kid]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?

[retiredguy123]

Why? It would cost more to purchase and install, and you may need to modify your electrical system. Another issue is that tank type water heaters are easy to repair and replace quickly by any plumber. But, if you have a problem with a tankless heater, some plumbers may not have the part in stock. When you lose hot water, you want it repaired as soon as possible. Also, tankless heaters need to be descaled every year or do.

[G.R.I.T.S.]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?

Check with TECO about incentives to install a tankless water heater. About descaling, I did my own and several others…not rocket surgery.😁 We love ours.

[DARFAP]

Descale is easy. I knew of only gas versions of tankless, however. My area does not have natural gas.

[vintageogauge]

If you go tankless you will also gain badly needed closet space assuming that your water heater is in a closet in the garage.

[GpaVader]

We have tankless, the only issue I have is getting the hot water to the faucet. I suspect its more of a feed issue not a the heater. The wash tub in the garage gets hot water very quickly.

Pros and Cons - Not sure it's any more difficult to replace or repair, its smaller and you don't have to worry about the tank leaking. If you are switching over and your old system didn't have an electrical ignitor you will need a circuit for that. Even a tank water heater has maintenance. We had them back home if you didn't flush them annually, they would only last about 8 years.

[kkingston57]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?

I did a lot of research on your ? when I had to buy a new heater. Tank less has more expensive up front cost. Was told that electric tankless was not a good idea(almost impossible to re coup costs) Since you already have gas I, personally, would put in a tankless gas heater.

Do not know size of your garage and need for garage space. Tankless can create more storage area in the garage. Have never seen smaller two car garages in my entire life.

[RICH1]

Will you outlive the next water heater? The added expense of a Tankless water heater may not be worth it…

[Stu from NYC]

Will you outlive the next water heater? The added expense of a Tankless water heater may not be worth it…

Adding our expected longevity to calculations does change how we decide to do things.

[Chi-Town]

Replaced my gas 50 gl gas hot water heater with another recently.
Peace of mind and a decent rebate from TECO. Plenty of room in the garage, so space was not an issue. Kiley & Sons did a great job.

[vintageogauge]

Adding our expected longevity to calculations does change how we decide to do things.

The only thing I would hesitate buying at my age is a puppy as I wouldn't want it to have to find a new home later in life. My dog communicates very well and no one else would understand him. I would not hesitate buying a new water heater as I can always use more space in my garage closet.

[Topspinmo]

So, no one has cost comparison. I would think but don’t know? tankless probably very expensive when compared to just replacement? I prefer electric water heaters myself, but my house here has no 220V at water heater. At my last location on well water water heater lasted maybe 8 years if was lucky. I alway brought the 12 years warranty ones that way I got free replacement.

[IndianaJones]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?
Tankless was around $1400; a standard 40-gal water heater was nearly half that. We went ahead and bought the tankless, and have regretted it - I guess we're saving a bit in natural gas, but it takes FOREVER to get hot water to the shower/tub/sink. I'm serious - we run nd run and run the water and it takes a ton of time to get hot. What a waste of water. Yes, it gives infinite hot water, but we've NEVER NEEDED THAT - the 40-gal water heater was fine. Given it to do over - would have gone with the regular hot water heater.

[rjm1cc]

Tankless was around $1400; a standard 40-gal water heater was nearly half that. We went ahead and bought the tankless, and have regretted it - I guess we're saving a bit in natural gas, but it takes FOREVER to get hot water to the shower/tub/sink. I'm serious - we run nd run and run the water and it takes a ton of time to get hot. What a waste of water. Yes, it gives infinite hot water, but we've NEVER NEEDED THAT - the 40-gal water heater was fine. Given it to do over - would have gone with the regular hot water heater.

You can add a circulating pump Sorry! Something went wrong! (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hot+water+circulation+pump&crid=327GC6UMQ03FI&sprefix=hot+water+ci%2Caps%2C110&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12) to a hot water tank. Not a tankless. The pump use the cold water return. This might be of interest to someone

[keepsake]

A tank water heater gives you a good deal of hot water if the power goes out. Forget running a tankless on a generator.

[keepsake]

You can never use a roof top solar collector for water if your go tankless.

[Worldseries27]

my natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and i'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?
don't over think this. Stay with what has worked for you. Run a match around your flue rim every 30 days while it is running to make sure the carbon monoxide is going up and out. If the match blows out you have spillage then shut it down and call your service personnel. In the industry 40 years

[Luggage]

For one or two people a regular tank will be cheaper in the long run and you will have 40 gallons or 15 to run your washing machine and take a shower at the same time. However if you are concerned with water I can recommend putting a timer and getting a recirculating pump that only runs when you yourself know you're going to be taking showers and using water. That would be the best solution Dollar Wise

[Luggage]

From Consumer Reports but also keep in mind if you read the entire report it says electric heat pump water heaters are the most efficient

Energy Use and Efficiency
Storage tank: In our tests, we judged the annual energy consumption cost of the conventional water heaters to be Very Good for the gas model and Fair for the electric. Both rate Good for energy efficiency. We calculated that the annual operating cost for a gas model is $245 (based on an average price of $10.86 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas) and the yearly cost of running an electric model is $580 (based on an average electricity rate of $0.132 per KWh).

Tankless: Gas and electric tankless water heaters run more efficiently than the conventional water heaters of the same fuel type. We rated the annual energy consumption cost Excellent for a gas model but only Fair for an electric, but both rate Very Good for energy efficiency. Using the same rates above, the annual operating cost is $195 for a gas tankless and $535 for an electric.

[ithos]

You can add a circulating pump Sorry! Something went wrong! (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hot+water+circulation+pump&crid=327GC6UMQ03FI&sprefix=hot+water+ci%2Caps%2C110&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12) to a hot water tank. Not a tankless. The pump use the cold water return. This might be of interest to someone

Great idea. There is always one in commercial buildings. Could also put a timer on it so it is not running 24/7. Would be better IMO but the cost to install would be significant.

[JayDub]

My last house in Pennsylvania had a tankless electric hot water heater that I had to replace at a cost of close to 2k. Not only did it require an experienced plumber but someone who was experienced with the electric needed to power the thing. I could not buy a standard water heater there was no space otherwise I would have gone with a standard.
My experience was not a good one for the unit to operate efficiently the water pressure has to be set and maintained at a set level otherwise the the temperature will drop. I can’t tell you how many times taking a shower the water went cold however it gradually would come back.
2 people usage at the same time forget it. I will never go back to tankless.. just my opinion

[merrymini]

I have a gas tankless in a new build home in NJ. It is gas and they are costly to purchase and install, so the payback is long, maybe 15 years, however, you will never have a leak, you save about 30 percent on operating costs and they last about 20 years. What people do not realize is that they operate differently than a tank heater. You turn the water on until the unit is triggered to heat and then turn it off for about a minute, then, when you turn it on again the hot water comes. I have heard that the electric ones are not as good and do not know the issues with retro fitting into an existing house with gas. A regular water heater may last about 8 years.

[Joe C.]

A tankless hot water heats the water VERY QUICKLY. How long it takes to come out of the faucet depends on the distance from the heater to the sink or shower. I have a tankless heater in my home and love it. My last house had a gas hot water tank and it worked just fine. My other house up north was a log cabin that I built. It was 75 feet long, so I opted for two tankless gas hot water heaters, one at each end of the house. One for the main bath/shower/washing machine, and the other one under the kitchen for the sink/dishwasher. It's so cold up north in the winter, that water running thru the pipes in the basement would only be warm if I only had one water heater. Expensive?? Yeah, a bit..... but the efficiency and peace of mind was worth it.

[taruffi57]

Find another insurance company. There are many, and they don't all have the same criteria.

[Nucky]

The insurance from Duke Energy covered the replacement of our hot water heater. Got the biggest one that would fit in the space for the heater. I think it was 40 Gallons. You have to wait 30 days after the insurance goes into affect before it will cover you. We had the insurance for about 2 years when we used it.

18 years with hot water heater is much to long to wait for a replacement. I would act quickly and consider it a favor that you were tipped off. Make a decision and get it done today before you have a blow out on the bottom of the tank.

[defrey12]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?

I know what I’d like to tell your insurance company…it’s BS! In lieu of that, replace “like with like. VERY expensive to do otherwise. What little you make up in energy savings isn’t worth the cost—you’ll NEVER recoup it in your lifetime. Don’t know how old you are, but a new tank will probably outlive you. I’m 65 and I’m pretty sure it would outlive me.

[taruffi57]

The insurance from Duke Energy covered the replacement of our hot water heater. Got the biggest one that would fit in the space for the heater. I think it was 40 Gallons. You have to wait 30 days after the insurance goes into affect before it will cover you. We had the insurance for about 2 years when we used it.

18 years with hot water heater is much to long to wait for a replacement. I would act quickly and consider it a favor that you were tipped off. Make a decision and get it done today before you have a blow out on the bottom of the tank.
That's news. My home just outside TV is 25 yrs. old with the original electric water heater. We had the "electrode"(?) replaced about 4 or 5 yrs. ago as we were not getting flow, but it's still working fine. I guess I should replace.

[jimkerr]

I have a gas tankless. I love it and would never go back to a regular water heater.

[NoMo50]

With an 18 year old water heater, you are running on borrowed time. It may well survive a couple more years, but it could fail tomorrow. It's good to be proactive, regardless of what the insurance company says. A water heater failure can be a very big deal, especially if it happens when you are not home. At least with a new tank, you know what to expect. Going tankless may very well not live up to your expectations. Stick with what you know, and do it soon.

[conman5652@aol.com]

The best way to go if u have gas. Last house had one. Only heats water when used. Can handle up to dishwasher and two showers running at the same time

[joelfmi]

Why? It would cost more to purchase and install, and you may need to modify your electrical system. Another issue is that tank type water heaters are easy to repair and replace quickly by any plumber. But, if you have a problem with a tankless heater, some plumbers may not have the part in stock. When you lose hot water, you want it repaired as soon as possible. Also, tankless heaters need to be descaled every year or do. Florida climate of sun is one of the best places to use and benefit from a tankless water heater and Home Home Depot or Lowes are the most reliable to buy them and install them. Don't worry about Parts and escalading they usually last a long time.

[OhioBuckeye]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?

Don’t understand why your Ins. Co. has so much control over your water heater & your home. Personally I have a tankless water heater & I think they’re terrible first thing the highest heat setting on it is 120 degrees. The 2nd thing you have to run water for about 3 mins. to get what they call hot water, no way a little kid could burn themselves from hot water. Personally I would get a tank water heater. If you do get a tankless don’t let them talk you into installing it outside because they say it’ll never get cold enough to freeze. Yes they do install them outside! Yea that’s stupid, I know mine & hundreds of others are outside & they do freeze!

[jrref]

Tankless was around $1400; a standard 40-gal water heater was nearly half that. We went ahead and bought the tankless, and have regretted it - I guess we're saving a bit in natural gas, but it takes FOREVER to get hot water to the shower/tub/sink. I'm serious - we run nd run and run the water and it takes a ton of time to get hot. What a waste of water. Yes, it gives infinite hot water, but we've NEVER NEEDED THAT - the 40-gal water heater was fine. Given it to do over - would have gone with the regular hot water heater.

Tankless gives you benefits if you use a LOT of hot water like if you have a large family. Other than that there is no significant benefits over a modern tank hot water heater at least here in Florida where the tank standby loss is very small compared to if you lived up north. The new ones are very efficient and some you can control via an app on you phone to monitor and control it when you are away. Also there will be a significant up front cost to do the conversion to tankless. Best staying with what you already have and get a new efficient unit.

[jrref]

Find another insurance company. There are many, and they don't all have the same criteria.

Ignor this advice. If you got 18 years on your water heater you are very fortunate. They normally last anywhere from 6-12 years depending on the heater. After the warrenty is up you are gambling on when the water heater will leak and possibly cause catastrophic water damage which is why your insurance company is making you change it.

[pdp07]

Check with TECO, they use to have a replacement program that was $9.99 per month for 60 months, added to your bill, no additional charges. They came to my house the next day and installed a new water heater with no hassles.

[MandoMan]

Descale is easy. I knew of only gas versions of tankless, however. My area does not have natural gas.

I think most tankless is electric, but gas is also available. I first used it in England forty years ago.

[jjombrello]

I would stay with the natural gas hot water heater. The cost to purchase and install a tankless heater is not economical for the water use you claim.

[jimh24444@gmail.com]

would never go tankless again. expensive, longer to get hot water, annual clean fee = $150.00; rediculous

[joelfmi]

knowing WHAT YOU SAID AND HAVING YOU INSTALL ONLY ONE. FROM WHAT YOU SAY WAS NOT THE WRIGTH SIZE AND OR. THE WRIGHT btu OUTPUT WHO''S FAULT IS THAT. MYSELF BEING IN THE PLUMBING BUSINESS 55 YEARS KNOWS ALOT MORE THAN YOU ABOUT GAS, ELECTIC, OIL, WATER HEATER WHO EVER DID YOUR PLUMBING NEED TO GO BACK TO PLUMBING SCHOOL OR TRAINING ON WATER HEATER OUTPUT AND HOT WATER HEATING LINES

[Jdburns11]

Replaced my gas 50 gl gas hot water heater with another recently.
Peace of mind and a decent rebate from TECO. Plenty of room in the garage, so space was not an issue. Kiley & Sons did a great job.

Second on this post…. 40 gl h/w replacement for us… $350 rebate from TECO brought cost under $1,000 - Kiley & Sons does great work.

We looked at tankless but seemed to be quite expensive. I didn’t get a real solid cost trade off in my look to going tankless since our gas bill is only roughly $30-$40 most months anyway.

[cbstac]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?

Tankless water heaters are great if you flush them out annually. They also need to be located near the point of early morning use, or it will be a while before that shower is warm.

[jpvillager]

If you hire a plumber have them replace the whole house shut off valve in the garage with a brass one. The builder's plastic ones give people trouble turning them or not shutting off completely over the years.

[Bay Kid]

Well I believe I will stay with the a tank hot water heater. Thanks to all for the help.

[coffeebean]

You can add a circulating pump Sorry! Something went wrong! (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hot+water+circulation+pump&crid=327GC6UMQ03FI&sprefix=hot+water+ci%2Caps%2C110&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12) to a hot water tank. Not a tankless. The pump use the cold water return. This might be of interest to someone
We have the Watts hot water recirculating pump on our gas 40 gal hot water heater. I would not want to live without it. It used to take at least two full minutes to get hot water to our hall bathroom which is at the end of the plumbing line. Now.....instant warm water and full hot in seconds. LOVE it. My kitchen sink is also included in the Watts pump. We have the pump on a timer so it only works during our waking hours.

Bottom line.......I would never consider a tankless hot water heater if a recirculating pump can not be used with it.

[coffeebean]

I have a gas tankless in a new build home in NJ. It is gas and they are costly to purchase and install, so the payback is long, maybe 15 years, however, you will never have a leak, you save about 30 percent on operating costs and they last about 20 years. What people do not realize is that they operate differently than a tank heater. You turn the water on until the unit is triggered to heat and then turn it off for about a minute, then, when you turn it on again the hot water comes. I have heard that the electric ones are not as good and do not know the issues with retro fitting into an existing house with gas. A regular water heater may last about 8 years.

That is certainly a waste of time every time one needs to call for hot water. I'm not at all about the efficiency of the heater. I'm all about the convenience and getting my hot water right away.

[retiredguy123]

We have the Watts hot water recirculating pump on our gas 40 gal hot water heater. I would not want to live without it. It used to take at least two full minutes to get hot water to our hall bathroom which is at the end of the plumbing line. Now.....instant warm water and full hot in seconds. LOVE it. My kitchen sink is also included in the Watts pump. We have the pump on a timer so it only works during our waking hours.

Bottom line.......I would never consider a tankless hot water heater if a recirculating pump can not be used with it.
If you don't have a recirculating pump, I have found that you can reduce the time to get hot water in the shower to less than half by turning on the sink faucet at the same time as the shower.

[coffeebean]

The insurance from Duke Energy covered the replacement of our hot water heater. Got the biggest one that would fit in the space for the heater. I think it was 40 Gallons. You have to wait 30 days after the insurance goes into affect before it will cover you. We had the insurance for about 2 years when we used it.

18 years with hot water heater is much to long to wait for a replacement. I would act quickly and consider it a favor that you were tipped off. Make a decision and get it done today before you have a blow out on the bottom of the tank.
Excellent advice.

[coffeebean]

If you don't have a recirculating pump, I have found that you can reduce the time to get hot water in the shower to less than half by turning on the sink faucet at the same time as the shower.

Yes, I know that trick. I used to do that in my home in NJ as we did not have a recirculating pump. Wish I did know about those pumps when I lived in NJ. I surely would have had one installed. Our master bathroom was at the end of the plumbing line in that house. Sixteen years of that. I was ecstatic when we moved into our current home in The Villages. There was a Watts pump installed already and that is when I realized these pumps were an option.

[Toddy]

My natural gas heater is now 18 years old and my insurance company wants it replaced. I don't use much hot water, maybe once or twice a day, and I'm gone on and off for extended stays. Considering tankless. What are your thoughts?

We have a tankless. Takes a lot of water before it gets hot. Once it’s hot, it will stay hot no matter how long your shower takes. We like it. I don’t remember if our water cost went up. It is installed outside and no worries about a garage full of running water.

[TNLAKEPANDA]

if you have gas get a Tankless heater…. DEFINITELY!

[thevillages2013]

Florida climate of sun is one of the best places to use and benefit from a tankless water heater and Home Home Depot or Lowes are the most reliable to buy them and install them. Don't worry about Parts and escalading they usually last a long time.

Why would anyone go to Lowes or HD? I know why! If they want to pay triple the price. They don’t just have a middleman in the transaction there are a couple of them. The gas companies have deals with some of the larger plumbing companies and you cannot beat their prices. We had a tankless gas replaced in 2015 by Mike Scott in conjunction with TECO.