tht

an 80 gallon tankless…. 🥺

PetrifiedExPat

I havnt googled it yet

Also, I suspect I will raise getting a smaller tank on Friday!

tht

I would definitely ask about the exact model, may they have marked it up a lot and don’t want you to be able to to google it… or maybe they are trying to install something they have in stock they want to get rid of. 80 gallon would be what I would expect if it was a townhouse with 1 or 2 smaller income properties in the basement etc and it was to service all 2/3 units not a normal size family property with 2-2.5 baths.

PetrifiedExPat

Agreed, Friday involves a second company so I can maneuver into a better negotiating position. Will go from there.

Pulaski

I am pretty sure that is how the plumbing supply business works - they buy inventory, then then they try to sell it to customers ASAP. Holding stock and not trying to get rid of it is unlikely to be a successful business model in the long term.

ddsrph

The best way to compare prices is to learn what a water heater should cost. I would go with a 50 to 60 gallon and check with a couple plumbing supply places for model info and prices. Most are made by AO Smith and names stuck on for various companies.

Pulaski

Google is your friend.

Mic1

No, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned a tankless water heater, Far more efficient,

Pulaski

Loathsome creations. .... They are perhaps a little more efficient, but they create their own issues, running very hot, and then cold. They seemed to be super-fashionable around 10 years ago, but barely got a mention when I was shopping for a new water heater last year.

tht

I evaluated that option when I converted from oil to gas for heat and hot water. Between price, rebates and energy efficiency, demand pattern and the space available for install, I did not go that way.

Not sure that I would say “far more efficient” I think it was a TriangleTube I looked at has a thermal efficiency of 95% vs the combined GV90+ boiler for heat and hot water at 91%, and there was some more efficiency have 1 vs 2 separate boilers… the oil boiler it replaced was more than 35 years old and still going strong, but the incentives to go to gas made it a no brainer have everything new. Once we get solar on this house will look at a heat pump electric water heater.

ddsrph

Plus you need a lot of power to run which means hard to retrofit due to number of slots needed in service panel. I believe they require two 220 volt circuits which is 4 spaces. Lowe’s has a lot of AO Smith gas water heaters on their site. Most are 40 or 50 gallon and around $800. Gas tankless of course would be easier and may be more reasonable as a choice as they may work better than electric

Mic1

Actually not loathsome creations as long as you chose a reputable brand but more importantly, you pull in a plumber who knows what he's doing and matches a heater to your incoming gas and water supply. As long as they are set up properly, the flame will modulate down and prevent the water going cold mid flow. If it does, 99% of the time, high/low gas rates have not been set up.

tht

This is exactly why I did not do one at another property, this is a second home so it would have made a lot of sense, but the place where it would have been installed was on an old 100amp panel, it was the original main and converted to a sub panel when 200amp service was put in and no easy way to run a new circuit.

Pulaski

Or you could just put in an HE water tank, no careful set up and flow adjustment required.

I was thinking, after I made my previous post above, that during the summer months, basically April to October for us, the only gas we use is to heat water, and our gas bill is about $25-$30, of which about $10 is the standing charge, so hotwater costs us about $20/mth. How much more efficient does a tankless heater have to be to make it noticeably more efficient in $$$s?

Personally I value being able to turn on the tap and have a steady flow of hot water at a predictable temperature, and I think that $20/mth is a reasonable price to pay for that comfort and certainty. So, even if a tankless heater provided FREE hot water, I'd still choose a traditional water heater with a tank.

scrubbedexpat142

80 gallons! Wow! OK, only 2 of us and just one bathroom but ours is just 80 Litres - and is quite adequate! How heavy is an 80 gallon tank / heater? (I could Google it but Mr P will give me a much better answer!).