Tankless water heater recommendations?

[killian]

I'm starting to look at scaling up to larger system and I'm considering using a tankless water heater for strike, sparge and cleaning.

I've poked around a few threads but I thought I would just see what recommendations people had for brands or what I need to look for when shopping for one of these.

 

[Bensiff]

I have a Navian tankless heater that has been extremely good for the house. I have never used it for brew water because I could not find a filter rated to take high temperature and I did not want to install a whole house filtration system on the cold water side. I did regularly use it for hot water when I was cleaning though. Some thoughts to consider, get one that allows you to bypass the normal temp settings so you can get your full temp strike water. However, there is a great deal of precaution you need to take if you do such a thing with your household unit and you would seriously want to consider lock out try out procedures so you don't scold someone, especially if you have kids. Not to mention, if you are not running copper pipes, those temps could be damaging (not sure what PEX can handle). Going back full circle, I would highly recommend getting a whole house water filtration installed when they install the tankless.

 

[augiedoggy]

I use an "EZ tankless" system for my home hot water which is fine since people arent supposed to drink or cook from the hot water side if you have copper plumbing or an actual tank. Not to get off topic but many organizations including federal ones who have tested the water from copper plumbing systems found the hot water is more likely to draw heavy metals from the plumbing into the water supply.
This topic has been beat to death here and you will find more info and links on it if you search here. (if you want to know) There will always be those that believe since they've done it for years and they are still alive, that it has no negative effects and im all for Darwinism soo..

My tankless heater states on the label that its not intended for potable water use. possibly due to lead in the solder used I dont know but I only mention it so you know its something to look for depending on what you go with.

 

[jeniffer34]

I use an "EZ tankless" system for my home hot water which is fine since people arent supposed to drink or cook from the hot water side if you have copper plumbing or an actual tank. Not to get off topic but many organizations including federal ones who have tested the water from copper plumbing systems found the hot water is more likely to draw heavy metals from the plumbing into the water supply.
This topic has been beat to death here and you will find more info and links on it if you search here. (if you want to know) There will always be those that believe since they've done it for years and they are still alive, that it has no negative effects and im all for Darwinism soo..

My tankless heater states on the label that its not intended for potable water use. possibly due to lead in the solder used I dont know but I only mention it so you know its something to look for depending on what you go with.

I like tankless electric water heater because it consumes very low power and works great. It also requires a small space. I use Thermoflow Elex Electric Tankless Water Heater for 2 years which is working fine still now.

 

[bracconiere]

i'm curious how you found this thread, jen?

 

[rkhanso]

My son is a plumber and is not a fan of tankless water heaters. He says that, while some tankless heaters are better than others, none of them last as long as a good quality standard water heater, or are as cheap to buy and are often not easily repairable like normal water heaters are.
Even after hearing him say that, I've still considered one now that it's down to just me and my wife at home. But when the time comes, I'll probably just get a standard water heater.
Something to consider is your ground water temperature in the winter and what the capacity of the tankless heater is for a high temperature rise. Here in MN, some people with large families or high hot water consumption have to install 2 tankess heaters (or a larger capacity) to get the hot water volume they need when our winter ground water temperature is very low.

 

[augiedoggy]

My son is a plumber and is not a fan of tankless water heaters. He says that, while some tankless heaters are better than others, none of them last as long as a good quality standard water heater, or are as cheap to buy and are often not easily repairable like normal water heaters are.
Even after hearing him say that, I've still considered one now that it's down to just me and my wife at home. But when the time comes, I'll probably just get a standard water heater.
Something to consider is your ground water temperature in the winter and what the capacity of the tankless heater is for a high temperature rise. Here in MN, some people with large families or high hot water consumption have to install 2 tankess heaters (or a larger capacity) to get the hot water volume they need when our winter ground water temperature is very low.

My $400 EZtankless water heater is about 7 years old now and no issues. Keep in mind that north America is about the only place in the world were hot water tanks are still more common than tankless heaters. For brewing in microbreweries the tankless systems are becoming pretty common to replace HLTs and for cleaning purposes..

BTW I live right outside buffalo NY... our winters are pretty cold ... just saying. that being said I do wish I had gone with the larger tankless heater when I bought mine because my pipes run through a cold crawlspace and even with pipe insulation I have issues with freezing at times. but not having a basement was the main reason I switched to the tankless.

 

[IslandLizard]

I like tankless electric water heater because it consumes very low power and works great.

That's inaccurate. Tankless water heaters actually consume a lot of power while supplying hot water. All the water running through needs to be heated instantly, as it flows through. It takes 8kW (240V 33A) to deliver 1 gallon per minute @105F (Delta T = 53F). For 160F strike water it can only supply a max of 1/2 gallon per minute. The inlet water temp is a considerable factor.

 

[rkhanso]

We also have very hard water around here and the resulting scale/calcium buildup.
Well, unless you live in Minneapolis where they use Mississippi River water....

I think the hard water is one of the issues my son said was hard on the tankless heaters with no softener in front of it. He installs maybe 1 tankless heater for every 50+ normal water heaters here in the Twin City area. My city water is about 25 gpg. Where I used to live in central MN was higher - I think 30+ gpg.

Our winter ground water temps can be in the high 30s to low 40s. That's a 60+ temp rise you'd need....which is no small job for a tankless heater. Thus, why some people install two of them.
Those in the southern US don't have this extreme problem.

 

[augiedoggy]

We also have very hard water around here and the resulting scale/calcium buildup. Well, unless you live in Minneapolis where they use Mississippi River water....
I think the hard water is one of the issues my son said was hard on the tankless heaters with no softener in front of it. He installs maybe 1 tankless heater for every 50+ normal water heaters here in the Twin City area.
Our winter ground water temps can be in the high 30s to low 40s. That's a 60+ temp rise you'd need....which is no small job for a tankless heater. Thus, why some people install two of them.
Those in the southern US don't have this extreme problem.

Im up in NY, I was warned about the scale and told I should install a softener, I did put all the valves in to do the vinegar flush through the system but Ive never done it. honestly I'm waiting for this unit to die so I can install a larger unit and be able to take a shower wile the GF does the dishes or laundry or vice versa... I only have the 4gpm model which in the winter realistically is only enough to run the shower.

my unit is gas not electric. as far as my gas bill is concerned it did go down likely mainly to the fact that it only runs when needed unlike a tank which cycles on and off 24/7 to maintain the heated tank of water. I do agree that there is a lot more to fail on a tankless vs a hot water tank... just as there is a lot more tech to fail on my 2018 camry vs my 74 corvette... still the Camry is superior in performance, efficiency and reliability. I know apples to oranges but still the point is sometimes the tech and engineering makes all the difference.