Getting myself into hot water.......

[ameriken]

Frank, James, Jim, thanks for those links/names

[skibum]

Ken, The guy across the street is in plumbing and heating. He spent many years in Germany so knows and installs these heaters. He seems to go to Denver now and then. I will talk to him and get you more info.

[hakkamike]

Hello,

 

Well, this thread killed my Rinnai heater....

 

BUT what I found was a Takagi T-K Jr-NG (propane units available too). 

 

What I love about this design is it can be mounted outside so the venting is easy and room air is NOT used for combustion air.  It also has a remote control available for adjusting the water temperature.  It can run a shower continuously and it is also rated for Hydronic / Radiant heating usage.  This will make it PERFECT for a 440 square foot master bedroom / apartment on top of my garage / shop.

 

Loving Candle had a ventless gas heater in China which DID almost kill her daughter and her.  So, she was skeptical even of the direct vented Rinnai tankless water and space heaters I was designing with.  She now has radiant hot water heating in China, so she will really like this, and I don't have to give up a portion of my closet space to mount the heater inside.

 

http://www.discounttankless.net/store/TAKAGI01.html

 

-James

185051[/snapback]

The tankless heater costs say 550.00 and you have someone install it for around 250.00 to maybe 500.00 if you have to put in a extra electrical outlet, thats what 800.00 to 1050.00. How long will it take to save 800.00 in your gas bill to offset the costs of this? And will it even last that long to off set the costs? Even if you pais the 550.00 and did the work yourself you will be looking at more than likely 650.00? If you save 15 bucks a month on your gas bill it will take around 3 and a half years to pay for its self.

[Mick]

Having lived with those types of hot water heaters for over five years, I can say that they are less expensive but there are also drawbacks.

 

The first year, in Hefei, our apartment had one that would blast you with very hot water unexpectedly, then turn cold at a moments notice. The one we had down in Shantou was located in the dining room of all places. If you got in the shower and needed to adjust the temp, you had to get out of the shower, walk down the hall and change the setting. It was a hassle to say the least.

 

I found, overall, showering in China labor intensive.

[ameriken]

Thanks everyone for your posts, opinions, and suggestions. Also appreciate the opposing views.

 

My main line of thought for one of these, was not just price, but, my SO is used to long showers, and I dont know if there is a tank big enough for the space to accomodate her. Second is cost, because the large increases in gas prices over the past couple of year may also make it cost effective. Third, is it could make selling the home a mite bit more attractive, whether I sell or rent it.

 

Anyhow, i appreciate the posts !

[hakkamike]

A friend of mine uses these in the Philippines and says they work good? http://www.instanthotshowers.com/gfx/magnum_big.jpg

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELECTRIC-SHOWER-HEAD-T...1QQcmdZViewItem