FYI, quick pricing example for the above
2x Eccotemp 45HI-NG ( I can't find the -NG on Amazon easily but just
for reference here's the very similar but not compatible -LP version
https://www.amazon.com/Eccotemp-45HI-LP-Indoor-Propane-Tankless/dp/B00K2XLJIW/
) $530 USD each
2x Descaling/service valve kits (not the Eccotemp model but these
seem to be compatible)
https://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Master-Isolator-Tankless-Pressure/dp/B07KVCFT2K/
$60 USD each
2x 4inch class III stainless steel vertical vent kits, with
additional piping as needed - depends greatly on your house but I'm
assuming $1000 total
1x device interconnect cable - I thought that these models were able
to be ganged, can't find the serial cable to do so but I assume it'd
be <$50.
1x descaling kit
https://www.amazon.com/Eccotemp-EZ-Flush-System-Descaler-Cleaning/dp/B01MY7AJ9D
$150
By far the biggest cost would be the labour to replace the old
chimney / galvanized B vent with the new class III stainless steel
piping x2.
On Sun, Nov 29, 2020 at 10:10 AM Colin Stanners <[email protected]>
wrote:
Steve, no feces involvement here but I've been looking into water
heaters quite a bit for a project.
For the hard water, instead or in addition to the water softener
you may want to look into putting one of these into your hot
water path. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000NKETXQ/ I wouldn't put
it in the general cold water path - while polyphosphates are safe
for consumption from what I can see, and I'd trust 3M to vet them
well, I try to not add much to drinking water, and cold water is
usually mostly what is used for drinking. Maybe check your
plumbing if it's possible to add that device to the cold water
path for everywhere except the kitchen sink, where drinking water
is usually taken. The $80 USD price is almost "too good to be
true" compared to a water softener but the reviews suggest that
it works well without downsides. The cartridges are $50 each and
supposedly last 6 months.
If the chimney leaks it could be a simple fix to the rain cap or
flashing, did you inspect it? WISP experience is at least useful
for judging if it's sealed well to the roof or if the structure
of the rain cap is good in strong wind.
I would recommend doing lots of math before assuming a solar
system can run an electric water heater for a busy family - it
takes a ton of electricity to create heat, which is why tank
electric heaters take 2x-3x as much time to recover from a cold
tank as gas heaters. I don't think you'd want family members to
wait 1-2 hours for a hot shower after someone else used all the
water. As a reference, the bigger tankless heaters use a
reasonable amount of gas (~150-200K BTU) but they take an
inordinate, almost frightening, amount of electricity, ~36kW.
Tankless math starts with available GPM (from temperature rise
chart). IIRC you're in Illinois, where groundwater temp averages
47 deg F (8 deg C in the developed countries). Assuming that you
want 120 deg water output from the tankless heater, that's 73 deg
F temp rise. That's on the higher end for a tankless heater. If
we look at the Eccotemp 45HI-NG natural gas tankless water
heater, their biggest model at ~140K BTU, the chart says that at
that temp rise it can do 2GPM, so one low-flow shower. If you
want to run a high-flow shower and a sink, or 2 showers at the
same time, you'd need to buy 2 units and the serial cable between
them that allows them to run intelligently in parallel (reducing
the "not activating at low water flow" problem by having just one
of them, not both, operate in low flow conditions).
On Sun, Nov 29, 2020 at 12:35 AM Steve Jones
<[email protected]> wrote:
You guys all do different weird shit. Went to drain my gas
heater tonite (may have put that maintenance off longer than
intended)
We are quarry country so we have super hard water. Needless
to say tanks full of baked in sediment and when I cleared the
valve I may have cracked the liner, about every ten seconds
I'm getting a drip on the burner, and my pop off is dripping,
probably some sediment.
The water heater is the only thing I have that vents hot
anymore and my chimney leaks in driving rain. Is rather just
bash it in and put a dumbwaiter in the chase. I have the two
fresh kids that I bet would have a blast riding that.
Power vent gas looks to almost double the cost.
Tankless is looking almost comparable in price for gas, so
I'm curious if any of you guys run them without major water
softener and filters.
I'm planning on solar in the next 5 or 6 years when I redo my
roof so electric would be the thing I go with on the water
heater after the one I'm gonna have to put in now.
I like gas water heaters because I know how to fix them,
parts are cheap, same with my clothes dryers. But theyve
priced themselves into me looking at my options.
Tankless I dont know how to calculate gpm needs. But what led
to this was taking the flow reducer out of my low flow shower
head and running out of hot water in 20 minutes. I start my
day by scalding myself for about a half hour cause I'm a
filthy bastard and need to be cleansed of my sins.
We have 2 bathrooms and a girl hitting her teens, so I assume
we may be getting into a shower and bath coming on at the
same time and the wife knowing what's good for her and
washing dishes.
She wont let me put a wood stove and still in the bathroom,
so wood fired shower options are out.
Are residential boilers a thing? All my walls had pocket
doors so I have plenty of room for radiant walls, I dont know
if boiler heat it even efficient though.
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