New water heater recs?

I think mine is on its last leg. I don't think I'm quite ready to go tankless. Family of 4, little kids, we run out of hot water frequently as is.

Got a quote on a 40 gallon, 40k installed for about $800. 50 gallon, 40k $900. 50 gallon/50k $1000. The brand is Lochnivar. Anyone have any recs?

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I think mine is on its last leg. I don't think I'm quite ready to go tankless. Family of 4, little kids, we run out of hot water frequently as is.

Got a quote on a 40 gallon, 40k installed for about $800 50 gallon, 40k $900. 50 gallon/50k $1000. The brand is Lochnivar. Anyone have any recs?

I don't understand.. you're going to pay 40k for a hot water heater and installation is $800?

Lochnivar is a good brand, what do you have now?(gallons, btu) Also, how long do you expect to be in the house?

Those numbers seem high. Are they power-vented?

Heat Miser wrote:I know you said you're not ready for tankless, but I'd go tankless.

this statement would likely have more of a resounding impact if your name wasn't "Heat Miser".

This is a good alternative, if you are thinking long term.
http://www.rinnai.us/hybrid-tank-tankless-water-heater
Best of both worlds, recovery of tankless, instant supply of regular tank most brands are coming out with this option.

What I have now is 40 gallons. Maybe 32k BTU. Need to get a better look at the label.

Plan to be in the house. No idea. Could get the inkling to move in the next few years to something bigger or could say F it and stay here forever. Current mindset is more the latter but it's certainly not set in stone.

If you say tankless, sell me on tankless.

they should create a bro-tankless hot water heater.. and some frat boy jackwagon named "Tyler" should show up wearing a bro-tank to install it.. driving his hand-me-down Land Cruiser with some Kenny Chesney cranked up..

Robert J Sakimano wrote:they should create a bro-tankless hot water heater.. and some frat boy jackwagon named "Tyler" should show up wearing a bro-tank to install it.. driving his hand-me-down Land Cruiser with some Kenny Chesney cranked up..

*fart*

Tankless can be great, but installation is $$$$ on top of the cost of the unit $$$. They tend to have a lag when you turn on the hot water, at least if you don't buy the $$$$ unit. The tank/tankless unit I linked above is offered by multiple mfgs. You have a smaller holding tank, maybe 20 gal, for instant hot water and an oversized burner that will work with your existing gas line to produce plenty of additional hot water for showers, etc.
The cost may be double a standard tank, but I'd bet tankless will be triple.

Installing a water heater is definitely a tankless job.

What kind of a fancy foo-foo man needs hot water to take a shower? Stop being such a baby and stop coddling your kids.

Giant Moose wrote:What kind of a fancy foo-foo man needs hot water to take a shower? Stop being such a baby and stop coddling your kids.

Maybe they just cook a lot of lobster?

I just replaced my hot water heater, furnace, and ac in the first week of April. The prices for a 50 gallon atmospheric water heater from the 3 bids I got were between $500 and $800. The $500 bid came from the most expensive overall quote and was really just a choice between getting a $500 discount on labor, or a water heater with no labor discount. The other 2 quotes were in the $750 range for the water heater.

However, as of April 16, it's no longer legal to manufacture normal water heaters, they must be high efficiency units, and all of those come with powered vents rather than atmospheric vents. I got mine just before the deadline, so I was good to go. The high efficiency units are physically larger due to thicker insulation, and if yours is in a tight fitting space where a high efficiency unit won't fit, it can result in significant expense to move it.

I chose not to install a tankless unit because my co-worker has a natural gas one and hates it. He is in the process of replacing it with a 50 gallon heater. The tankless ones for my house were 200,000 BTUs, 2X the power of my furnace and cost 2X as much to buy (like $1700). I have installed electric tankless hot water heaters at work, but they require power levels not typically available in a home. It takes a lot of power to heat flowing water.

Code_Warrior wrote:I just replaced my hot water heater, furnace, and ac in the first week of April. The prices for a 50 gallon atmospheric water heater from the 3 bids I got were between $500 and $800. The $500 bid came from the most expensive overall quote and was really just a choice between getting a $500 discount on labor, or a water heater with no labor discount. The other 2 quotes were in the $750 range for the water heater.

However, as of April 16, it's no longer legal to manufacture normal water heaters, they must be high efficiency units, and all of those come with powered vents rather than atmospheric vents. I got mine just before the deadline, so I was good to go. The high efficiency units are physically larger due to thicker insulation, and if yours is in a tight fitting space where a high efficiency unit won't fit, it can result in significant expense to move it.

I chose not to install a tankless unit because my co-worker has a natural gas one and hates it. He is in the process of replacing it with a 50 gallon heater. The tankless ones for my house were 200,000 BTUs, 2X the power of my furnace and cost 2X as much to buy (like $1700). I have installed electric tankless hot water heaters at work, but they require power levels not typically available in a home. It takes a lot of power to heat flowing water.

Interesting. Wasn't aware all water heaters must now be power vented. Didn't know they existed until general contracting my home back in the early 90s and wanted to place the heater in a spot it could not be vented to atmosphere. The only disadvantage to them is they don't work if the power goes out...something learned during the 3-day 2003 blackout.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I think mine is on its last leg. I don't think I'm quite ready to go tankless. Family of 4, little kids, we run out of hot water frequently as is.

Got a quote on a 40 gallon, 40k installed for about $800. 50 gallon, 40k $900. 50 gallon/50k $1000. The brand is Lochnivar. Anyone have any recs?

I've had Lochnivars and they were no problem for me. With the family and planning to stay I'd go with the biggest.

Despite the change in the regs and specs, sellers can get rid of existing stock. Supposedly, there are discounts to be had until it's gone.

Thanks all. If anyone has any additional info to share, please keep it coming.

tGreenWay wrote:Despite the change in the regs and specs, sellers can get rid of existing stock. Supposedly, there are discounts to be had until it's gone.

Yep, this is what they told me, as well. Basically they still have and can install the old units but the new ones are going to be mandated soon and they're on average $150 or so more across the board.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:Thanks all. If anyone has any additional info to share, please keep it coming.

tGreenWay wrote:Despite the change in the regs and specs, sellers can get rid of existing stock. Supposedly, there are discounts to be had until it's gone.

Yep, this is what they told me, as well. Basically they still have and can install the old units but the new ones are going to be mandated soon and they're on average $150 or so more across the board.

Does the $150 include cost to wire an outlet to plug it in?