Author Topic: Hot water tanks (Read 16531 times)

whaddaiknow · « **Reply #60 on:** March 26, 2015, 01:16:30 pm »

Quote from: pi314 on March 26, 2015, 01:12:53 pm

You have gas, right?

Yes

Ex-airbalancer · « **Reply #61 on:** March 26, 2015, 01:57:24 pm »

Size off house does not matter . It how much you used
We have a 50gal tank, never ran out of water, that was with have 4 teenagers in the house

blotter · « **Reply #62 on:** March 26, 2015, 04:41:38 pm »

Quote from: mrthompson on March 26, 2015, 01:00:44 pm

Quote from: blotter on March 26, 2015, 11:30:05 am
we have a house from the 50s
bought it 6 years ago and came with the rental.

it works.... but it's well over 10 years old.
we're totally getting rip off with a $26 monthly rental fee.

I've debated
a) calling reliance / enbridge to get us something or dropping the price on the rental.

b) getting out of renting... at $26 a month it doesn't take long to payoff the purchase.

my wife thinks we should leave things as is because it just works. She's worried something will happen and it'll cost more. I'm only concerned that the setup isn't up to code and there would be plenty of additional costs bringing to code

any thoughts?

Buy a new unit. My rental leaked 18 months ago. The plumbing company had to install a new vent (change to white from black, IIRC) and relocate it as it was venting under the patio door. I can't remember how large our tank is, but surely it's at least 40 gallons. A family of 4...we've yet to run out of hot water. I believe it was $1100 + HST installed. Our monthly rental bill was about the same as yours, blotter. I believe gas consumption dropped since having the new tank installed.

Plumbing company even took the old tank to the closest Reliance depot. Reliance sent a $70 rebate cheque 2 months later.

that's really good to know! thanks!!!!
I've got a couple projects going on, so I might have a look at doing this next fall

redman · « **Reply #63 on:** March 27, 2015, 02:41:32 pm »

Tankless water heaters
They're efficient but not necessarily economical vs tank systems.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/water-heaters/tankless-water-heaters/overview/tankless-water-heaters-ov.htm

"Gas tankless water heaters, which use high-powered burners to quickly heat water as it runs through a heat exchanger, were 22 percent more energy efficient on average than the gas-fired storage-tank models in our tests. That translates into a savings of around $70 to $80 per year, based on 2008 national energy costs. But because they cost much more than storage water heaters, it can take up to 22 years to break even—longer than the 20-year."

dkaz · « **Reply #64 on:** March 27, 2015, 06:52:29 pm »

My dad's a contractor and has installed several dozen of these tankless hot water heaters in restaurants. Mostly family run Vietnamese restaurants. With supply and labour, the tankless water heaters cost maybe a couple hundred more for him to install. A lot of cost savings comes from the ease of installing the coaxial PVC vents (they meet smoke and fire developed ratings for commercial buildings FYI) and ease of installation in general.

Coupled with the fact that these units can be installed right above mop sinks and not take up expensive floor space make these units very attractive to many of these families who are trying to open a restaurant from limited capital.

ArticSteve · « **Reply #65 on:** March 27, 2015, 09:03:28 pm »

Was going to get a condensing tankless combi from Noritz last summer, but I didn't get around to it primarily because I couldn't find anybody that really knew how to service it. So it's not the cost that bothers me so much as the reliability. Even if it goes down under warranty what good is it

Replacement parts 2, 3, 4 weeks on order

I'm going the Redman route. Non power vent, direct vent, gas 50 gallon I guess. So pilot light burning all the time which is fine in winter. From June to October, thereabouts I might turn it off and run the electric.

dkaz · « **Reply #66 on:** March 28, 2015, 01:17:57 am »

Takagi is repped by A.O. Smith FYI. They have a pretty good warranty and A.O. Smith is good to deal with. I also spec Rinnai and Navien. Warranty period isn't as good but they're locally available as well. YMMV.

ArticSteve · « **Reply #67 on:** March 28, 2015, 12:55:10 pm »

Quote from: DKaz on March 28, 2015, 01:17:57 am

Takagi is repped by A.O. Smith FYI. They have a pretty good warranty and A.O. Smith is good to deal with. I also spec Rinnai and Navien. Warranty period isn't as good but they're locally available as well. YMMV.

Why do I get the impression that BC is more advanced in the use of tankless. Thanks for the info. But my problem remains that locally speaking I'm pretty well SOL for reliable and knowledge service.

dkaz · « **Reply #68 on:** March 28, 2015, 01:22:46 pm »

I think it's because of our high property and fuel costs including natural gas. It forces us to optimize our operating budget including making use of energy efficient technologies. I pay $250 a month in the winter on my natural gas bill and it doesn't really get that cold here. +2C daily average at worst.

It's likely also specific to the Lower Mainland and Victoria. The rest of BC is probably similar to the rest of Canada.

mmret · « **Reply #69 on:** February 24, 2016, 01:47:39 pm »

Hm so back on this topic.

The buyout is $600 apparently (wtf) for a 10 year old tank. We are paying $21/mo HST in.

What happens when the tank dies? Do they come and give me a new tank?

Wouldn't that suddenly involve a new HWT rental contract to pay off the tank?

Or can I wait until they put a new one in and troll them by cancelling teh contract right after?

pi314 · « **Reply #70 on:** February 24, 2016, 03:44:55 pm »

Wouldn't the buyout be more expensive?

New tanks aren't that much more than $600 IIRC. You could also go tankless if that's your style.

Fobroader · « **Reply #71 on:** February 24, 2016, 03:48:17 pm »

I don't get it, so this is a boiler on a rent to own plan?? How big?? For under $1k you can get a new HE boiler with no strings attached.

mmret · « **Reply #72 on:** February 24, 2016, 04:43:20 pm »

Yeah I have no idea. The guy on the phone said it was $600 to buy out but I coudl have them come and remove the damn thing for $125 and cancel the whole contract.

The thing is 10 years old. Surely its been paid off.

HeliDriver · « **Reply #73 on:** February 24, 2016, 04:50:52 pm »

^^ Well, if it's just a rental, then it's never paid off. You pay your $21/month for eternity and always have a working water heater.

What was that company whose shares tanked a while ago? Just Energy, I think? Seemed kind of like a scam to me.

Fobroader · « **Reply #74 on:** February 24, 2016, 04:52:54 pm »

Quote from: HeliDriver on February 24, 2016, 04:50:52 pm

^^ Well, if it's just a rental, then it's never paid off. You pay your $21/month for eternity and always have a working water heater.

What was that company whose shares tanked a while ago? Just Energy, I think? Seemed kind of like a scam to me.

Is this available in Alberta?? I've never heard of this.

evil_twin · « **Reply #75 on:** February 24, 2016, 04:56:34 pm »

Quote from: mmret on February 24, 2016, 04:43:20 pm

Yeah I have no idea. The guy on the phone said it was $600 to buy out but I coudl have them come and remove the damn thing for $125 and cancel the whole contract.

The thing is 10 years old. Surely its been paid off.

Yes the buyout price will be much higher (think $2k or something stupid) if they have a new one put into your home after that one dies. You won't pay for a new contract...that's part of the "benefit" of renting.

I canceled the Reliance contract I inherited a few years back and just bought a brand new unit myself for like $1k. I think if you run the math one way isn't drastically better than the other, barring extreme cases of very short or long water heater life. I just hate bull$hit monthly fees for something I could easily own myself.

Why not rent all the appliances in your home?

evil_twin · « **Reply #76 on:** February 24, 2016, 04:57:25 pm »

Quote from: Fobroader on February 24, 2016, 04:52:54 pm

Quote from: HeliDriver on February 24, 2016, 04:50:52 pm
^^ Well, if it's just a rental, then it's never paid off. You pay your $21/month for eternity and always have a working water heater.

What was that company whose shares tanked a while ago? Just Energy, I think? Seemed kind of like a scam to me.

Is this available in Alberta?? I've never heard of this.

Don't think so. It's a weird Ontario thing.

ktm525 · « **Reply #77 on:** February 24, 2016, 06:19:38 pm »

Sounds like a scam to take advantage of helpless urbanites.

I just replaced my twin 40 gallon Bradford Whites for $450 each. Took about 1 hour to swap them out and the old ones even fit in the back of the ridgeline!.

pi314 · « **Reply #78 on:** February 24, 2016, 06:20:16 pm »

2 40 gal? Is that more efficient than 1 80 gal?

mmret · « **Reply #79 on:** February 24, 2016, 06:47:16 pm »

Hmm ok. I think I will go with the replacement then. Any recommendations for a vendor? Costco sells Rheem...have heard mixed things but that Costco backing gives me warm and fuzzies.