You know what, most of us are familiar with water heaters and how much room they take up in our home and how costly they can be right. Well, Linda is the plumbing maven with Ben Franklin Plumbing and is here to explain how a tankless water heater actually works and you need to find out if it’s right for you.

I have already learned so much from you Linda, this is really cool. Now we’ve heard of them before, but you said that they’ve come a long way and they are here to stay. Yes, it’s like going from dial up to high speed internet, once people turn to tankless they don’t go back. Its’ awesome. There are a lot of benefits. Lets talk about them.

First of all this is what the system looks like. This is the size so if you think of your big water heater, which is about the size of this whole display, exactly it’s usually taller than us. And the new law that’s coming into play this spring is going to make those water heaters a little bigger even. No more water, but bigger, for energy efficiency. ok. So it’s really a great time to start thinking about, if you have to change do you want to go to a bigger size water heater, or is time to change to a smaller one?

Ok, this particular size that we’re looking at right here. About what size home and how do you determine the size of a tankless water heater. Yea, so it’s really important to size it correctly, there’s a lot of myths out there that people think that they don’t work that great. Most of the time it’s because they got the wrong size water heater for their home.

EcoSmart ECO 27

EcoSmart ECO 27 Electric Tankless Water Heater

• Savings of up to 50% on water heating costs. Dimensions: 17H x 17W x 3.625D inches ; Pipes fittings: 3/4 inch NPT
• Digital temperature control in 1-degree increments allows control of hot water
• Copper and stainless components designed for efficiency, durability and easy replacement.
• Compact size saves valuable storage space, while the stylish and advanced design is pleasing to the eye and Copper and stainless components designed for efficiency, durability and easy replacement.
• Prior to purchase & installation, please verify that this model is the right size for your hot water needs and electrical requirements. Electrical requirements: 27 kW, 240 volts, (3) 40 required breakers, 112.5 maximum power (AMP), (3) 8 required wire.
• Required Breaker Quantity: Three 40 Amp Double Pole
• Recommended Electrical Panel: 200 Amps
• NEVER run out of hot water with an ECOSMART tankless water heater.
• Save up to 12 cubic feet of storage space.
• Digital temperature control in 1-degree increments gives users complete control of hot water

So what we do is we look at how many hot water spickets, could you turn on all at once. Could it be the washing machine, could it be the dishwasher, could it be a sink, could be a bathtub? So you want to make sure that you have the right size to make sure that all of those areas that turn on at once for hot water, you get hot water correctly. OK, so does it also depend on the size of the home and how many people live there? It could, if we know that we have more teenagers more people using a lot of hot water, yes we can size it properly, but most of the time it’s how many spickets. we want to make sure that every part of your tankless water turns on properly every time you open a spicket.

Tankless water heater reviews

OK, this is a typical size here for how many spickets. usually a 2-3 bathroom. Now this is just an example, but what does this do? This actually is the venting, this would be extended up through your roof. Because it’s important to vent out. This is a gas unit, there are great electrical units also, though I happen to have the gas. This here is intake, so you want air to go on in. You also need electric, we need to plug this into electric in order to make that switch work. So this is a panel here then?

Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus 24

Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus 24 kW, tankless electric water heater

• Digital temperature control
• Self-Modulating Power Technology
• Advanced Flow Control
• Proven reliability
• No venting required
• Sleek design fits anywhere
• Save at least 15-20% on the hot water portion of your electric bill
• Item Weight 16.1 pounds
• Warranty Description: 7 years leakage/ 3 years parts

OK, I know you sent me some pictures, I want to take a look at them, cuz this is a good indication of just…that right there is the tankless with a water system. Yes, water treatment system. That’s a big tank there! Well, the tank above it is small, so it’s on the wall, and then this next picture is just how you have a tankless without a water treatment system. So you can see that there are different sizes, so see how small that is. Yea! So some places, like on my own house, I put it outside next to my electrical box, looks like I have two electrical boxes. I gained all that space inside my garage. Wow, can you imagine, right, and mine is in my house, I’d be able to put a whole new cupboard in there.

Don’t wait until your hot water goes out to replace your water heater. Whether you’re planning ahead or facing a problem with your current unit, this video walks you through how to buy a storage-tank water heater.

It is important to replace the existing water heater with one that is compatible with your home. Here are the primary considerations in selecting a water heater. It is very important to note whether your water heater is gas or electric.

Gas water heaters

First, let’s talk about gas. Natural gas is far more common than liquid propane. Natural gas is delivered to the home from underground piping. Propane is typically used in areas without natural gas and is stored as a liquid in a tank. The vast majority of gas water heaters use a vertical vent, or chimney. Some also attach to the vertical venting of your HVAC system. If your water heater has a horizontal vent through the wall, you will need a specialized power vent, or direct vent, model.

Electric water heaters

Electric water heaters use an electrical heating element, and do not require any venting.

Here’s a couple of other things to consider– depending on the number of people in your household and the size of your home, you may need more hot water. Consider a water heater with greater tank capacity and a faster recovery rate that is compatible with your home.

Water heaters come with different warranty options, as well as a variety of extended protection agreements. Consider which one would work best for you. Check to see if the water heater you’re looking at purchasing is ENERGY STAR qualified. They save money over time and may be eligible for state tax incentives and local utility rebates.

To recap: note your water heater’s fuel type– either gas or electric. If gas, check whether your water heater uses natural gas or liquid propane and the type of ventilation. Make sure to choose a water heater that will fit in your home. Note your current water heater’s capacity, dimensions, and its location. Lastly, consider whether you need more hot water, the right warranty for you, and whether you want a more energy efficient unit. Those are the basics on how to select a storage-tank water heater.

Hello, everybody. I’m going to show you how I flush my Rinnai R53 tankless water heater. Need a few items here need a bucket and three gallons of Vinegar is what I use. Get the white distilled vinegar and I use a quarter horse utility pump. It does real well for me. I think you can use like an eighth horse pump. I prefer a little more power. Of course, you need a set of appliance hoses, washing machine hoses and get the one with a 90-degree end on it.

Okay, so I’ve shut off my water supply now. I need to drain the water out of the water heater. What I’ll do is turn off this valve here that will cut off the incoming and outgoing water from the water heater and I’ll take these caps off and open up these two valves. That will course drain the water out. And then allow the vinegar to pump through the water heater and back out into the bucket. Now before we get started we’re going to unplug the water heater. And of course turn the gas off right back here. And let’s get started. Okay, so now I connect my hoses. Take the hose coming from the pump, hook it to the cold side. Probably doesn’t matter which way you do this, but this is what I prefer. Okay, take your other hose, hook it to the hot side. Alright, those are pretty tight. Now, let’s put some vinegar in a bucket. Dump in all three gallons of vinegar. Now we’ll go ahead and set our pump inside the bucket of vinegar. Let it sit down on the bottom and put the other end of the other hose in the bucket as well.

Okay, now before we get started pumping there’s one other thing I like to do. There’s a filter Inside here. I like to take that filter out. It allows the vinegar to run through the water heater a little better, and I’ve also got a new filter to put in any way. So I’m going to take that out of their. Just remove the cap take the filter off put the cap back on and we’ll be good to go. So let’s take this filter out. Okay, so there’s the filter Pop that off of that black cap there and put the black cap back on. Alright, so here’s the black cap without the filter. Just screw that back in there tighten it up so it doesn’t leak we’ll start pumping. Okay, we’re in good shape. Let’s get this pump plugged in. Vinegar is flowing through. So let that pump. I usually let that pump for about 30-40 minutes, maybe even an hour sometimes. Depending on what I get busy doing.

So we’ll come back and check on it here in a little bit. Okay, so it’s been about 40 minutes. The vinegar turns blue. This is a chemical reaction from the copper pipes. I’m going to unplug this pump. Lift the pump up out of the vinegar to let it drain out of the water heater. That’s pretty good. Set that aside. I’ll take this and use it as a weed killer. Probably, make some salt with it and spray it on some poison ivy, and crabgrass.

Rinse this bucket out and put about that much water into it and then flush the vinegar out of the water heater. Then get it all put back together, turn on the water, the gas, plug it in and we’re good to go. Okay, so I put some fresh water in this bucket and put my pump back into that water and the end of the other hose. Plug it back in. Let that water run through for a minute. That’s probably good enough. Same thing, let that drain out. Set that off to the side. All right now, I’m going to go and empty this water out, and start putting everything back together.

Be right back. All right, so take our hoses off and close these valves. Put our caps back on Snug those up. All right, so we gotta change that filter out. I already took the old one out at the beginning of the video. Take this cap back off. Put the new filter on, put the cap back on. Actually, the filter comes with a new cap, too. Good deal. All right, so we have a new cap, new o-ring, new filter. So let’s put that in. That’s that. Alright, got her plugged back in, got the gas on. I just turned the water on. Now I gotta… Let the water flow back through And we’re all done.

Best natural gas tankless water heaters – A Buyer’s Guide
The pattern is always predictably the same. Standing “au naturel” in the shower, you’re staying just out of reach of the cold water. A tremble runs down your spine as you wait for the hot water. That’s quite enough, thank you. Tired of an ailing hot water system, an oldster that’s fitted with a slowpoke of a tank, you’ve made your choice. You’ve decided to actively research tankless water heaters.

From the off, the benefits are plain to see. Tankless hot water arrives instantly at your faucets and shower heads. Furthermore, these appliances are also known as on-demand heating systems, which means your shower will work its therapeutic magic when the need arises, not at all times of the day and night. In plain English, these technologically advanced appliances save money, yet they have more to offer than your old tank type water heater.

Shot Descriptions

Quick Comparison Table

Item model	Size, Weight, Usage	Max flow	Warranty
Takagi T-KJr2-IN-NG Check the price	6.7" x 13.8" x 20.3", 38 lbs, Indoor	6.6 GPM	10 year heat exchanger and 5 year parts
Rinnai V65IN 6.6 GPM Check the price	13.9 x 8.8" x 23.6", 49.8 lbs, Indoor	6.5 GPM	No data
Rheem RTG-84XLN Check the price	14" x 10" x 26", 54 lbs, Outdoor	8.4 GPM	No data
Takagi T-KJr2-OS-NG Check the price	6.7" x 13.8" x 20.5", 38 lbs, Outdoor	6.6 GPM	Residential: 12 year heat exchanger, 5 year parts and 1 year labor
Takagi T-H3-DV-N Check the price	11.2" x 17.8" x 24.9", 59 lbs, Indoor	10 GPM	No data
Rinnai RUC98iN Check the price	10" x 18.5" x 26", 82 lbs, Indoor	9.8 GPM	12 year heat exchanger and 5 year parts
Rinnai RL75iN Check the price	14" x 9.3" x 23" 65.9 lbs, Indoor	7.5 GPM	12-Year Warranty on Heat Exchanger, 5 Year Parts
Noritz NR981-SV-NG Check the price	17" x 13" x 29", 54 lbs, Indoor-Outdoor	9.8 GPM	No data
Bosch Greentherm C1050ES NG Check the price	11.2" x 17.9" x 30.5" 86 lbs, Indoor	10.5 GPM	3 - 15 Years depending on application
Noritz EZTR40-NG Check the price	27.2" x 18.3" x 9.4" 86 lbs, Indoor	6.6 GPM	12 years heat exchanger, 5 years parts, 1 year labor

Indoor natural gas tankless water heater

Gas-fired, this is the smallest model in the Takagi range. The output rating promises a 150,000-BTU energy output and a 6.6-GPM max flow rate, which is enough to supply on-demand heated water to one, maybe two bathrooms or showers. Reliable by design, this model isn’t a suitable fit for larger homes.

The review opens with a budget-friendly low tariff tankless hot water heater. Purchase this model if you live in a small home or apartment, knowing it’s recommended as a built-to-last appliance. In point of fact, that last feature is supported by a 15-year warranty.
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