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  • #1

    Tankless Water Heaters- 2 questions:

    Right now, the tanked water heater (10 years old? Maybe 15-20) is in a WH closet in the laundry room. The laundry room is getting a make-over, and I would love to move the water heater outside. The west wall of the laundry room is an exterior wall, right by the gas meter, so I would just run hot/cold water lines out to it. This would allow me to reclaim the space of that closet, tear it out & build other storage there. My tools fill the garage storage (200 cubic feet) and shelves that we have, and if I could move some* out of sight, wife & I would like that.

    I'm looking at:
    a Rinnai 7.5 gph 160,000 btu, .92 energy factor, ($999) (+15% off)
    a Rheem 8.4 gph, 157,700 btu, .92 energy factor ($939) (+10% off)
    a Rheem 9.5gph, 199,900 btu, .82 energy factor ($999) (+10% off)
    a Rheem 9.5gph, 199,900 btu, .92 energy factor ($1105) (+10% off)

    House is 2200sf, 2 bathrooms.

    Which would you choose, and are there any reasons I shouldn't put it outside? The additional travel is only 12 linear feet, and that would be insulated pipe.

    Thanks in advance.
    Ronald Reagan:"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

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  • #2
    No idea on the outside specs for it, but I can tell you what I did when mine retired last year (10 years old). I went tankless and installed this unit:

    http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-EcoSense-9-5-GPM-Natural-Gas-High-Efficiency-Indoor-Tankless-Gas-Water-Heater-ECOH200DVLN/203404946


    Mine was in the attic, so after fighting to get the old beast out, this was a piece of cake to install. I screwed a piece of plywood to two purlins and installed a cross piece to brace it. Then I mounted the heater, plumbed the gas and water from the old fittings, and then ran electrical to it. Nothing to any of it. We have just over 3100 sf with 3 baths (1 up and 2 down). We haven't had any trouble yet, even with 2 showers running at once.

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    • #3
      You may still run into issues with the cold side freezing with it out side. If you are determined to have it out there I would heat trace it. My last one was outside and would freeze 2-3 times a winter.. Even with the faucet on a drip.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Tremor14 View Post
        You may still run into issues with the cold side freezing with it out side. If you are determined to have it out there I would heat trace it. My last one was outside and would freeze 2-3 times a winter.. Even with the faucet on a drip.
        insulate your pipes

        to the op: Id go big... I have heard of people complaining they dont get enough hot water with tankless. With the cost differential $145 from cheapest to most expensive, Id say its worth the little extra up front. Also check for local utility rebates

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        • #5
          I'm simply suggesting to insulate and install some type of heat trace for those cold nights..

          Code is gonna be city specific, and you are in Austin right, home of the TSBPE I have no clue about their code but I bet it's pretty lax.

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