Does anyone have any advice on hot water heaters? I just relit my hot water heater and noticed that I was standing in a pool of water. Not a big deal on the water as the basement is not finished and isn’t even suitable for storage. This old house is pre-1900 and I hope to get to bulldoze it if we ever get the new house built as setting it on fire would be a crime. We are out of the city and propane is the most economical choice for heating fuel. I’m trying to decide between a 40 to 50-gallon tank or spend a bit more and go tankless.
Does anyone have any advice or experience with tankless hot water heaters?
If your gas lines are old, probably they not large enough for a tankless water heater. They can save a lot of fuel, but that is most true when most of the energy use has been going towards keeping a tank of water heat while the water is not being used. If the hot water is being used a lot, then the savings are less.
I have a 1/2 or 3/4" pipe feeding into the house that is stepped down to 3/8" copper for 10ft or so. Grandpa operated furley furnace Co that was wall heaters. So each room had 1 wall heater so I have gas lines everywhere… Probably not the best idea anymore, but it hasn’t killed anyone YET…
Typically you need 3/4" all the way. Some smaller ones get by on 5/8", but that is not a common size. Also, anything else that needs full pressure may not work well when the water heater kicks on, and on some old heating units that means the main valve cycles, but if there is a pilot light and it goes out, and old enough gas valve, the area around the heater fills with gas and either boom, or oxygen displacement, which are not conducive to enjoying a hot shower.