Water Heaters - Curious about instantaneous water heaters

My Hot Water Heater will be dying shortly (according to the average life span). We were considering going to the Instantaneous water heating system.

We have these places that would need hot water: Kitchen sink, 2 bathroom sinks, 2 shower/tubs, laundry area.


Any idea how much it would cost to go to a instantaneous system with the number of outlets listed above?
Would I need two for each bathroom due to the sink and the tub, or would one do in those rooms?
Would it really save that much money? (We currently have a propane hot water heater).


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Jean

If you are referring to tankless water heaters, they are expensive in two ways. Initial cost for the unit(s) and installation and maintenance. Many plumbers do not work on these units and the ones that do, charge accordingly. Should you decide to go this route, check the manufacturers recommendations for how big a unit(s) you need for your home. Also ask how easy it is to obtain parts and service. Many people swear by these units and many swear AT them. Good luck.

I am certainly no expert, but have just purchased a tankless system (not yet installed!) and have done some research on the topic.

Basically, a shower head uses ~ 1.5-2.5 gallons per minutes. A washing machine fills at ~ 2.5 gallons/minute. A sink tap ~ 1.0-2.0 gallons /minute.

The capacity of many tankless systems are rated based on how many gallons per minute a unit can supply for a given temperature rise over the incoming water supply.

So, if you never plan on operating more than a shower and a sink tap simultaneously, a 4 gallon per minute unit MAY suffice. I was nervous about that and purchased a 7.4 gallon per minute unit, so I could be sure to have the washing machine going simultaneously with a shower and dishwasher if need be. Those ratings were based on heating the water 50 degrees above the incoming cold water temperature. If you live in a cold climate, and need to heat water higher, the gallon per minute rating will be effectively lessened for say a 65 degree increase.

To make a long story short, these units are kind of expensive. The reason I went with a tankless model as opposed to going with a bigger conventional tank was mainly because I 1) have a large jacuzzi bathtub that I want to be able to fill with hot water, and 2) I have 2 separate hot water heaters in my home and it made sense to consolidate both into 1 tankless unit (which was ~ the same cost). I purchased a paloma 7.4 gpm model, and the unit and vent kit cost ~1300.

I'll let you know how it works when I get it.

I loved my tankless.
Even the cheap $100 electric unit I bought on ebay could provide more than enough hot water for 1 shower fixture.

Since you already have propane service, that'd be the way to go. You should expect to spend around $1500 for the gas unit and ventwork (not including labor).

You may also want to upsize your propane tank to at least a 250 gallon (if it isn't at least that already). You may also need different service piping, as these tankless units need a 3/4" supply line.