On Apr 17, 2:47 pm, "JimH" wrote:
"Gene Kearns" wrote in message

...





On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:07:36 -0400, JimH penned the following well
considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

The rub.........you need a minimum 3/4" gas line. I just found this out
from a contractor quoting on the installation. We only have 1/2" at the
hot
water tank room and our ceiling in the basement is finished. The only
solution is trenching in a new 1" line outside to the hot water tank room
at
a cost of about $1,500.

The next rub......that same contractor quoted an install price of $1,500
over and beyond running a new gas line.

I know that I don't think like most people.... but it would be a cold
day in hell before I would pay a contractor $3,000 to do what it would
take me a Saturday to do.....

--

I agree. The problem is I am not too confident working with a natural gas
line.

Anyway, a second, and obviously more ethical contractor (35 years in
business) came in this afternoon with an estimate of $750 for the entire
installation, including running a new 3/4" gas line from the meter.

He also asked us to consider going with a single 50 gallon hot water tank
($650 installed and removing our 2 existing tanks). His reasoning:

1. The cost to operate the hot water tank, even with a standing pilot, is
about $250/year. The cost to run the tankless hot water heater would be at
about $150/year.

2. The tankless system has moving parts where as a tank does not. We have
never had to service a hot water tank (no moving parts) and got over 15
years on the 5 year warranty tanks we now have.

We are putting in a 50 gallon tank.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Go ahead. But if you bathed, you'd be surprised at the savings. In
summer, when our natural gas is used for nothing except hot water and
cooking, my bill is half of what it was with a hot water heater.
Granted, our hot water tank heater was a builder grade one that wasn't
very efficient, but it still makes nothing but sense to do. Take your
$100 a year savings (and I'll bet you'll save much more than that).
Subtract the cost of your 50 gal hot water heater from the cost of an
on demand unit, then you'll be surprised at how little time it takes
to break even, then it's all downhill.