Water heater options

[boiler717]

We need a new water heater, womp womp. Ours is completely dead. We currently have a 50 gal gas AO Smith. Options are:
- replace existing under warranty for the same, $680 (plumber says this isn't a good brand)
- get a Navien tankless for $3200
- ?? Find a different option through somewhere else
Any recommendations? We have a larger house, so I believe our builder initially recommended a 75 gal but we went smaller since it was just 2 of us (we have a toddler now). It's 4200 sq ft / 4 baths, and we will add a 5th bath and bar in the basement but not for 5+ years. We are also shelling out lots of money for a patio this year and don't love the idea of spending so much unexpectedly right now.

[2curlydogs]

AO Smith is a fine brand, so I'm not sure what your plumber is talking about. It's only available thru plumbers (e.g. can't get it at Home Depot, etc.), so it's not like it's bargain-basement shoddy construction. Our 50 gal AO Smith lasted 22 years. It was original to the house (1995) We just replaced it this past October after it started leaking. You'll find pretty much a bad "reputation" for every brand of water heater out there, from Bradford-White to Rheem to AO Smith. Honestly, from what I can tell from my research, they're all more or less a horse a piece.

Size of the tank doesn't really have a square foot relationship but a gal/hour usage and peak hour usage. So the number of people in your house, how often you're drawing on hot water, etc. There are the 4 of us and we usually run a couple of things at one (e.g. a dishwasher and washing machine, or a shower and washing machine, etc.). Energy.gov has a worksheet you can use. www.energy.gov/energysaver/sizing-new-water-heater

The other advice we got from FoxInFiji was to consider the warranty and what that all covers. Most water heaters are on a limited warranty for the tank itself - which can vary from 6-12 years - and then for parts and labor, which is generally only 1 year. Our warranty is I think 8 years for the tank AND all parts and labor (that's the extended warranty offered by our plumber though, not the manufacturer).

We ended up with a 40 gal Rheem with a tank booster. So far I'm pleased with it. We haven't noticed any decrease from the missing 10 gal, despite our heavy usage with 2 adults and 2 kids.

[boiler717]

Thanks so much 2curlydogs!! Lots of great info.

[2curlydogs]

Oh. We didn't consider tankless. I don't think it was possible, given the venting considerations and the current water heater placement.

ETA: OR, it would have been POSSIBLE, but a hell of a lot more expensive to do.

[2curlydogs]

OH! Here's my original thread way back. There's some good advice in here, too.

pandce.proboards.com/thread/510018/talk-me-water-heaters

[redheadk]

We have 2 40-gallon tandem tanks that we replaced in august. Don't remember the brand...we got a good deal on them ($1200 total, including labor and some upgrades that had to be done to be in code) since it's a guy my dad knows and we had them installed less than 24 hours after the hot water went out so I was just happy to get them.

It turns out that one has been out for a while. We definitely noticed that we were running out of hot water in the evening with just 40 gallons but there is no way we use 80.

We decided to pass on the tankless. Our break even point was in like 20-25 years.

[candreco]

We went with a tankless when we replaced, but it was more about freeing up space in the utility room than the cost, and wasn't a complicated install in terms of vent and water line routing. We do like it and haven't had any issues.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Whether or not the tankless would work for you also depends on your water temp in the winter - here, our water is so cold in winter that you need a massively powerful tankless to overcome the temperature differential. Almost all winter, our local Facebook chit chat page is full of people complaining that they're only getting lukewarm water and asking for repair recommendations. Come to find out that their system is working fine but it just can't take on 34 degree water successfully.