• janNatan@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      8 months ago

      I just learned these are a thing. Probably more energy Efficient thank keeping a warm tank of water in your house, I’m guessing?

      • Addv4@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        15
        ·
        8 months ago

        Pretty much, plus you don’t have to worry about running out of hot water. They’re pretty nice, and surprisingly simple to install.

      • pete_the_cat@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        They’re both good and bad. If you have older pipes that are narrower than modern pipes it can take a few minutes for the water to become hot. My parents live in a hundred year old house and installed one, it’s nice once it finally warms up, but it can take a good few minutes. During the winter the water is ice cold and takes even longer to warm up.

        They are disappointed with it, but they had already sunk like $5,000-$6500 USD on it.

      • Sal@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        I can be. If you have a tank water heater it can be set up where it is off for most of the day but it will keep the water in the tank hot.

      • cynar@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        They are quite common in the UK, and have been the default for a couple of decades now. They are definitely more efficient, compared to a tank, as well as taking up far less space. You just need to make sure the model you choose can keep up with the demand. Nothing worse than a tepid shower.

        The only situation I can see them being worse is with solar. If you have solar panels then dumping excess power into the water heater is a great way to not waste it. With a combi boiler, that is no longer an option.

      • ramble81@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        It’s actually less energy efficient since it has to heat the water right then and there whereas a tank is insulated and builds on the heated water that’s already in there. But the trade off of basically infinite hot water and a smaller footprint is so worth it.

        • rooster_butt@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          8 months ago

          It’s more efficient because there is no heat loss thst a tank suffers from even if it’s insulated. It takes the same amount of energy to heat up water b N degrees. Doesn’t matter how fast you do it. The real drawback is that it requires a much larger breaker and will likely need to run new wires. It may be an issue with your electrical if your panel doesn’t have enough leeway.

          • ramble81@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            8 months ago

            That makes sense. As for the breaker if you’re using gas it actually runs on a standard 15-amp circuit (I have one), but it does require a potentially larger gas inlet which can be costly too, and you need a 4” exhaust which may require some retrofitting too.

    • Scott@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      I’ve legit slept in the shower when I was feeling sick as fuck because of a tankless water heater lol!

      Idk why but hot/warm showers when sick are the shit

    • SidewaysHighways@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      My dang propane tank be hurtin when I be hurtin

      All bets are off if I happen to put on an excellent playlist before I hop in

    • Ms. ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      My apartment uses some kind of shared hot water main I could be in the shower long enough to slow cook the meat right off my bones