I've checked the archives and 3 threads came up on this subject but the newest was 10 mths ago. SOOOOOOOOOO I want to know how is everyone doing with theirs? Do you like it? What models do you have,would you switch back to convential? Anyone have a new modern version? Can you hook a water softner to one? etc.,etc.,,, I am gathering all the info. I can for the renovation of my recently acguire up-north house and property.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), November 29, 2001

Answers

Funny you should ask, as my designated other and I were just discussing this. We have had ours for two and a half years. It is a natural gas fueled Bosch. We LOVE it. Wish we had gotten one YEARS ago. No, we will NEVER go back to a conventional water heater. After you get the on demand kind, you wonder why the others are still being made. The tank heaters are wasteful and inconvenient.

Yes, we have a water softener on our water.

My designated other installed it. The only thing we had trouble with was finding the 5" flue pipe. Only one plumbing supply place in the area had one.

Ask any specifics you like, and I will endeavor to answer.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), November 29, 2001.

I forgot another thing, Does anyone use a propane version?

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), November 29, 2001.

Rose, what is the maximum differential temperature your heating unit is capable of?

-- David A. (mncscott@ak.net), November 29, 2001.

Tom, Are you aware that Home De-pot now carries them?? I also found that I can order the 125S [solar] ---not the model that they have on hand.. I know I'm ready for one!!

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), November 29, 2001.

Yup, we have a propane-fired Tagaki and it's outstanding. Our water comes from the source very, very cold and the heater gets it to scalding in no time. Wouldn't consider going back to a tank. We're plumbed for all water, except for the cold tap in the kitchen, going through the softener first. It was more expensive up front, but we're hoping it makes our appliances and fixtures last longer.

-- Jorja Hernandez (jorja@color-country.net), November 30, 2001.

A plumber friend now recommends them whenever he has to take out an old hot water heater. They basically go in the same place. Either 220V electricity, propane or natural gas is already there. They cost more initially, but he is able to show research on how fast the payback time is for the extra money. Of course, he makes more putting in a tankless one due to the extra time and his markup on purchase cost. Try google on tankless hot water.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 30, 2001.

how do they work in a colder state like , wisconsin for instance?

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), November 30, 2001.

We have an Aquastar, which we put in this summer. We really like it. It runs off our 250gal propane tank. We don't yet know how much propane use can be attributed to the water heater, since this is the first year we have a kitchen inside and so we are baking up a storm and using the oven eats up the propane much more quickly than just stovetop cooking. Also, before that we were using an electric conventional type, but since we weren't fully wired and now we are (which means now we are using more lights & other electric stuff), we will not really be able to tell if our electric bill will reflect additional savings. But it is easy on the mind to know that we are not "using up all the hot water" whenever we use it. I have noticed that when I am taking a shower (upstairs), if someone turns on the hot faucet downstairs, I get an instant COLD shower. It supplies enough hot water for more than one application downstairs (say, doing dishes and having the clothes washer on at the same time), but not enough to get hot water upstairs at the same time. Perhaps that is a matter of water pressure. My neighbor also has one, but it is installed upstairs, where she has her shower and clotheswasher, and she never has any problem getting hot water downstairs with other uses going on upstairs. The plumbers all realize they are a great thing, but because most Americans are so spoiled and cannot imagine staggering usage, cannot possibly deal with having any resource not constantly, instantly, excessively & infinitely availble, the plumbers told us they caution people about putting them in. Pretty much anywhere I've travelled or lived in Europe or Asia uses them. I recommend it.

-- snoozy (bunny@northsound.net), November 30, 2001.

Fred, my cousin in northern Wisconsin has had one for quite a few years. She says she LOVES it.

-- Joy F (S.Central Wisc) (CatFlunky@excite.com), November 30, 2001.

Thanks for all your posts!!!!

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), November 30, 2001.

We have had a Myson 325 tankless water heater for two and a half years now and love it. We chose that over Aquastar because it vents directly out the back and came with the venting materials. Ours runs on propane, and the savings are amazing. I would guess that in just a couple of years it will pay for itself through the savings on propane. It does take some getting used to as the water heats up to scalding really fast.

-- Katherine in KY (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), November 30, 2001.

This question has been on my mind lately too so I am really glad you asked, Tom. We will be building our cabin in the spring and were considering a tankless heater but didn't know if they had propane ones. (We will not have electricty). Knowing now that they do, we will definately be installing one in our home. I have heard such great things about them and the responses here are very positive as well.

-- Lisa (mountainlady@imbris.com), December 03, 2001.

My wife and I decided to put a tankless in our home when we built three years ago. We have a propane version and it is excellent! They are more expensive than a conventional, but in the long run, you will save on fuel costs. We had our 500 gal. tank filled in October 1999, and is still 45% full today December 19, 2001. ( the only other thing we have on the propane is a cookstove that is also very efficiant.) The tankless water heaters are well worth it.

-- Scott P (sppowers@townsqr.com), December 19, 2001.

We have a propane Aqua Star. It uses electricity for igniting & the exhaust. We love it. But we do warn everyone not to run water in the kitchen when we take showers.

-- Bonnie (stichart@plix.com), December 20, 2001.

We use a Seisco elecric demand water heater and love it. Recquires 200 amp service and four 30 amp breakers, but is very economical in use. It also does not need venting. Installation is easy, especially if it can be installed near the breaker box. The aquastar is a great water heater also. The company that makes the Monitor kerosene home heater(we have two and am considering building a shrine in their honor) also makes a kerosene on demand water heater.

-- Paul Moore (boawoman@boastore.com), March 27, 2002.