LESLIE: John in Tennessee needs some help with a tankless water heater. What can we do for you?
JOHN: Yes, I’m looking at buying a 1972 house …
TOM: OK.
JOHN: … that is a basement rancher and it needs a replacement of the traditional hot water tank. And I live in Knoxville. Is this, number one, a good choice for this area of the country; and number two, I’ll have three simultaneous showers going in this old house. Would a 7.6-liter-per-minute size be adequate capacity?
TOM: Do you have teenagers?
JOHN: I have a 12 and a 10-year-old that think they’re teenagers. (Tom and Leslie chuckle)
TOM: Who already like long showers. I think a tankless water heater would be a good choice for you. Now, did you mention – do you have gas; is this natural gas?
JOHN: It’s natural gas.
TOM: OK, good. Yes, I think a tankless water heater is an excellent choice for your family because, number one, it’s very efficient; number two, it will supply an endless amount of hot water. And I think if it’s sized properly, you will have no problem maintaining three showers.
The most important thing is the installation. You must work with a plumber or heating contractor that knows how to install tankless water heaters because a common mistake is they put in a gas line that’s too small. You need a pretty big gas line. Doesn’t use a lot of gas but when it does need gas it needs a lot for a little period of time.
LESLIE: (overlapping voices) At once.
TOM: Exactly. So if it’s properly installed, it will run flawlessly; it’ll deliver you plenty of hot water; it’ll only be on when you need it; it will – if you want to dial down the temperature when the 10-year-old takes a shower so it’s not quite as hot, you can do that from a remote control panel. It’s good technology and they work really well.
Plus, you can actually qualify for a federal energy tax credit right now through most of the major manufacturers because the units are so efficient that the government will give you up to a $1,500 tax credit if you purchase and install one.
LESLIE: Thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit on air and online at MoneyPit.com.
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