05-24-2014, 06:09 AM
Solar has its drawbacks as mentioned, but you do have a "storage tank" that needs constant re-heating as well. As with any hot water system, it is the distance the hot water has to go from source to tap. The closer the hot water source is to the tap, the better on any system, as that is the biggest heat and water loss. The tankless water heaters have their own faults. "On demand" water heaters use quite a bit more fuel to heat (198,000btu) than a standard water heater, (40,000 btu avg.) as it "flash" heats your water as it passes thru the heater unit on its way to the tap. Also, a "standard" fuel piping system is not sized large enough for the gas to be delivered for proper burn on a tankless, about 1/2 the pipe size needed. So again, if you choose to install one, tap off a direct line, sized for the btu amount, from the propane tank directly to the tankless unit. Just some points I have learned on water heaters I would like to share, good luck on choosing which system works best for your families needs.
Are you a human being, or a human doing?
Are you a human being, or a human doing?