Need a hot water heater

[RU482]

I recently bought a house that has a 13 year old water heater. I'm guessing it was a pretty low end model, as it only had a 5 year warranty. Add to that the fact that there is alot of sediment in the hard water here, and the fact that the house sat empty for the better part of a year before we moved in.

I'm looking for either a 40 or 50 gallon natural gas model...not sure if I can justify an on demand heater (5 people in my house and they cost 2 to 3x as much). Any suggestions on what brand to buy?

 

[glenn1]

Whirlpool at Lowes. If you can, wait for the free installation sale they have every six months or so.

 

[VWhed]

I have been thinking of an "on-demand" style, I have only electric service so that is a deciding factor for me.

 

[dartworth]

You can get a tankless heater for about $800-$1k...

I'm thinking of going that route...:shrug;

 

[isekii]

I had a Water Heater burst yesterday.
Bought a 40Gallon GE Gas water heater at home depot for 289 + tax.
It's gonna be finished being installed on Monday.

Gas is all hooked up, the water pipes need to be connected now.

Mean while, i'll be taking my shower at Ballys prior to heading into work

 

[IronWing]

If you have the upfront cash you might consider adding a passive solar heater to supplement the gas. There is a federal tax credit available on them until Dec 2007.

 

[Bryophyte]

Check with your utility company and your state to see if there are any rebates or tax credits available for buying an energy efficient model. Sometimes the salesman at the place you buy the water heater will have that kind of info, but do the research on your own first.

 

[RU482]

all good advice...especially glenn1. I bought my Washer there. Those install guys are top notch professional.

Any idea how much a passive solar system costs to do?? I've always wanted to do something along those lines..in fact, I was just thinking earlier about trying an outdoor tank of some sort next summer.

 

[RGN]

When mine goes, I am putting in a tankless model. I want the space and the efficiency. Its only me here and I know that damn thing works hard during the winter. The basement is coooold.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: RGN
When mine goes, I am putting in a tankless model. I want the space and the efficiency. Its only me here and I know that damn thing works hard during the winter. The basement is coooold.

Curious, would a family of 5 see the benefits of the efficency of a tankless water heater?
I can see for 1-3 person homes, but is there a point where it breaks even>?

 

[IronWing]

The solar heater I looked at (I haven't made the leap yet so no personal experience to share) was the Copperheart system made by SunEarth. I was quoted $3600 installed by one installer who I know does good work. In AZ the combination of state and federal tax credits puts the final price at $2100. The price of copper has gone up since I got the quote so the price has probably also risen.

You can read about the fed credit here as well as a state by state list of credits here:

http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm?EE=0&RE=1

Click on the small Fed map at the top to see federal credits then scroll down to personal credits.