# Cost of tankless water heater system



## jayre (Feb 23, 2017)

As I've experienced a recent leaking issue with our 9yr old 75G water heater, many suggested getting it replaced.  I've googled into tankless water heating system and it's difficult to gauge the cost for the equipment and install.  How do I get a reliable ballpark figure for a 2 story house w/basement?  Approximate SQF is 3400.


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## Snoonyb (Feb 23, 2017)

You call a recommended installer.

However, the cost of operation of an elec. tankless system will be astronomical.


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## slownsteady (Feb 23, 2017)

The best way is to get a few local estimates as Snoonby suggests. The area (sqft) of the house isn't important in the estimate, it's the amount of usage and the number of bathrooms. Also consider lifestyle; if no one is home all day, then there is no call for hot water, but if there is a young family involved, hot water will be needed the whole day.
If you are thinking of a whole-house tankless unit, remember that the water in the pipes will cool between uses, so the hot water will still not be instant; you would have to get point-of-use units for each bathroom and kitchen tap in that case.


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## joecaption (Feb 23, 2017)

What you may find of the install is almost the cost of the whole unit.
If you have electric now, no you can not just use the same wire that's already there.
There's also going to be more maintenance on  a tankless.
They have to be back flushed.
I agree gas is the way to go for faster recovery time.
No location so [we're] going to have to guess about the incoming water temp. [too] low and it's not going to work right.


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## CallMeVilla (Feb 26, 2017)

Flushing a tankless is no big deal.  The unit should come with a recirculation valve kit.  It allows you to isolate the unit from water supply and recirculates the cleaning agent.  What agent? Plain old white vinegar.  Run it for one hour every 6 months and the system will be clean.

I am not a proponent of electric units for while house hot water.  Gas of some kind is much more cost effective.  Point of demand hot water units such as under sink in bathroom sinks are OK for electric but heavy demand points like dishwashers or washing machines are not good.


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