# Keep Old Water Heater?



## SabrToothSqrl (Aug 20, 2015)

I am 'replacing' my propane ($700/year to run) water heater, with a $190/year to run HPWH.


The propane one, works. It works fine, it makes water hot. The new one will occupy a different space in my basement, for ease of installing the condensate line.

Do I

1. disconnect the old water heater and toss/sell it.
2. Shut off the old one, shut off the water OUT line and call it a day
3. Install a valve on the IN line, isolate and drain it?

What's a 50 gallon propane water heater, 7 years old worth?


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## bud16415 (Aug 20, 2015)

4. Put it in line with the new one and use it as a tempering tank after taking off the insulation.


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## slownsteady (Aug 20, 2015)

It ain't worth much on the used market, so why not leave installed if space is not an issue. There may be times - having weekend guests for instance - where additional hot water can be worth it. Don't drain it, it is a source of clean water in case of emergency (but it would have to have some flow to remain fresh).


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## joecaption (Aug 20, 2015)

A used water heater is worthless.
Only thing that stored water would be good for is is flushing a toilet.


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## SabrToothSqrl (Aug 21, 2015)

I'm told our recycling center pays $20-40 for them... might be worth hauling down.

I think the plan at this point will be leave it connected, and see if the new one can hack it with our water demands. If so, then I'll remove the old one when I get to it.

thanks


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## frodo (Aug 23, 2015)

joecaption said:


> A used water heater is worthless.
> Only thing that stored water would be good for is is flushing a toilet.




untrue

keep it as a 40 gallon storage tank.

if you are handy with tools.

you can pipe it to store potable water




a gas burner, can be removed and re purposed as a fish fryer

and the tank itself, can be stripped and turned into a smoker


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## slownsteady (Sep 30, 2015)

joecaption said:


> A used water heater is worthless.
> Only thing that stored water would be good for is is flushing a toilet.



A good and valuable asset


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## SabrToothSqrl (Oct 2, 2015)

Well I thought I'd follow up after the dust finally settled.

So, out of the box my new fancy $ saving water heater.. didn't work. It made hot water, but because the heat pump part didn't work, it used resistance heating. Making it only slightly cheaper to run than my propane.

However, now after 4 weeks and 3 visits from GE, it's been running since Thursday at noon on the heat pump (it's in hybrid mode) (heat pump only mode saves like $10/year) for $10/year I'll let it's computer brain figure out which to use (it selects resistance heating or heat pump based on a set of sensors).

SO; I plumbed the system originally such that I could use either water heater, one at a time. 

However, quickly realized that even set to the max of 140 degrees. this thing would not work for us. My wife and I apparently use a lot of hot water. Unknown to me, a 50 gallon electric water heater does NOT provide the same amount or temp of water as a 50 gallon propane water heater... ugh.

Luckily I did not unhook or remove the propane one.

So, I got some pex and compression fittings because the path from the one tank to the other would have required either 10 sweat joints OR one solid piece of pex. I chose the pex to bend it over, up, over, down, and then over to the propane.

So, now the well feeds the heat pump water heater, which efficiently takes the water from approx 60 degrees to 130 degrees.
Water then travels approx 15' in insulated pex, to my propane heater, which is set to the 'default' notch. It does not tell me the temp on it.

The propane one rarely runs, and if it does, it's not for very long, as the more cost effective to run electric one, does most of the work. The propane now works as hot storage, only having to keep water at temp vs. raise it's temp.

Water comes out of my sink at 121.1 degrees (Closest tap)

And lasts plenty long enough for a Jacuzzi tub, shower, then another shower.

In-fact, we've been thus far unable to actually run 'out' of hot water w/this setup.

So, in all, a hassle, but we now have cheaper hot water, and even more of it. Reusing my existing propane tank cost maybe $50 in materials. (less if I hadn't hooked it up twice). Vs. the $600 more for the 80 gallon tank vs the 50... so still overall a savings.

the air out the back of the water heater blows COLD, and I can see the condensate trap FINALLY full of water. so it's helping dehumidify my basement as well. Basement is currently 67 degrees. Efficiency will fall with winter, but basement never gets below 45... if I don't heat it. if I do, it's obviously warmer.


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