# electric tankless what do you guy think



## MD plumber (Jan 11, 2011)

I get a few calls a year for customers asking for them. I have been telling them I don't recommend them and don't install them, but I have been thinking I also don't want to loose customers if there are some good options out there for these.


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## MD plumber (Jan 11, 2011)

http://www.eemaxinc.com/WholeHome.
Anyone know anything about these ?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Garbage. I pull a dozen off the wall per year.

If you simply cannot keep some idiot from having one installed, go with a Stiebel Eltron Tempra. they are pretty reliable..........well, as reliable as a tankless electric gets anyway.....


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

go over to dark side, ridgidforum. search "eemax electric tankless water heater". breid.............:rockon:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

There is are no good options for whole house electric tankless, period.

My experiences with them have ended in converting to other options, like gas.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Well here you have 2 guys from the south (Florida & Texas) telling you they are useless. Take a look at the chart below and think about the incoming cold water temperatures your customers typically face and think about how happy they will be with one of these attempting to meet their DHW needs... :laughing:

Do you think you want to go there?:whistling2:


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## MD plumber (Jan 11, 2011)

Most of the ones I have seen before have been useless. I just wanted to see if there were any better options out there. I haven't researched these in a while and thought technology has produced something better.


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## ZL700 (Dec 8, 2009)

MD plumber said:


> Most of the ones I have seen before have been useless. I just wanted to see if there were any better options out there. I haven't researched these in a while and thought technology has produced something better.


There are a few in the past year or so that use a quartz heater outside the chamber, so no element. American Hometec is one, those are pretty good since no liming of elements, but as all electric Tankless, still limited on flow due to KW/BTU limitations.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

ZL700 said:


> but as all electric Tankless, still limited on flow due to KW/BTU limitations.


And that is something that really can't be changed...


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## PlumberJake (Nov 15, 2010)

I plumbed a 1bd/1bath house for a lady 3 years ago and she insisted on having a tankless. No gas to the home. Ended up putting a Powerstar in. I talked to her a few days ago (her mom's house needs some plumbing work done) and she has had zero problems with the plumbing system. 

Maybe it's a fluke, but so far so good. :thumbup:


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

PlumberJake said:


> I plumbed a 1bd/1bath house for a lady 3 years ago and she insisted on having a tankless. No gas to the home. Ended up putting a Powerstar in. I talked to her a few days ago (her mom's house needs some plumbing work done) and she has had zero problems with the plumbing system.
> 
> Maybe it's a fluke, but so far so good. :thumbup:


 
I think that's the practical limit for an electric tankless water heater. I also put a Powerstar in for a woman with a small cottage about 10 years ago. This was before I went out on my own but I was still working with them up to 2008 and I never heard anything from her so I assumed it met her needs.






Paul


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## bigdaddyrob (May 14, 2009)

Hey MD Plumber, I am everywhere from Baltimore to Fredrick and get asked about these a lot with the way BGE is goofing with there nat gas lines. I havnt been able to find one I could install in good faith. I think we are in the wrong climate for whole house electric. Good luck tho! Hope you find one- 
As far as not losing customers I totally understand. I don't know about Pipco but have had some recent luck with BGE upgrades for Tankless installs, there is always the LP route also. Maybe presenting these options (even if cost is to high for them) will let them know hour looking out for there best interests and appreciate your extra effort.But Idk, I have a lot of crazy cat ladies so... =]


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## MD plumber (Jan 11, 2011)

bigdaddyrob said:


> Hey MD Plumber, I am everywhere from Baltimore to Fredrick and get asked about these a lot with the way BGE is goofing with there nat gas lines. I havnt been able to find one I could install in good faith. I think we are in the wrong climate for whole house electric. Good luck tho! Hope you find one-
> As far as not losing customers I totally understand. I don't know about Pipco but have had some recent luck with BGE upgrades for Tankless installs, there is always the LP route also. Maybe presenting these options (even if cost is to high for them) will let them know hour looking out for there best interests and appreciate your extra effort.But Idk, I have a lot of crazy cat ladies so... =]


I serve frederick and washingtion counties I offer natural or LP to everyone who inquires about electric, but some people don't have or want gas and some are stuck on wanting them. I guess I will stick to what I have been doing and not installing them and sleeping good at night


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## Eric (Jan 10, 2011)

I've installed a couple of point of use (under sink) on-demands by Bosch I think. They have worked good for that app: 110V, 30-amp circuit. Only one fixture and it comes with a .5GPM aereator. Great for that commercial building where the bathroom is at the front of the store like 100' away from the water heater. 

It use to take them over 90-seconds to get hot water to that sink, now it instant. 

I stood in a condo in Puerto Rico a couple of years back, 2-1/2 baths. They had a whole house electric tankless. And it was able to do 2-showers at a time. They had it running off a 30-AMP double pole. But the incoming cold water was practically warm already. 

I have a few customers with summer homes that have 80-gal electric tanks and they go there on the weekends only pretty much. I'd love to offer a tank that only comes on when they are using water but we're not there yet. Especially since it's either nothing or half the family there.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

3 years, whoopda friggin do.

Call me in 10 :whistling2:



PlumberJake said:


> I plumbed a 1bd/1bath house for a lady 3 years ago and she insisted on having a tankless. No gas to the home. Ended up putting a Powerstar in. I talked to her a few days ago (her mom's house needs some plumbing work done) and she has had zero problems with the plumbing system.
> 
> Maybe it's a fluke, but so far so good. :thumbup:


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

I am with the other Florida Plumbers they are worthless. Most have a 40 degree temp rise and low flow one to two fixtures at a time. Winter time here we have a ton of no hot water calls on them. I have not found any tankless gas or electric to be good with wells. They need constant water pressure and flow.

I found one that will do 3.9 gallons a minute but it took 3, 50amp breakers mon 250 amp service.


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

for a variety of reasons people will be happy with what we would consider unsatisfactory. they just want warm water not cold which they have probably had for awhile. or whatever. one thing you can do to make the etl's work better is to put in a water tank to let water reach room temp before the tl. maybe they have no ng, prop and a 60amp service. i have customers with wood heat and wood wh. these are people with decent blue collar jobs. this is a pile of legally tax free money. warms you twice. breid.............:rockon:


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Then why not just put in a standard electric tanked heater :bangin:



breid1903 said:


> for a variety of reasons people will be happy with what we would consider unsatisfactory. they just want warm water not cold which they have probably had for awhile. or whatever. one thing you can do to make the etl's work better is to put in *a water tank to let water reach room temp before the tl*. maybe they have no ng, prop and a 60amp service. i have customers with wood heat and wood wh. these are people with decent blue collar jobs. this is a pile of legally tax free money. warms you twice. breid.............:rockon:


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

lol. i never said logical or rational. i make good money doing stuff like that. the tank will warm the water tl will finish it. look it's not my money(yet). it's my job to find a solution. i like the jobs that are strange. no competition. the odd jobs are the fun ones. somebody else can have all the even jobs. lol. the best jobs are the ones that nobody else will deal with. one on monday and you get the week off with pay. breid..................:rockon:


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

Protech said:


> Then why not just put in a standard electric tanked heater :bangin:


 
But, then the home owner would not get that big ole $350.00 federal rebate for the pos tankless heater.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

That costs $1000 MORE to install :whistling2:



easttexasplumb said:


> But, then the home owner would not get that big ole $350.00 federal rebate for the pos tankless heater.


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## turd (Mar 27, 2011)

I installed 2 since November.......I called both customers back and they love them....Kind of a bich to install...3/4" gas line, but I guess they get about 8 gpm out of them, not the 9.5 advertised on the product.


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