pmoe
New Member
My 1988 40 gallon Rheem water heater gave up the ghost last week and it's time for a new one.
I'm open to all suggestions, short of a cow patty fired stove, due to lack of available cow patties in my neighborhood.
The house will have 2 full baths + kitchen (dishwasher) + washing machine + hot/cold spigot outside.
Right now, I am the only resident, but I would like to buy a WH that is sized so that it's not an issue if I sell the house to a family of 5.
Also, my existing WH runs on natural gas and vents through a chimney. I had a long term goal of exposing the brick on that chimney in my kitchen and upstairs bath. I was advised that it would be unsafe to do so unless I installed a stainless steel liner in the chimney. IIRC, the cost to install that was $600.
No other devices are using that chimney.
With that in mind, I was leaning towards power vent or direct vent. The existing WH is in a basement on an outside wall, so the only real hangup is making a hole in the foundation for the pipe.
To make this purchasing decision a little more complex, I will add that I'm away from my house 5 days a week and only need hot water on the weekends. (This is a temporary work arrangement, but I don't know when it will end.)
Consensus seems to be that B-W and Rheem are the best brands for tank heaters.
I would like to take advantage of the 30% tax credit, if feasible. It looks like the gas condensing models are ungodly expensive, and the only viable B-W tank is a commercial model.
If tankless makes sense in my application, them I'm open to it. With the cost of the SS liner and the potential 30% credit, it may make the net cost closer to a power or direct vent model or atmospheric vent with liner.
Advice?
I'm open to all suggestions, short of a cow patty fired stove, due to lack of available cow patties in my neighborhood.
The house will have 2 full baths + kitchen (dishwasher) + washing machine + hot/cold spigot outside.
Right now, I am the only resident, but I would like to buy a WH that is sized so that it's not an issue if I sell the house to a family of 5.
Also, my existing WH runs on natural gas and vents through a chimney. I had a long term goal of exposing the brick on that chimney in my kitchen and upstairs bath. I was advised that it would be unsafe to do so unless I installed a stainless steel liner in the chimney. IIRC, the cost to install that was $600.
No other devices are using that chimney.
With that in mind, I was leaning towards power vent or direct vent. The existing WH is in a basement on an outside wall, so the only real hangup is making a hole in the foundation for the pipe.
To make this purchasing decision a little more complex, I will add that I'm away from my house 5 days a week and only need hot water on the weekends. (This is a temporary work arrangement, but I don't know when it will end.)
Consensus seems to be that B-W and Rheem are the best brands for tank heaters.
I would like to take advantage of the 30% tax credit, if feasible. It looks like the gas condensing models are ungodly expensive, and the only viable B-W tank is a commercial model.
If tankless makes sense in my application, them I'm open to it. With the cost of the SS liner and the potential 30% credit, it may make the net cost closer to a power or direct vent model or atmospheric vent with liner.
Advice?