So I’m not all in on saving the planet ala Greta Thunberg but I do think it’s important that we are good stewards of the planet we have inherited and do our best to preserve future opportunities for future generations. But I’m also a very selfish and self-interested person and this improvement creates opportunities to serve both competing interests.
First of all, now might be a good time to mention that I have left Oklahoma and moved back to the great state of Nebraska. I left to take advantage of a career opportunity and an increase in salary. I bought my latest house in August of 2019. I basically bought one of the worst houses in an otherwise great neighborhood. I see potential in this house but the floor plan sucks. One of the problems with my remodel is where to put the dang hot water heater, which was showing some age. I didn’t have a great place to keep this massive appliance and still achieve my remodel goals.
Given the unit was in the way and showing age, rust around the bottom of the tank and sleeve, I thought an upgrade might be necessary.
What I learned about hot water heaters. Traditional tank units are probably the most economical route to go in terms of upfront costs. Most are simple replacements and the going rate in my area for removal and installation of a new unit is about a thousand dollars. I feel competent performing this repair but it didn’t solve my space problem. I did some research and inquired about a tankless unit and found out the following: 1) Tankless electrical units are the most energy efficient unit to buy, that said I’ve been told from countless individuals that they don’t hold up well and are not a smart purchase 2) Nat gas units are about 80ish% efficient but hold up very well (also these units are designed to be repaired not just replaced like a traditional unit- saving on future ownership costs) 3) these units are maybe 1/4 the size of a traditional unit and can be installed in more spaces (I moved mine from inside the house to being installed on the wall of my garage- opening up space in my floor plan for remodels).
In my experience this has been a hell of an upgrade that will improve the resale value of my home. Hot water comes on fast and I have never had any issues with supply running out. The unit only runs when I command hot water. My nat gas bill was $9 my first month, there was a $10 convenience initial hookup fee. So my convenience fee was more than my gas usage. I also like the idea of not being totally dependent on the electrical grid like I was before. I plan on installing a gas range, furnish, and bringing the gas supply to my existing wood burning fireplace. But I have no plans to quit burning wood.
Total cost after getting gas brought to my house, old unit removed, new unit installed was about $3800 This is about 3k more than a traditional replacement (and may not be right for all situations) but I’m happy to have the space, be more energy and environmentally friendly, have opportunity for future nat gas appliance upgrades, not be totally dependent on the electric company and know that future repairs will be significantly cheaper. Stay tuned for energy savings….
