You know, there was a thread here in the past talking about prepping and off grid living. Maybe I can find it. Any others interested pls search too, I'm super busy for awhile.
My thought was an on demand hot water system with propane. After reading the rebates and how the heat pump water heater works, this might be the way to go. Jason from RI
Those on demand propane heaters last about 4 years and die or part replacement it’s cheaper to buy new one!! Worse if on well water
Check real good. I tried going that route years ago but did not have it long. Also they have to be flushed often.
I heartily agree with checking it real good. We talked to a few gas contractors when our furnace was put in, and a couple had very good reasons NOT to get one. We did not get one, as I like the simplicity and (affordable) fixabitity of a standard tank. That it stores 40 or 60 gallons of water is a plus. It was well worth talking with a buncha folks. Sca Sca
I think you have the HPWH that was mentioned confused with an "on demand", or "instant" type heater...those do have maintenance issues to be aware of...the HPWH's however seem to be mature technology now and reliable and efficient...I have one going on 2 years now and love it...saves me over $15/mo on my electric bill compared to a standard electric water heater.
I would think that the heat pump water heaters would be reliable....the technology they use has been in use for 100 years.
On-demand or "tankless" water heaters (not point-of-use) are pretty much all they install in new houses around me. Especially up north, if I was going to use gas/LP to heat DHW, I'd go tankless in a heartbeat! Nice that it has no floorspace demands and needs no more than a regular 110V receptacle to operate too.
They work pretty well, with daily showers for 2 adults, almost nightly baths in a big tub for our daughter, and nightly dishwasher runs we burned something like <7-10 gallons a month this summer. Maintenance is minimum; if you have a well you do a descale every 1-2 years, if you have a water softener its every 7 years. Being able to flush is built into any install from a competent HVAC tech, its 2x 3 way valves with washer hose fittings on one side. Hook up a pump (they sell kits for $100-150) to the in/out of the heater, then run the pump cycling a 5 gallon bucket of water+ vinager for an hour. A little maintenance and the heater will last for many years (decades).
Yep. The Rinai (sp?) my parents had was at least 14 years old when they moved to SC. Propane + super soft water… vinegar flush 1 a year.
Last night I was talking to my neighbor about propane since he heats with it. He is waiting to get his 500 gallon tank filled so he only has to do it one more time over the winter. So I asked why are you burning cheap propane now so you can a lot more expensive propane later? Oh...wait. Truth is it's probably already too late.
My FIL converted his house in NY from Gas-Fired Forced Air (Central unit in attic - noisy as all hell and all registers in ceiling. In summary - always cold! ) to baseboard with what was essentially a super-duty tankless heater (gas-fired still) that also provided his DHW. The savings and comfort levels were phenomenal over the early 90's era forced air system.
That's what's in my house now. Truth is, that 1x yr flush is excessive with our municipal water supply. We don't need softeners for sure. You could do one as a luxury but I'm 4+ years in this house and we see no mineral build-up to speak of and only the occasional iron stain when the utility mains are flushed. I'd rather not commit the floor space in the (small! ) garage!
My dad followed it religiously, probably cos he thought if he didn’t, he’d have to replace- and that would take away from fishing $$$… Then again, had they not moved to SC, he’d most likely be alive today- which as it happens is 2 years to the day that he chose to leave the earth.
So NOAA is predicting an "unusually cold winter" in the northeast. Couple that with an expected 54-percent increase in the cost of propane and I'm glad I made the switch years ago to primarily heating with wood. A lot more work but well worth it in my book. Thankfully I only have the tank topped off twice a year. Dismal New Hampshire heating season expected | New Hampshire Public Radio (nhpr.org)
I wonder when the cold air is going to show up? WMUR said October was the 6 warmest on record this morning.
I also wonder where NPR is getting their information from. A simple google search brought up this NOAA briefing from October where they are predicting the northeast to lean towards a warmer than average winter. Regardless, propane costs are still going up. Winter Outlook 2021 - Media Briefing - YouTube
