Tankless Water Heater

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I just got the specs from a customer. Requires (2) 60 amp circuits. A bit ridiculous if you ask me. He's not interested in a time clock.
 
Why would you put a timeclock on a tankless heater -- they only draw power when hot water is being used? It takes a lot of energy to heat water. A gas tankless has a rather large gas pipe too (like that of a large furnace or pool heater).
 
What i meant was put a time clock on a standard water heater. His 100 amp service isn't going to handle the load. He don't wanna pay for an upgrade.
 
You could easily make the loads no coincidel (spelling?) with a set of big ole fw/rvs contactors. :roll: Then put ctrl buttons in each bathroom / kitchen :D

I've read a bit about POCO's not liking them, I bet that could really load up a residential sub at 7am. =)
 
Ive walked away from so many of those. I think its unethical to install them.
I have had lots of calls for burned meter sockets about six months after the handyman installs one.
If they have gas service that would be a reason to install a tankless.
I dont think the payback could ever happen for one of those electric units especially of they had to upgrade the service.
Whats going to happen to people when the POCO starts using demand meters on residential customers.
I think the plug in type are fine for a hand sink.
 
someone here may quickly state otherwise, but I have yet to find the 1st happy customer with a "whole house" instant electric hot water heater that wasn't in the 40 kw range. Smaller units for sperrate uses,perhaps.
I have seen a number of 15-20 kw units be taken out after the 1st few weeks to be replaced by standard storage tank type heaters.
 
Why aren't they installing an additional hot water circulation line, that are designed to be with-in a few feet of point of usuage. Making warmer water available, I beleive the system only needs an addition circuit for the pump motor. The plumber has to do all the work to get it to circulate.
 
augie47 said:
someone here may quickly state otherwise, but I have yet to find the 1st happy customer with a "whole house" instant electric hot water heater that wasn't in the 40 kw range. Smaller units for sperrate uses,perhaps.
I have seen a number of 15-20 kw units be taken out after the 1st few weeks to be replaced by standard storage tank type heaters.
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My experience is the same, just will not heat enough water, another downfall is if you have well water where the water pressure is not ridgidly regulated, you will cooking one minute, freezing the next. The gas instant water heaters work a lot better, and only require a 15 amp 120 volt circuit.
 
The last one I didn't install was in a home with a loaded-beyond-capacity 200a CH panel. Among the other loads were two 100a feeds; one to a basement-remodel sub-panel (w/ electric heat) and the other to a detached 4-car garage with an apartment attic w/HVAC.

The tankless-water-heater distributor assured the customer that the heaters can be added to any home without any modifications. I explained that the odds were great that the main breaker would trip and the service would need an upgrade (and actually already does.)

I priced the job without an upgrade, with an upgrade, and with an upgrade on a separate trip. Apparently, they were spooked enough to decide to skip the tankless route altogether, as I never heard from them or the distributor again. I'm not complaining.
 
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