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    Default Supplementary hot water heater?

    Does anyone have a supplementary heater in addition to their normal tank?
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    Do you want hotter water? Or more of it? Lots of houses have two tanks. I have a big singl tank.
    Last edited by ExtraSlow; 04-06-2021 at 08:14 AM.
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    Do you want hotter water? Or more of it? Lots of houses have two tanks. I have a big singl tank.
    So our main problem is that my MIL has showers at night time - always has always will - but my wife has some skin condition where she often needs to take baths at night. The water basically runs out as soon as the shower runs for 20mins or whatever. I think I have a 75G power vented rheem tank. Its most likely on its last legs as we installed it in 2014 and we have a water softener attached to it - never replaced the dip tube and when the hot water heats now we here a bang in the tank (which apparently is bubbles in the tank escaping sediment at the bottom of the tank).

    Wondering if its better to replace with something like tankless or flushing the tank/replacing tube and getting a new supplementary tank as well. This rheem tank only cost me $900.

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    When I got my tankless system, I left the existing tank and use it as a soft water tank on the source side. It's off, and is just a backup system. If I turned it on, I could lessen my wait time for hot water but would use more energy.

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    I don't reccomend tankless. Expensive to install, and some poeple have maintenence issues. Tanks are cheaper, even if you need more of them.

    Steps you can take
    1) flushing the tank - can't hurt
    2) replacing the dip tube - pretty easy I have heard.
    3) replace tank.

    If you do replace, consider doing dual 40G tanks if you have space. There's pros and cons, but it's the cheapest way to get the most capacity, and you have a failsafe in case one acts up. Don't use Clearview plumbing for anything. Or don't use anyone who charges a "service fee" for coming to give the quote. Ask that on the phone before they show up at your house. Free quotes or GTFO.
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by nzwasp View Post
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    So our main problem is that my MIL has showers at night time - always has always will - but my wife has some skin condition where she often needs to take baths at night. The water basically runs out as soon as the shower runs for 20mins or whatever. I think I have a 75G power vented rheem tank. Its most likely on its last legs as we installed it in 2014 and we have a water softener attached to it - never replaced the dip tube and when the hot water heats now we here a bang in the tank (which apparently is bubbles in the tank escaping sediment at the bottom of the tank).

    Wondering if its better to replace with something like tankless or flushing the tank/replacing tube and getting a new supplementary tank as well. This rheem tank only cost me $900.
    What temp do you have your hot water tank set to? If it's lower, try increasing it a bit. Hotter water = less hot water diluted with cold to get to a comfortable temp so won't use up the tank as fast. But it also means you need to be careful not to run hot by itself on your sinks or you will get burned. Something to think about with kids especially.

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    Tankless maintenance is really easy now with isolation valves where you can flush the system yourself, clean the filter, and flush with 50/50 vinegar/water.
    Pros:
    1) Endless once it gets going
    2) Longer lifetime
    Cons:
    1)Expensive
    2)Wait time


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    Quote Originally Posted by sabad66 View Post
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    What temp do you have your hot water tank set to? If it's lower, try increasing it a bit. Hotter water = less hot water diluted with cold to get to a comfortable temp so won't use up the tank as fast. But it also means you need to be careful not to run hot by itself on your sinks or you will get burned. Something to think about with kids especially.
    So on my tank the dial has cold - hot - A - B - C - very hot. Its set to A.

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    I'd put it on C if you have no young kids around.

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    Up it to B and see if that helps. I was in the same boat too and just replaced the thing as it was 10 years old already. We have a 75 power vented too and have no issues with showering and filling a bath right after.
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    and I did not have the only say in the matter (most people just want it done ASAP and don't care about quality).
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    If anything we made a better decision because we had a consensus and were all on the same page.

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    Yeah i would go at least B. I have mine halfway between B and C and never run out of hot water due to showers/baths. With this setting at my place, it also means equal opening angles of both hot/cold side = perfect temp, so when i wash my hands i open both all the way and its perfect.

    I also have young kids, but i've always had it that hot so they learned really quick to never run hot without cold. I could see it being a minor problem with older kids who grew up not having hot being REALLY hot. But again i think they will learn really quick once you make the change (but also warn them about it too).

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    Quote Originally Posted by nzwasp View Post
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    So on my tank the dial has cold - hot - A - B - C - very hot. Its set to A.
    The key is set it so senior and kids with absence of mind don't get burn.

    Have you flush it yearly? 2014 is relative young in tank age. But I think dual 50 would meet your needs but by then, may be tankless is the answer. Cost would be similar or close.

    Quote Originally Posted by phreezee View Post
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    When I got my tankless system, I left the existing tank and use it as a soft water tank on the source side. It's off, and is just a backup system. If I turned it on, I could lessen my wait time for hot water but would use more energy.
    Hmm, sounds like a good solution to reuse the old tanks. What tankless system do you have and how do you like it?
    Last edited by Xtrema; 04-06-2021 at 09:55 AM.

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    I think I keep our smaller ~40gal tank around 135-140˚F which is slightly worrisome with a 4y/o around but like you we found we were running out of hot water when pulling a bath.

    I find it worse in the winter since the supply water (i.e. the cold side you're mixing with the hot) is measurably cooler.

    - - - Updated - - -

    If you need a good no-nonsense plumber to discuss this with, I highly recommend calling Randy @ Duke's Plumbing. He is to plumbing, as Tony @ Best Doors is to garage doors (i.e. great).

    - - - Updated - - -

    Another more cost effective way to increase your supply of hot water without creating a scald/burn risk for the more vulnerable in your household might be a mixing valve.

    Using a mixing valve can allow you to keep your tank at a higher set temperature but ensure the hot supply to all fixtures in your home doesn't exceed a safe limit.

    There are trade-offs in this, because keeping your tank hotter is less energy efficient. But this is practically a DIY job for anyone who can sweat some pipe or isn't afraid of plumbing in general.

    Saves you having to buy a new tank or tanks.

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    How often are y'all flushing your tanks? Annually?
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    How often are y'all flushing your tanks? Annually?
    Maybe every 2yrs. I replaced the anode rod in mine after about 3-4 years and it didn't look that bad. I do run a softener upstream of the tank though.

    Last I flushed it, there was some sediment but it was quite minor.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    How often are y'all flushing your tanks? Annually?
    Do have a softener so annually (or at least that's what I told myself, could be 1.5 to 2yrs).

    Quote Originally Posted by prae View Post
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    If you need a good no-nonsense plumber to discuss this with, I highly recommend calling Randy @ Duke's Plumbing. He is to plumbing, as Tony @ Best Doors is to garage doors (i.e. great).

    That's high praise. May have to look into that later this year.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Xtrema View Post
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    Hmm, sounds like a good solution to reuse the old tanks. What tankless system do you have and how do you like it?
    I got a Rheem RTGH-95 DVLN installed by Pete the Plumber. I like the endless hot water and seems to handle the load well at 50C.
    The waiting is not great (30 seconds average) even with a recirculating pump.
    One thing I experienced recently is during a power outage you have no hot water whereas with a tank you have some residual warm water.
    It's noisier than an tank, so keep that in mind as well.

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    I have a 200k btu Navien on-demand heater and really like it. Great heater and it only takes about 4s longer to get hot water than it did with the tank. Easy tradeoff in my mind, 4s is nothing.
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    Quote Originally Posted by phreezee View Post
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    I got a Rheem RTGH-95 DVLN installed by Pete the Plumber. I like the endless hot water and seems to handle the load well at 50C.
    The waiting is not great (30 seconds average) even with a recirculating pump.
    One thing I experienced recently is during a power outage you have no hot water whereas with a tank you have some residual warm water.
    It's noisier than an tank, so keep that in mind as well.
    Ok. Both of those are no go for me. So back to tanks it is.

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    Quote Originally Posted by phreezee View Post
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    I got a Rheem RTGH-95 DVLN installed by Pete the Plumber. I like the endless hot water and seems to handle the load well at 50C.
    The waiting is not great (30 seconds average) even with a recirculating pump.
    One thing I experienced recently is during a power outage you have no hot water whereas with a tank you have some residual warm water.
    It's noisier than an tank, so keep that in mind as well.
    I had the same unit and it was definitely slower to heat, not a deal breaker though. I think it was pretty efficient? Didn’t really notice an effect on my bill.

    I installed it because it took up less room so I could fit a standing freezer in my utility room.

    The time to heat was really only noticeable on my top floor. I would seriously consider a second tankless unit for 2 story development with the heater in the basement just to shorten the runs. Doesn’t help if you are retrofitting obviously.
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