primitives discuss hot water heaters

[GOBUCKS]

Those advertising copy writers know it's a hot water heater. They are the same guys who used to insist there was something called a water closet in your bathroom, and that we had stuff called bologna and catsup in our kitchens.

[The Village Idiot]

Mine has been ridiculous, too. Last summer we ran the a/c almost constantly and it never got over $180. The last two months it's been damn near $400. We have electric heat, but c'mon. Our service is with Florida Power & Light.

Reliant is our service provider but Oncor runs the wires and installs meters. We have the same story. Have you checked your meter?? Does it have the old fashion meter readout or a digital meter? I wonder if they'd install it without notifying you? They didn't tell us.

[shadeaux]

I say water heater.

With all those high class jobs the DUmmies have, why are they worried about a few dollars going to waste ?

They can afford the extras and they should also give to the gas and electric companies. Mark that little box to give a little something something to all those poor people that can't afford to have what they have. 

There is no way I'm climbing up in the attic to turn that thing off and on. I would like to say right here and now, the person or persons ( a MAN or MEN ) who thought putting a water heater in the attic was the thing to do is stupid.  I'm sorry if that offends anyone but it is.  My husband agrees.

Yes, I could easily turn the breaker off but why would you do that ? I don't know anyone that turns their water heater off and on every day.

We are not metered here.  Yet.

[NHSparky]

It's a water heater.  BTW--once again, DUmmies are wrong yet again.  SOME tankless heaters are gas.  Some are not, but require additional serivce breakers--in some cases up to 120 amps.

[franksolich]

Okay, folks, here's the Stupid Question of the Day.

But remember, I don't do television, so there's lots in contemporary society I don't know about.

How is it possible to have a "tankless water heater"?

I mean, the water has to sit somewhere to boil for a while, and so surely some sort of container or vat or tank is involved here.

ON EDIT: Never mind; I looked it up.

I had honestly never heard of these things.

One wonders if they're as good as advertised.

Some of us like to have gallons and gallons and bushels of hot water right away, without having to wait ten or fifteen minutes.

[NHSparky]

Okay, folks, here's the Stupid Question of the Day.

But remember, I don't do television, so there's lots in contemporary society I don't know about.

How is it possible to have a "tankless water heater"?

I mean, the water has to sit somewhere to boil for a while, and so surely some sort of container or vat or tank is involved here.

Not at all.  There are "on demand" water heaters, using energy only when flow (i.e., demand) is placed on the system.  Think of it as a heat exchanger, with the only "container" or volume being that of the water actually in the unit.  The larger the flow, the more energy (hence gas or 120-amp service) required, but usually those are for very large homes.  My neighbor has a gas "tankless" water heater which kicks in immediately, so that by the time the water gets to his faucet, it's the same as if it came from a tank which has been constantly kept at temperature.

[franksolich]

Not at all.  There are "on demand" water heaters, using energy only when flow (i.e., demand) is placed on the system.  Think of it as a heat exchanger, with the only "container" or volume being that of the water actually in the unit.  The larger the flow, the more energy (hence gas or 120-amp service) required, but usually those are for very large homes.  My neighbor has a gas "tankless" water heater which kicks in immediately, so that by the time the water gets to his faucet, it's the same as if it came from a tank which has been constantly kept at temperature.

Thanks, sir; I was looking it up at the same time you were writing.

I edited my previous comment.

I'm still however dubious they're possibly as good as the advertisements say they are.

[NHSparky]

Thanks, sir; I was looking it up at the same time you were writing.

I edited my previous comment.

I'm still however dubious they're possibly as good as the advertisements say they are.

Had I had enough foresight, and had a water heater not already been installed, I likely would have had them put one in the house when I bought it.

Yes, they're THAT worth it.

[franksolich]

Had I had enough foresight, and had a water heater not already been installed, I likely would have had them put one in the house when I bought it.

Yes, they're THAT worth it.

I've probably maybe seen them, and someone told me what they were, but I didn't hear it.

I was originally thinking of something similar with what I encountered in older bed-and-breakfasts in England a long time ago.  Above each sink or bathtub was some sort of tank, maybe two or three or five gallons.

One put in fivepence (or an old shilling), waited five minutes, and then there was hot water.

Incidentally, they also did that with heat in individual rooms, and electricity too.

One always kept a pocketful of fivepence handy.

[IassaFTots]

Had I had enough foresight, and had a water heater not already been installed, I likely would have had them put one in the house when I bought it.

Yes, they're THAT worth it.

Oh, they so are.  Boyfriend has one.  It is mounted on the outside of the back of his house.  Aside from the $$ savings, the footprint of the old water heater has evolved into a nice-sized pantry.  

I don't have Oncor for electric here, FGL.  My city has it's own electric co-op, and for that I am quite grateful.  No Smart Meters, and my rates are very competitive.  

[GOBUCKS]

When Algore moved into the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory, it seems to me he had some kind of gadgets installed all over the place so he wouldn't have to wait for hot water. As I understood it, they were in addition to normal hot water heaters, and cost a bazillion dollars to install. I don't recall ever hearing of Cheney having them taken out, so maybe I'm mistaken. It would have been like Jimmuh's solar panels, except Algore actually believes some of this stuff.

[The Village Idiot]

Incidentally, they also did that with heat in individual rooms, and electricity too.

One always kept a pocketful of fivepence handy.

Talk about nickel and diming someone!!

I heard Rush talk about tankless water heaters, he said guests use to test it by turning everything on and seeing if it would run out. lol.