Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters? (tank, cleaning, gas, glass)

[murchmb]

We're doing a renovation/addition to our home in Madison and will be replacing our electric water heater with a gas model. We're considering going with a Rinnai tankless water heater. Does anyone have experience with these, particularly in Madison? Performance, cost to operate, etc. I know there are scaling issues with hard water, but it looks to me like they can be alleviated with a simple yearly flushing with vinegar.

[Grandpa Pipes]

I too looked into Tankless until I found out our hard water is a water
heater killer. Tankless in our area just don't last very long nor work
very due to the lime build up.

Best thing to do is check with you local state ag extension office about
how hard the water is where you live. Tankless will work with not so hard
but since they are so expensive it's better to use glass lined quality
heaters and replace them about every 5>10 years.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Tightwad

I too looked into Tankless until I found out our hard water is a water
heater killer. Tankless in our area just don't last very long nor work
very due to the lime build up.

Best thing to do is check with you local state ag extension office about
how hard the water is where you live. Tankless will work with not so hard
but since they are so expensive it's better to use glass lined quality
heaters and replace them about every 5>10 years.

What about a water softener upstream of the water heater?

[milledj]

deja vu?
All water heaters have problems with hard water. Tanked ones have a scarificial metal strip inside of them that attracts the corrosion. When that is gone, you either have to replace the strip or the water heater. If you do a yearly flush of tankless water heaters with a vinegar & water solution, you won't have the scale build up. If you get a tankless, be sure to get a GAS tankless water heater. Rinnai is a good one... there are better, but they cost more. Another thing to consider is where you put it, because venting a Rinnai costs a lot because the ducting is doubled... a vent within a vent, one for air intake and one for outgoing gases. If you can vent directly thru a wall outdoors from inside, you will be in pretty good shape. On the other hand, if you stick it in a basement and want to go all the way up to the roof, it can easily cost you as much as the heater.
Our Habitat for Humanity homes are getting them. The first is just over a year old, and has been working without problems.
For a retrofit, are you putting it inside or outside? If outside, the enclosure is quite large.

[lforster1]

If you are worried about hard water and corrosion you should check out the Eternal hybrid system. Its self cleaning and has a 20-year warranty. Plus, you still get the tax credit. I work with them and its a pretty cool system that combines both tank and tankless.

Its worth a look at least - Eternal hybrid: the world's first and most advanced hybrid water heating system

[Toymeister]

If you run the numbers it is hard to justify the costs particularly with Rinnai's which are only offered thru dealers. If you are commited to the concept maybe you should consider a tankless heater but not a Rinnai brand

[milledj]

Usually Rinnai is offered at substancial savings thru municipal programs (about 1/2 price). The hybrid models are great, though! I haven't seen them yet. I would be careful of off-brands like they sell at the big box stores...they usually have bad reviews, are cheaper, and less reliable.

[verybadgnome]

Quick question for Rinnai owners. How long before you got the code 'LC' indicating you should flush your heat exchanger?