We built our house about 3 years ago and installed an electric water heater. After about a year we added a recirc system so that we wouldn’t have to wait 3 minutes before taking a shower. Why electric instead of gas you’re wondering? Electricity is inexpensive where we live and propane prices were expected to rise steadily over the next 10 years, or so we were told.
Recently we noticed a problem with the recirc pump, and this morning it finally died. We called the same company that installed it to take a look and they immediately diagnosed the problem as scale disabling the pump. They drained and flushed the water heater and quite a bit of scale came out. They then took the pump apart and cleaned it, and when they put it back together it ran fine.
He explained that there was enough minerals in my well water such that when it was heated it would form scale that was clogging the entire system. In the same breath he said that they sell a whole-house water filtration system that would eliminate the scale problem completely. He also strongly suggested we consider getting a tankless water heater since it would last 30 years compared to our electric water heater which can be expected to last about 10. And adding a tankless water heater would solve my scale problem. He even said it could be used with a recirc system like I currently have.
For a little over $6,000 he would set me up and I wouldn’t have to worry about hot water issues again. :rolleyes:
Given the makeup of my well water it sounds like I need to either add the filter or the tankless water heater, or I will have to continue having someone come out and flush my water heater and take apart my recirc pump to the tune of $500 a pop.
Money aside, I am nervous about replacing my 3 year new water heater with technology I have never used before. We have 3 full bathrooms, but there are only two of us so the hot water demand really isn’t great.
For anyone out there on well water have you had to add a whole-house filter system to deal with minerals in your water?
For anyone who swapped out their hot water heater for a tankless system are you happy you made the switch?
Any advice is appreciated!
I’m not sure how they are coming to that conclusion. Scale will still build up in tankless system. In a tankless coil it builds up making the system less and less efficient over time.
The water needs to be treated regardless of the system you go with.
I actually just switched from a tankless system back to a tank in my daughter’s house. The water coming in is very cold, and the “instant” tankless systems are rated for the temperature increase at a given water flow. For any reasonable flow rate in the shower, it can raise the water by 50 to 55 degrees. Since the incoming water is about 38 degrees, she was having to shower at about 90 degrees, which simply isn’t warm enough. I switched to a tank and all is well.
I looked at going tankless and I was told that the minerals in my well would (as boytyperanma pointed out) clog the heat exchanger - I was advised against it.
Did you ever consider getting a filter?
I have a filter and water treatment (which makes things better) but they still pretty strongly recommended against an on-demand water heater.
Do you drain your heater to remove the calcium carbonate precipitate? The calcium carbonate is dissolved in the water, but it becomes less soluble when the water is heated. There’s a drain valve at the bottom you can hook a regular garden hose to. Open the valve and drain a few gallons out, then shut it off. You could get a cup or so of white calcium carbonate. That could perhaps be the same stuff clogging your pump.
I used to drain mine twice a year, but eventually I was having too much trouble shutting it back off. I think the little particles started plugging the valve itself, and I’d have to fiddle with it to get it to shut off. My heater is twelve years old now, so I’m probably living on borrowed time at this point.
I’ve had fairly good luck using a water softener. We had rural Kansas water that is clorinated well water with lots of minerals. The softener takes enough of the stuff out of the water that it doesn’t spot or seem to have as much calcium build up.
The guy is lying when he says the tankless heater would solve scale problems. Cross him off the list of potential contractors. The conventional remedy is a water softener, also referred to as a filter. It isn’t a filter, but an ion exchange system. It replaces the low level of calcium carbonate with sodium chloride.
Our house was built in 1970 and we have lived here since 1977. We have hard water, a water softener, and a gas hot water tank for an older couple by themselves. A few years ago I attempted to solve the wait for cold water by installing a small tankless heater nearer the point of use. I couldn’t do it because of clearance issues. The more I dug into it, the more I was upset with the claims about tankless. The claimed monthly savings was greater than what we pay for gas for hot water and the gas drier combined. Maybe those homes with a couple showers and take a number in the morning for yours may use enough hot water so that the efficiency saves you money. It is like how many miles would I have to drive a Volt or Leaf to make it pay. Also in over 40 years, we only had to replace the second heater recently. That 10 year thing is a worst case. More dishonesty.
I would talk to a couple of other contractors and go with one honest enough to sell you a softener and little else except a surge tank if on a public water system.
Thanks everyone. Message received. I will get a few more opinions from ‘experts’.
A friend uses a filter on a shallow well in Central Arkansas. I don’t. My hot water stinks a bit like rotten eggs during a drought, hers is vile all the time. Even I won’t drink it; it’s all I can do to bathe in it. Some nasty chemical reaction going on.
I switched to a whole house tank-less system last December. I’m on a city water system that is fairly low in minerals so I can’t help you with that part of your problem.
My contractor told me that once per year I need to perform some maintenance on my heater to descale the heating elements. He promised to come to my house next December and give me a hand with it no charge.
Of course, he has an interest in observing the amount of scaling as he hasn’t installed too many of the tank-less heaters due to their price.
I think that your contractor has given you some great reasons (and price quotes) to make you want to look for another contractor.