On 11/10/2023 11:47 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 11/10/2023 10:55 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>
>> My instantaneous water heater actually cost me a few dollars per month
>> more than the standard tank unit. This doesn't surprise me, because
>> it's nearly 100 years old, made of cast iron, and requires a 3/4"
>> natural gas line for enough BTU's to heat the copper coil. That said,
>> it was well worth the $100 I paid for it used over a new $700+ tank
>> unit. Let us consider that my heater could last my life time, but a
>> new tank unit is lucky to last 10 years.
>
> My experience with them is limited, but if they are all the same, I
> don't like it. My friend has one at her shore home. Makes sense there as
> it is often unoccupied for weeks at a time in winter.
>
> The problem, you need a certain flow for the heat to kick on. It gets
> hot fast and will keep up but, it you just want a trickle, the heat
> stops. In the shower, if you don't use enough hot in the mix, it will
> turn cold. I find myself using more hot water than needed so it stays hot.

Yes, the flow rate is a problem here. It has to be on near-full blast
for the flame to kick on. There's probably a way to adjust it, but it's
too old to have the info on-line -- certainly no Youtube videos on it.
I'm afraid to adjust it and break something, so I just learn to deal
with it. Hot water first, then mix the cold in.