Thread Number: 50315
kds18 and a tankless water heater..... |
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Post# 725463 , Reply# 1   1/6/2014 at 07:20 (3,762 days old) by jkbff (Happy Rock, ND)   |   | |
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Even though I am mad at my KDS58 (portable version of the KDS18) right now, I haven't found anything that cleans as good as these machines.
That is if everything is in proper working condition. Mine is hooked just to the hot tap from the water heater. I don't necessarily think a tankless would work as a booster if your tap is over 140? Boosters generally reach 180 if I'm not mistaken.. Hell, I think with luke warm water this thing would power away stuck on food. |
Post# 725467 , Reply# 2   1/6/2014 at 07:52 (3,762 days old) by bmr6969 (columbus ohio)   |   | |
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NOT A BOOSTER!! but it takes a min for the system to warm up (about a min or so) I do run the water before I start the dishwasher now out of habit. |
Post# 725479 , Reply# 3   1/6/2014 at 09:03 (3,762 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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Every plumber I have asked about them have talked me out of them. I have a mid-sized ranch that they say is too big for a tank-less water heater unless I put one at each end of the house.
What I don't understand is I have one water heater now at one end of the house (by the kitchen and utility room) and I get plenty of hot water in the Master BR which is at the other end of the house. I have to run it for a minute to get the hot water but I would think I would do the same with a tank-less. So if I get hot water with the traditional tank water heater why wouldn't I get the same with a tank-less? Those I know who have them love them but none of them have a ranch like mine where the water has to travel the distance. They all have two story houses. Is this an issue where for some reason the plumber has a vested interest in me keeping a traditional water heater? |
Post# 725482 , Reply# 4   1/6/2014 at 09:11 (3,762 days old) by eronie (Flushing Michigan)   |   | |
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because dishwashers run such a small amount of water at each fill during the cycle, by the time the waterheater fires the dishwasher stops filling. |
Post# 725493 , Reply# 5   1/6/2014 at 10:11 (3,762 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT)   |   | |
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the 3 main problems with tankless are: longevity is poor, typically 5-7 years, repair costs are higher, and they have trouble keeping up with higher flow applications like showerheads that are not low flow. Based on our experience with one, he's spot on. As long as we have natural gas, I'm keeping the 40 gallon Rheem that we switched back to.
As to KDS-18s, as long as you have the water temp from your water heater set properly and load it right, they will do a fine job. |
Post# 725511 , Reply# 6   1/6/2014 at 10:41 (3,762 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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My Water Heater is pretty close to my dishwasher but I could see where the water might cool down a little between fills. What you just listed is pretty much what I have heard from them collectively.
Basically, they have all advised to wait a bit longer. Because of my setup it would be really costly (in addition to the cost of the water heater) to convert. My house was built in '69 and not to current code. So either way if I change the Water Heater I will have to do some work but for some reason the tank-less would be more than the tank to bring up to code. They quoted about $1,200 in addition to the cost of the Water Heater and normal installation. The one I have now is about 11 years old which he said is really good but the water where I live is pretty soft and does not contain much sediment. A couple of years ago I hooked a hose up to it and drained it thinking I would get a bunch of sludge or something and I got none at all. The plumber told me we are lucky where I live to have "good" water. |
Post# 725664 , Reply# 8   1/6/2014 at 20:53 (3,762 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i)   |   | |
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We just installed a whole-house tankless water heater a year ago and love it. Though it is in our vacation home of only 1,000 sf it works just as well as a traditional water heater. We use the heated wash in the dishwasher and wash clothes in mostly cold water. Hot water never runs out and the unit takes up so much less space than a traditional heater.
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Post# 725745 , Reply# 9   1/7/2014 at 07:46 (3,761 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 725750 , Reply# 10   1/7/2014 at 08:44 (3,761 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Checked mine a few mins ago. Setpoint 120°F. Flow rate 1 GPM to 1.2 GPM for this test (adjusted at the kitchen sink faucet). Incoming temp at the heater 49°F after running several minutes. It was 32°F at the faucet initially, then slowly increased as the line purged to "fresh" water from the storage tank in the garage. Output capacity 43% to 49% of maximum power, so there's still 50% capacity available for a higher flow rate and/or higher temp output and/or lower temp input and/or running more faucets. Water temp at the sink 116°F to 117°F. |
Post# 726015 , Reply# 12   1/8/2014 at 04:45 (3,760 days old) by eronie (Flushing Michigan)   |   | |
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mine dose a 2 gallon purge before it even fires, dw only fills 3/4 gallon. cold fill. showers no problen. |
Post# 726030 , Reply# 13   1/8/2014 at 07:07 (3,760 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)   |   | |
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24 years and in all that time its been an absolute boon. Yes your right in a power failure there is no hot water but then if there is no electricity is there really a need for a tank full of hot water? Are you going to have a bath in the dark? are you going to wash dishes in the sink by candle light? I think not.
Not having ever had a boiler fed hot water tank it was a pleasure to see the old electric heated tank go in the skip because every night we had to pay a small fortune to heat a tank that hardly ever got used because all appliances were/are cold fed so the hot water was hardly used we had an electric shower as well then so even less hot water required, when it was replaced by a combi boiler it was just what was needed as there is instant hot water that comes through at mains pressure as much as you want whenever you want and there is no need to have a tank of hot water going to waste by natural heat loss and we were able to negotiate a better electricity deal as no need for cheap rate any more. So all in all a win win situation admittedly some may use more hot water than others but for those of us with cold fill dishwashers and washing machines the tankless way is by far more economical.
Austin |
Post# 726052 , Reply# 15   1/8/2014 at 08:32 (3,760 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Tankless water heaters in the U.S. nowadays are typically stand-alone units, either gas (popular) or electric (less popular). They're available in a range of capacities for single point-of-use applications or whole-house and high-capacity commercial usage. Electric units are easy to place being as they need no venting or pressure-release valves. Gas units of course must vented. My electric unit dates to 2004. |
Post# 726054 , Reply# 16   1/8/2014 at 08:37 (3,760 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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I have seen a couple of people post they have a cold fill dishwasher? Here in the states? What brands? I must be totally clueless. I had no idea we had these here. I thought they were common in other countries but had no idea we had them here?
I can set my washer to cold fill and it will heat the water but it uses 220. It plugs into the back of the dryer so it heats the water fairly quickly. I know many of the newer front load washers have the ability to heat the water but I thought they were for the most part 110 and took a while to heat the water. I guess I need to get out more!! LOL |
Post# 726092 , Reply# 17   1/8/2014 at 10:36 (3,760 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)   |   | |
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A lot of things that worked very well 31 years ago have been "dumbed down" and stripped of their virtues in the name of so-called "efficiency" and manufacturing costs.
Thirty years ago, window A/C units were well-made, cooled like an ice floe on steroids, could exhaust stale or odorous air and could be maintained by oiling. Now, none of that is true; you get coolish air, continuously recirculated, exhaust is simply not possible and the longevity of their sealed motors is crap. So, while I'm glad you had a good experience, the equipment on the market today could be a whole 'nother beast. |