Q. My electric water heater is on it's way out, and I'm wondering if it is more efficient to replace it with a gas water heater than electric water heater. I looked into real time water heaters but for what they cost, I'd have to live in my house 22 years to get the savings, which isn't worth it.

A. Gas is generally a bargain compared to electric water heating. You can find out for certain by getting in touch with your elec co and gas co and asking them how much elec and gas is, then do some guesstimating to decide which is better.

Q. I'm looking at installing tankless water heaters in a 12 unit apartment building. What are the advantages and disadvatages?

A. Just make sure you check them out thoroughly! A simple swap is not what you are looking at. Check the manufacturer's recommendations completely, and have a plumber who is very knowledgeable with this type heater look over the project, before you make a decision. Normal water heaters use about 40,000 btu's, and these type use between 300,000-500,000 btu's, so the gas pipes won't supply the required amount of gas. Also the flue pipe has to be triple wall stainless steel, and this could cost more than the heater itself. The water pipes feeding the heater must be sized properly, or too much water supply, and the water won't be able to heat, before it passes through the heater. These are all for gas heaters, and there are similar problems, with electric models. Just check it out first, then make a decision. Good luck to you!

Q. I'm needing to replace my hot water tank and was looking into the tankless water heaters? Has anyone used one and are you satisfied with the results?

A. Please read the following Consumer Reports article that states that while the tankless water heaters were 22 percent more efficient on average than gas-fired-storge-tanks but they are more expensive and could take up to 22 years to break even: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/water-heaters/tankless-water-heaters/overview/tankless-water-heaters-ov.htm Personally, I really like them. In Japan, where they are very common, I used my tankless water heater every day to shower and to wash my dishes. It was excellent and I always had instant, plentiful, hot water available. I often wondered why we didn’t use these in the United States more often than we do. If you are interested I would recommend the following sites for some excellent models: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Water-Heaters/21147/subcat.html http://www.rinnai.us/tankless-water-heater/ http://www.titanheater.com/ Try it for yourself, you will like it!

Q. I have an electric water heater that is due for replacement. My range, and central heat is gas. There is no gas line piped to the location of the water heater. I am considering a tankless water heater. I am considering electric, because the house is already wired for it. If I go with gas, then I will have to run a pipe to it. What do you think? What do you think of hybrid (gas/electric) water heaters? Is a tankless water heater really better than a conventional water heater with a timer attached?

A. Stick with wut works.replace the electric heater.

Q. E-mail me if you can. It's gas. The problem is that it doesn't stay running for very long. Sure we're saving water and gas, but the "endless" hot water isn't happening. Showers are as short as they were in the Navy. Which doesn't work for my wife.

A. It makes no sense that your gas water heater is "tank less". Mine would also be "tank less" meaning a gas line is run onto the property. There is no propane tank.

Q. Will it be more cost effective to keep gas hot water heater or change to electric hot water heater? Basically, we are buying a house and in debate with the seller about wether to have them repair the GAS hot water heater or just change it over to ELECTRICE hot water heater. Will this rate cap effect the gas too or is it better and cheaper to keep the GAS HOT WATER HEATER instead of changing to electric hot water?? Please HELP !!!

A. You did not say which gas you have available: Natural gas (NG) is about half the running cost of an electric water heater. Propane is only slightly less than an electric. (generally speaking - all being traditional storage water heaters). If the water heater is more than 10 years old, I'd push for having it replaced - in part so you can take advantage of the new energy tax credit. It's best if the seller replaces it and you negotiate how to share the expense. Make the seller aware that there are federal tax credits available for energy efficient water heaters - including installation cost. There may also be incentives from your local government and utility companies. If the seller reduces his cost, there will be less to share and you both win. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products for lower operating cost. To replace with another gas unit, I'd look into the new condensing technologies, either tankless (same as on-demand or instantaneous) or conventional storage. They are extraordinarily energy efficient. The only electric water heater that will save you money in operating cost over an NG water heater is a heat pump water heater. They are not for everyone, and they are just starting to come on the market for residential use. Note that any gas water heater (storage or tankless) is more cost effective than electric storage or tankless. The notion that all tankless are more efficient than any storage water heater is a myth. For instance, condensing gas storage water heaters are more efficient than many tankless water heaters. An electric tankless water heater is only 10-15% more energy efficient than an electric storage water heater. The difference is quickly spent in installation cost. An (electric) heat pump water heater is more efficient than many tankless gas water heaters. If you are concerned about your carbon footprint do not go with electric. It is estimated that the CO2 emissions from generating the power for the electric unit is at least double that from a conventional gas water heater. The exception is the heat pump water heater - it only uses the power to cycle a fluid, not for the actual heating. Your best option for low CO2 is solar - no surprise.

Q. Benefit of gas vs. electric. Do they save money over normal water heaters?

A. Yes they are more efficient but when I figure in the cost of installation and the fact that gas is the only type that is really practical I wonder about the actual payback with changing to one. The only way I would consider one would be for a new installation where I had no plumbing yet installed and even then I am skeptical about actual savings when you consider the actual loss that occurs in a tank type water heater that is well insulated as they are now coming from the factory. Just an opinion

Q. There is really not much on reviews on tankless water heaters including on epinions. Wanted to know your personal experience with them and if you have a well, how it worked out for you. I have an 1100 square foot home and I wanted one for the whole house. Recommendations would be great!

A. I'm not sure why you would need a 50 Amp breaker like the one person mentioned. Most of the tankless ones I've seen are heated with natural gas. The biggest hinderence I think I've seen for tankless water heaters is that from what I understand they need to be mounted to an exterior wall so that they can vent better. They get a lot hotter than a normal gas water heater. And if you think about it. With a tank water heater or a tankless one, on both you will have to run the cold water out of the lines. It's just with a tankless one you don't have to keep all that water in the tank hot all the time. That's where it saves the money. Another simple way you can save money is to wrap insulation around the hot water pipes, especially the first 25 feet or so to help keep the water in the hot pipes hot. One of my friends used to sell tankless water heaters at Home Depot and they got nothing but rave reviews on them from people that bought them. The "This Old House" website that the one person mentioned would also be a good thing to check out. That PBS program is very informative on house remodeling.