this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2025
726 points (96.3% liked)

Comic Strips

20284 readers
1812 users here now

Comic Strips is a community for those who love comic stories.

The rules are simple:

Web of links

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 39 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (4 children)

Newer homes have tankless constant water heaters and it's the greatest thing in the world.

[–] callouscomic@lemmy.zip 25 points 4 days ago (4 children)

In our older house, we got endless comments about how tankless is the greatest thing ever and we should get one. In our new house, we have a tankless and we get endless comments about how they're not worth it and will break and we should get a traditional water heater.

[–] jaupsinluggies@feddit.uk 15 points 4 days ago

That's the problem with listening to tankies.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago

I'm sure quality can vary wildly, but the one I have right now seems to keep water hot for the whole house even when people are taking simultaneous showers. I also imagine there are some really efficient tank heaters out there too.

I think at the end of the day, all we can really agree on is that synapsids were really weird looking animals but probably would be like any large land animal who bonds with anyone who adopts them at an early age and were likely affectionate and loving despite how terrifying they were.

[–] DaGeek247@fedia.io 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

gotta be specific, but my tankless water heater has actually been pretty okay actually.

Context! I live in Texas, which actually has some pretty great renewable use compared to other states. My personal plan isn't solely wind powered anymore, but it has been in the past, and still partially is right now.

My house is a super cheap remodel. The tankless water heater is completely electric.

My repair costs have been as follows: complete replacement of the heater cores: 70$.

  • two out of three failed over the course of a year and a half.
  • I also paid for the plumber to figure out what the issue was, but i'll be able to replace them on my own pretty easily whenever this happens again

I also paid plumber and electrician costs to move the water heater so i could actually get at them without pulling the whole thing off the wall (thanks shitty remodel!)

$200 for the plumber to run the cleaner through it, since i have super hard water here

  • and another half grand to install the valves required to actually be able to do that (thanks shitty remodel!)
  • I'll be able to get my own cleaning kit for one to two hundred online in the future.

So like, because i'm new at taking care of one, and because of the shitty remodel, I have paid over a gran in 'repairs' on the thing. But, at the same time, the next time it needs replaced heater cores, or to get it's annual cleaning, it'll cost me basically nothing.

Energy costs haven't been much more expensive than a tanked water heater either, but it's hard to compare considering those tank water heaters also ran in a different location with different AC needs. And I take super long showers, which I was straight up unable to do before moving here. I don't pay too much more than previously despite that though.

Most importantly! I can take hour long showers without running out of hot water, and being honest, that's really the biggest deal for me. I don't always do that, but sometimes I just wanna relax for a while and running out of hot water is a bitch when I do.

I'd honestly recommend a modern tankless water heater, so long as your electric can handle a load specifically sized to your house, even despite the problems i've had surrounding my own.

[–] momentary@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 days ago

Jeez, I'm hardly in that much for my whole tankless + install

[–] ViperActual@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago

Is your tankless heater electrically powered? How much is the electricity bill? I'm on the fence in getting one because of that whole flip flop

[–] lime@feddit.nu 8 points 4 days ago (2 children)

doing the math, tankless heaters use insane amounts of electricity. we were gonna use one for a detached guest house so we could skip the insulated pipe, but holy shit the cabling we'd have to install

[–] DerisionConsulting@lemmy.ca 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Depending where you live, the tankless heater might run on gas.

Which is sometimes better for the environment than the electricity, if the grid is coal powered.

[–] LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

I have a tankless water heater and a designated propane tank for it.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

i don't think those are approved for installation in buildings here. and i wouldn't want gas in my house anyway.

[–] DerisionConsulting@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I agree that natural gas in homes sucks, I'm glad that Sweden has mostly phased it out.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 3 days ago

yeah only place i know that still has gas ranges is turn-of-century buildings in stockholm. one almost set fire to my aunt.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Heating the same amount of water to the same temperature requires the same amount of energy.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

yes, but not the same amount of electricity. without a tank there's no heat storage to take energy from.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca -1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

And this energy, it came from... you rubbing your hands together? The tank will take more as the hot water sitting there is constantly cooling. It will take a system that can supply more instantaneous current, sure, like my humble cardboard shack doesn't have the electrical to really work well with a tankless heater.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

you should probably read up on water heaters.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

Oh pray tell, what should I read oh Richard Feynman of water heaters?

[–] Melobol@lemmy.ml 4 points 4 days ago

Older homes with tankless water heater experience the opposite reaction: when someone flushes a toilet all the cold water rushes there. And you get some: hot - hothot - boiling! water.

[–] Ibuthyr@feddit.org 1 points 4 days ago

Lol, in Germany those are only installed in shitty old houses with crap plumbing. They drive up the electricity bill like there's no tomorrow. Just install adequate plumbing when building a new house and never deal with this problem.