running an Electric Tankless Water Heater in a condo?

[ssainani]

preface --> we own a single unit on the 23rd floor of a highrise building at Bay and Bloor. 1 + 1 bedroom .... 1.5 washrooms (only 1 shower/1 jacuzzi tub) ... each unit in the building has it's very own electric hot water tank (50 gallon size i think which seems HUGE ...)

we pay for electricty

would there be a benifit costwise to install a tankless system?

i don't see the point of having such a large tank apart from filling up the tub (which i guess is important)

and this board mainly focuses on natural gas tanks .... but in the condo it's electric only -- is installation much easier?

[Anonymouse]

There would be a very small benefit owing to the fact that the standby losses from the tank would be eliminated. The losses from the tank would be about 40W, which adds up to about $40 of electricity a year. You will have to take the cost of the new tankless heater into account to determine whether it's a smart financial move.

[Heynow999]

If you are not concerned about being able to fill the jacuzi at a moments notice, you can turn the bottom element of the water heater down. This way you are only keeping the top part of the water heater warm. Plenty for showers. Insulate the tank. Don't let someone tell you that a modern tank doesn't need insulation. In Europe, water heaters are often in closets. They will insulate them, then stuff the corners with old clothes and lay blankets on top. You could also put it on a timer