Own a tankless water heater? Take our survey

Consumer Reports is currently testing tankless water heaters for a report in our October 2008 issue, and we’d like to hear about consumers' experiences with tankless water heaters. If you have installed a tankless water heater at your home, please take our survey.

Thanks in advance, and look for our report in the October issue. Please note that we value your privacy and will keep all of your information confidential. (Read our privacy policy here.)

Comments

[TK]

Installed 2 Rheem Tankless Water, #53 & #74 and having so much annoying problems with the noises from the units when turn the hot water on & off. The #53, the smaller unit is getting louder and louder with no reason and the same as #74. I wish I can go back the old fashion 40 Gal. water heater, a little bit more for the monthly energy bills but for the peace of mind is worth it.

[Nadine]

I bought an electric EEMAX tankless hot water heater two years ago. Not only did I have trouble finding someone to install it, but I also takes three 40amps circuit breakers and a whole lot of 8 gauge wire. I was happy at first, then elements started blowing out. Then one of the circuit boards went and now something is wrong with it and I can't figure it what. I am sick of replacing parts on this thing every few months. And this is my 2nd unit; I replaced the 1st one when I figured out it wasn't big enough for my house.
Until they get the reliability up, I am going back to a water tank and by the most energy efficient one I can find.

[Eddie]

I bought a Titan tankless n-180 in April 2008. The system worked fine for 8 months and then stopped working. I've tried to contact every department listed on their website but after 1 week of trying to reach them, no one has returned my calls or emails

[Stewart]

The letter by R. Parker could have been written by me (except we didn't do the repiping). Although the specific type of heater isn't mentioned, Parker's letter read like it was written for mine. Four years ago I felt it was time to change out the old tank water heater for a tankless one, that althouh more expensive up front would be more energy efficient and pay for itself over time. Boy, was I wrong! I did a fair amount of on-line research and bought a Controlled Energy Coporation (subsequently bought by Bosch) Powerstar AE125. From the very beginning the unit has been the biggest waste of time and money (not to mention electricity and water). I wish the articles on tankless heaters available on CR.org had been around when I was doing my research; I would have avoided buying this lemon. I've experienced practically all the same issues that other folks have commented on. Finicky thermostats resulting in too hot/cold water, dependency on water pressure/having to run more water than wanted just to get it hot, breakers constantly tripping and needing to be reset, expensive rewiring for installation (and the lights flicker in the house as the unit's heating elements turn on and off (its like showering in a disco!), only enough hot/warm water for one use at a time (even though the unit was advertised as being able to handle two uses at a time). The one issue I haven't seen mentioned in the comments (but is in the CR article) is the problem of scale/calcium carbonate. Despite the manufacturer's claim that this wouldn't be a problem, the water heater precipitates the calcium carbonate/scale out of the water and (unlike conventional tank heaters where the scale can settle out in the tank and eventually be flushed/drained once every 5 years) puts it into the house's plumbing - where it has clogged the intake of every faucet and applicance (dishwasher & clothes washer)that used hot water! The bottom line? I'm getting rid of the heater and putting a good old-fashion tank heater back in. If you just want to be able to turn on a faucet and get hot water buy a standard tank water heater. I strongly urge AGAINST buying a tankless hot water heater (unless, of course, you want to pay too much and constantly want to have problems).

[John Gallagher]

I have personally installed several tanklesss water heaters. I own a plumbing company in Charlotte, NC. We've tried 4 different brands and beleive Rinnai to be the best and exclusively install Rinnai. We have more than 30 homeowners within the last year that will rave about their rinnai tankless. **Tankless water heaters require an extensive understanding on how and why they work the way they do. I suggest going to the manufactures' website and finding a top rated dealer/installer to install it. Don't blow the money on a tankless if you won't spend the money for a professional install. Becuase if you have anyone other than a certified professional... that is supported by the manufacturer, I guarantee you will not be happy with your purchase, regardless of the brand. Rinnai tankless heaters will not work like they should, just as no tankless unit will work as it should if you do not take the proper steps and spend the extra money to get the proper installation. Look for a dealer at www.foreverhotwater.com for a Rinnai tankless unit.

[Mike]

Hello,
We just got a tankless installed. I can say really short it is the greatest thing I have ever had. With old one we were only were able to take one 5-8min shower, forget about filing the tub with hot water. We got Noritz 751 series. This thing is incredible, it has a remote control so that you can change the temperature and our installer explained to us if there is going to be any problems it will give us an error code. We did lot of research with which brand to go and we find out that Noritz was the best. Also when the installer came he reinsured us with the that info. The installer was good too, he was certified and had really good point about not installing recirculation pump we wanted. Also we moved the heater outside on the wall so it doesn’t use any space at all. If you need a good installer around the Los Angeles area you can try http://www.noritzheaters.com they are really good. And once again I recommend Noritz if you thinking tankless.
Hope it helps. Be well

[Bruce]

I have had a Takagi TK-3 installed for about 5 years. Never any problems, everyone loves the unlimited hot water. I have not had any problems with maintaining water temperature. I have it set to 131 degrees with the remote digital control.

[Crystal]

Does anyone have an electric tankless

[gramy]

We put a Rannai tankless waterheater in our second home. My husband's bathroom is close to the unit. Mine is farther away. He often gets hot, cold, hot water during his shower. I get a constant stream of hot water. I love it. He might have a complaint. I just like the idea of not having tank full of water sitting there, heated constantly. In our other house, with a conventional water heater, we have to "wake up " the water heater by letting the hot water run for a while after being away. We just can't win! HA!

[michael f]

I bought a Bosch Aquastar Tankless Waterheater 2400 series in feb. 2008. I didn't install it untill September 2008, and in Feb. 2009 exactly one year to the date it started making a rumbling noise and flashing an error message. Basically it sprung a leak on the inside and flooded the gas valve with water. I called Bosch they replaced the parts for free but I had to pay for labor which kind of irritated me becaus I had only used this thing for 5 months. So that was that.
25 DAYS LATER it went out again same problem, I called the warrenty dept. again and this time they want pictures so they can see how it was installed, like there is no chance that this could just be a giant piece of junk. So I told them I would just like my money back. I have to fax them a letter. my referance #, and all of reciepts for labor. After all of that there is still no garrenty that I will get any of my money back.
If I had to do this all over again I would just put in a traditional waterheater. This disaster has cost me $1,100.00 so far not to mention the seven days I have been without hot water in the last month.

DON,T BUY ONE OF THESE TANKLESS PIECES OF JUNK.

[matt zadroga]

rannai is the best go see mick at jager llc 93 elm st old saybrook CT awsome people great service!!!! rannai!!!!!! better than sliced bread

[Steve]

We have a Rinnai tankless natural gas system and have loved it for the past four years. It works very well, provides, fast reliable hot water without storing and heating hot water 24-7. We also have a large tub in the master suite that could not be filled with the older 40 gal hot water tank we had. It is truly endless hot water at a fraction of the cost of running a 40 gal tank.

I am now looking for an electric system to run the guest suite we just built. Any recommendations would be appreciated. We could still use the gas system in place but the guest bath is so far from the Rinnai that it takes 5 minutes to get hot water to the shower.

[Tim]

Just make sure to have a house filter to reduce TDS to reduce future maintenance problems. I have heard that companies will introduce a hybrid tankless that is a "tankless", but comes with a 6 gallon conventional water heater than gives hot water on demand. I hope CR gives info. on this product ASAP.

[Mike]

For five years I had an electric heater that the manufacter claimed could only provide warm water at a sink. But here in south Florida cold water is never below 65F, and that heater was fine for showers, dishwashing, and clothes washing. Only two people living in the house and only one thing using hot water at a time. The heater couldn't heat water for a bath but that was my only complaint. Hurricane Wilma left me without power and cold showers for two weeks. Now I have a gas tanklesss water heater. The heater cost me about $600, and installation about $1000. Since I was installing an energy efficent appliance, the state reimbursed me $450. I can take hot baths now! And the next time a hurricane comes through I'll have hot water. I figure I wouldn't have saved any money installing a gas tank heater.
A water filter removes stuff that could build up in a tankless heater. Not a problem with a tank heater where stuff can settle at bottom of tank. A good filter gets the nasty chlorine that my water company adds, too. Water softner? A filter will do to keep the heater and other applainces lasting a long time.

[Terry]

I came here looking for tesr results on Tankless water heaters, you say that you are planning a report for the Octber 2008 issue - it's now late march 2009, what happened?

[Matt]

Terry, they had the article back then. If i were Rinnai i would be upset. The Rinnai unit was used in the video and pictures but not in the data they provided. Not all tankless heaters are the same. People need to learn what they want, and what they can get. With the 30% Tax credit available the price has come down big time.

[Michael]

I used a very small propane tankless made by Paloma for several years. Eventually the flames were coming out the outside of the machine. I replaced it because I did not understand what caused this very dangerous situation. The fins on the heat exchanger were simply dirty, and that acted like a clogged flue. I caught the problem before the safety device disabled the unit. I installed a Bosch 1600H (for "H"ydro generated ignition--no standing pilot, and no power vent required). It took a lot of adjusting, and it would not light on windy days. I am a very determined Master Plumber, so I stuck with the unit until I found out what the true problem was--too much draw on my vent. Now that I have added a pipe to reduce the suction on windy days the tankless is working well. I have reduced the house line pressure to about 35 pounds to protect my plumbing system, and the tankless still lights for hand washing or DW duties. Make sure that the unit you buy is big enough for all your needs, and then some, because the incoming water temperature will drop a lot in winter in northern areas.

[Marina]

I just had my 5th Titanic water heater installed. Needless to say, I've had no luck with them. The Gentlemen that installes them did a fine job is just the Titanic that is no good. Per the installer they are renovated Titanic. They work fine but then no hot water. Lately the problem was that the water heater was blowing the braker. At the house he did open the bad Titanic and it seems one of the screws was not properly placed. I told the installer that I will not replace my tankless water heater with another Titanic. That is the reason I came across your web site. I'm looking for a reliable water heater.

[John Wooldridge]

We have a Chilipepper pump, and it works great. Gets the water warm without wasting water.

[Matthew]

My Takagi has never worked right. I am the second owner(it came with the house). The first owner had problems and had a plumber come numerous times to fix. In one of our showers, the heater will go ice cold almost instantly. It will stay ice cold for 30 seconds to 3 minutes. It will do this 3-4 times during a shower. Takagi has stated that this should not happend; the plumber states that it is connected properly and this should not happen. According to the two, I don't have a problem with my water heater. I see it differently. The Takagi water heater is failing to HEAT the water.

[danny orlando]

I recently had a Noritz tankless installed outside and it is working perfectly. As far as cost I received a $600 rebate from the gas company and 30% tax credit from the Feds, so my out of pocket was about $1000. This is a good deal and I have plenty of hot water. The time to the faucet is the same as the old tank system. The best deal is the elimination of any flood risk in the finished basement. So for me this is working great.

[Bill Carey]

I'm buying a home in southern Florida that has a missing hot water heater. It is on a well. The home will not be occupied continuously. I thought a tankless hot water heater would be perfect since it wouldn't run unless water was running whereas a tank unit will require heating the water whether it is being used or not. Gas isn't readily available so the unit will have to be electric. I am really disappointed at the quality and depth of analysis provided by CU. It doesn't help me to make a decision. I'm very open to suggestions by others. Thanks.

[Gibson]

Having problems with our Navien Tankless water heater, we've had it less than a year and have had it servied with the "board" replaced (under warranty). Starting last week we started running out of hot water sooner than the tub or shower would end. Now we don't have any hot water at all. Any ideas?

[shari]

I had a Navien Tankless installed about 6 weeks ago with additional expense for a recirculator (to get hot water upstairs quickly w/out wasting water). I'm committed to making this work,but have been frustrated by the amount of natural gas I'm smelling from the pipe/vent whenever the unit is fired (when I turn on hot water)Do others have this problem? My plumber replaced the unit today saying it must have been a "lemon" but I'm still smelling raw natural gas from 3-4 feet away.

[CY]

I purchased a SETS(now owned by Hubbell) electric tankless hot water heater. I was building a new home and had no problems adding the electrical requirements. The unit works great now, but not without an incredible amount of headache. I was without stable hot water for about 4 months due to a faulty unit. The customer service consisted of one person who was not very customer friendly. I went round and round with this individual trouble shooting this unit and my plumbing until the unit started shooting sparks. Only then did he replace the entire unit. I did some research with the better business bureau and found others that shared my frustration with the company. Ever since the original unit was replaced, my hot water has been fantastic. I hope I never have to call this company again. In all fairness, I have not talked to a Hubbell customer service so they may have gotten better. However, I did have a lifetime warranty with SETS that was not honored by Hubbell when they acquired SETS.

[Randy]

After research had a Takagai installed when we built our 4 1/2 bath home 4 years ago. It's initial cost was less than $1000 and with all the highly efficient appliances has been flawless. Max time to get really hot water to far end of house is less than 40 seconds. Runs off propane and is quiet.

[JEF]

I briefly worked in the UK about twenty years ago. My room at the bed-and breakfast had an electric point-of-use tankless water heater (WH) in the bathroom. When I turned on the water to the shower - just one handle - it flowed through the WH. The WH was wall-mounted in or near the shower (I can't remember) and I adjusted the temperature by turning a dial on the WH. This worked beautifully: it held an even temperature and pressure the entire time. I know point-of-use WHs are available in the US but I do not know anyone who has them or used them, though I have not checked with plumbers. Has CR tested or reviewed these? Does anyone here on blog have any experience with them?

[Kevin M]

I have Masterserv coming out to do an estimate on a gas Rinnnai tankless WH. Boy, I'll tell ya, I am very leery getting one now. There are some great comments in this blog, especially about the HE washers that use small amounts of water. A guy at work had one installed 3 months ago and he and his family love it. I will probably wait making a decision and I'll ask him if he still loves it in January when it is colder.

[jim]

Called three plumbers to get estimates on installing a whole house tankless water heater. The units were very pricy and the installation of an electric one also required more estimates from Electrical Contractors, who informed me I would have to upgrade my service to have the whole house unit since My panel was not big enough, he even advised me against the purchase, and he was right. In a nutshell it would of cost at total of $5,873.00 for the whole house electrical unit. Not worth it at all. And after reading the report I'm glad I didn't. it's just a way for the plumbers to stay in your pocket.

[Dave]

I've had a natural gas Takagi TK-2 for about 6 years now. Had to clean the flame sensor once, but other than that, trouble-free for the entire time. Previous tank models (in attic - stupid builder) leaked causing thousands in damage.

I have 3 teenagers (2 girls) at home so running out of hot water is not an option. Always plenty to go around, can do 2 showers or 1 shower and laundry at same time with no issues. Would suggest multiple units if putting in new construction, but not practical for my home.

[Jean-David]

I did not purchase a tankless water heater, in part because C.U. reported that they did not seem to last long enough to pay for themselves.

I was replacing a 55 year-old oil burning boiler with a cold-start Weil-McLain Ultra 3 modulating|condensing boiler and noticed my 18 year old electric water heater was showing its age with a very slight leak that might have been repairable. But I had a W.-M. indirect fired water heater installed instead. These burn no fuel themselves, so there is no exhaust pipe from which heat can escape. Instead, the heat comes from the boiler that also heats the house. The gas burner is much more efficient as the heat exchanger there gets so much heat from the gas that the exhaust condenses. It presumably runs at 93% efficiency when heating my hot water. It can run at 98% efficiency if the return water temperature from my radiant heated downstairs is cool enough. They claim the water heater loses 1/2 degree F per hour. (All these numbers are as claimed by the manufacturer.)

I notice it uses about $0.50 per day for the gas to heat my hot water, and about half that is for the monthly meter charge. I do not have figures for the performance in winter as it was installed only in late May of this year.

[Kim]

We installed a Noritz 841 Direct Vent Tankless water heater 4 months ago. Best thing we ever did, hot water is never an issue anymore after replacing our 50 gal hot water tank as previously we frequently ran out of hot water after 20 minutes or so. We did a lot of research and talked with a number of plumbers and supply houses to make sure we addressed all issues. The key is proper sizing especially if you live in a colder climate like we do we there is a significant difference between winter and summer water supply temps. While the unit was not cheap to install, we have noticed a greater than 35% decrease is gas usage as compared to having a water tank. Our decision to go tankless was not made because they are more cost effective than a hot water tank, rather we made the decision based upon space and run rate considerations. In order to achieve a better hot water supply with a hot water tank we would have needed to install side by side high recovery tanks and to us that did not make space sense nor would it have been the "green" thing to do. We are delighted with Noritz and highly recommend it plus the unit we installed is 93% efficient.

[Liz]

We are building a house in the southeast and trying to decide what type water-heating system and brand to install. House will have 5 bathrooms, 2 on an upper floor that won't be used often after about 6 years. 1 is in a basement and will get very limited use, except by guests. We have an HE washing machine on the main level and often 3-4 people are showering at a time. The architect recommended 3 60-gallon tanks (1 per floor), the builder is suggesting that, as well, to save money. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Jonathan]

I purchased a Rinnai R75 in April 2008 and have been very pleased with it. The only drawback that I have noticed is that it takes a little longer to get hot water to the rooms on the opposite end of the house from the unit. Overall, I would highly recommend purchasing a Rinnai tankless system.

[Kelly]

Hi Jean, sorry to hear about the issues you've experienced with your Navien unit. Please contact me at 1-800-621-9419 ext. 4346 and we may be able to offer up a solution with a Rinnai tankless water heater.

Thanks

[Joe]

Does anyone have experience with the hybrid water heater made by Grand Hall. It is sold as the Eternal Hybrid hot water heater. It is a combination of a small storage tank and a tankless heater system which is supposed to be the best of both worlds. I'm interested in buying one but don't have any information except from what is advertised.

Joe

[Janette]

My son has two Rinnai tankless water heaters in his home which was built in 2007. I have never had a problem with fluctuating temps or loss of hot water during showers when I visit them. I have noticed that it's best to wait a bit to let it flush the cold water in the pipes before adjusting it to the preferred temp.

[Ed Jemison In Ontario Canada]

Having installed, and serviced thousands of tankless water heaters of every imaginable brand name, I speak as an authority. Tankless technology has been perfected. While every human made product is susceptible to defects in the manufacturing process, the quality control of the manufactures limits the amount of failures that ultimately affect the consumer. Whenever I diagnosing a failure, or problem I always tell myself “it’s not the product.... it’s something wrong with the installation, or the wrong product was specified for the application.” 99% of the time this is the case. Seldom is there ever a problem with the product. And of course your plumber will not tell you he hasn’t a clue what’s wrong with the unit, or that he sold you the wrong product for the application. My suggestion is to spend your time shopping for the right plumber, and not the rite tankless water heater. I stress the rite plumber, not the right priced plumber. If the guy knows exactly what he is doing he will not be working for less than $125.00 per hour, and you will likely have to wait for a few weeks for an install. The benefit..., you will not find yourself writing a review of your bad experience with a tankless product. Tankless water heaters are great and reliable. Shop carefully for the right installer and you will have no regrets.

[Peter McLaughlin]

I've received several emails over the last year from my earlier posting on bad experience with the Noritz tankless water heater. Here's an update on what I've learned - it's from an email reply to, Holly, who saw my Consumer Reports posting.

Holly - I'm leaving a rather long message since I've learned more than I ever wanted to about the tankless systems in the 1.5 years I've had one.

The Noritz has been working flawlessly. That is to say, it holds temperature perfectly. Our system is set to 120F, plenty hot. We live in a 3,600 sq/ft, two-story home with 3 full baths upstairs, 1/2 bath downstairs, two dishwashers, and clothes washer and so far we've had no problem with water temperatures dropping due to volume demand - something you should discuss with your plumber.

However, my wife and I live alone so we don't have a lot of fixtures demanding hot water at the same time. Also, we live in Los Angeles so our heater is mounted on an outside wall. The only problem I've reported is with a servo motor noise that you can hear each time hot water is turned on and off. Noritz is aware of the problem but doesn't warn homeowners about it.

There are several causes for the noise - one is the design of the servo. The other is that in Southern Califonia homes are often built on raised foundations that are uninsulated -- great weather. So water noise thru piping can be heard and the copper pipe acts like a telephone line carrying the servo motor noise to other parts of the house. We only hear the noise downstairs.

Also, Noritz systems are highly sensitive to changes in water pressure. If you have a sprinkler system, a running toilet, washing machine, icemaker, etc. that changes the water pressure in the main line it will trick the servo into thinking hot water is being requested. On occasion we hear the servo motor come on and shut off when our ice maker runs or the sprinkler system is running. I don't know if this is wearing out the servo faster or not, but it's something you'll want to discuss with your plumber.

If you live in a large house and you notice it takes hot water a long time to reach your shower or sink, you'll have the same problem with any tankless hot water heater. it's definitely worth putting in an insulated hot water recirculation line and pump - with or without a timer. A recirc pump will deliver hot water through the recirculation line and maintain the temperature. When you turn on an upstairs tap, for instance, the hot water is almost instantaneous - saves water, time, and is incredibly convenient -- very nice.

Lastly, most tankless companies now require a filter on the system or it voids the warranty. But a quality filter is good for many reasons. Los Angeles uses both chlorine and a form of ammonia to purify the water. Plus the water has a ton of calcium and other mineral deposits all of which corrode fixtures, choke appliances, and leave ugly deposits on coffee pots, glass shower doors, water glasses, etc. I recommend a dual tank system that includes carbon filter tank and a paper filter tank to remove all of this stuff. I'm about to install these in my home. They're not inexpensive, but the health benefits and water quality are incredible. Even better, the filters last about 5 years and they don't require any power source.

[riplmbr]

tankless

[riplmbr]

i truly feel bad for most of you you have had misfotunes with the tankless water heaters.from someone who has installed many and has 1 in my own home i'm grateful they have come back to the market place.say that because the concept was around before the conventional tank.anyway the biggest problems apear to accurr from sellers and instalers not meating the customers needs wich what make and model suits each home.you need to know your product.some makes just say 1234 bathroom and pick its not that easy always.sounds like alot of you don't enjoy the cold water sandwich.and there simple ways to correct that.every home and person.don't give up on your heater yet give up on your service tech.if you can find someone with true knowledge you might change the way you feel.good luck

[riplmbr]

it very well could be the mixing valve exspecially if its a moen the water can bleed through in the shower valve while your not using it you could check 2 see if you have shutt off valves supplying only the shower if you do close them. however its not code to so you probly don. if not have a pro puts some in its not that exspensive and also if you come across a problem with shower valve you won't have to turn the water to the house of.ok if you close the shut off valves and you still have a problem.w'ell look further but thats a start.i have the navien in my own home and love it good luck.

[riplmbr]

ed i will completly agree that most of these peoples complaints are not the product.but the install.i want to say i find to many people selling or installing what they are putting in havnt a clue.its unfortunate to that to many home owners think they can just through one in and be fine.they pretend to be plumbers.thats what gave bosch a bad rep in some ereas.i believe boilers and hot water heaters should only be purchaced by someone with a liscence and to be able to install a product such as a tankless hwh should be certified by the manufacterer of the product being installed.lack of knowlegde is the biggest problem

[Greg]

Anyone have a Navien American NR-240A? I am looking for installer in the NH seacoast area.

[John McCarroll]

I have a Rheem 7.2GPM Tankless Water Heater installed and the units works exceptionally well. The key to any of these units is properly sizing them for the expected use within your application and designing a piping system that will accomodate the newer high-efficiency appliances. Example...We installed a split hot water system. The 7.2 Rheem services the main level and basement and we have an on-demand heater that serves the laundry & dishwasher. Only issue we had was extreme cold downdraft through the exhaust flue which was easily corrected with an insulated exhaust gravity damper similar to a make-up air damper on your HVAC unit. All-in-all, we have had the unit installed for 2 years now and expect a break-even point in about 15 months.

[Rachel Immel]

11/14/2009

We are looking at installing a tankless water heater. Had them in Germany in early '70's. Worked wonderfully, but used 220 electricity, not our 110.

Have gas in our home now, and Noritz units sound good. However, after reading the comments, are rethinking our plan. We have a 20 year-old Asko dishwasher which uses very little water (LOVE MY AKSO!) and a Kenmore high-end front loader clothes washer which also uses little water. Now am reading that tankless wouldn't give us the hot water we need and want. (We also like hotter water than 120oF, so that sounds like another problem.) Will start asking our installer for A LOT more detailed information. Thank you.

[Mike D]

Ive been researching tankless water heaters for some time now. It seems everyone has a heater. There has been a number of posts on the Navien heater. I looked into this heater, and "Navien" is the name of the series. They are manufactured by a company named Kyung Dong out of South Korea. All the other major companies are listed under their parent name. ie. Rinnai, Noritz, Takagi. Makes you wonder why they go so far to hide this fact?

[aturner]

We have 3200 square feet home in Texas.. Currently we have two hot water heater installed in the attic. Our largest heater is about to go out. We are investigating a tankless. Installing a hot water heater in our tight attic will be a nightmare. We know that the tankless is more expensive but we have been quoted a price of 1000.00 dollars just for installation of the tank heater.