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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Hot Water Heater Question
My wife thinks that if a house does not have a house water heater (the water is heated by the boiler)... you are going to run out of hot water in time.
Is this the case?
She is concerned she won't have enough hot water to take a 20-30 minute shower.
Thoughts?
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Posted 9/3/05 8:37 PM  |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
I forgot to post the reasoning behind this.
We are looking at a house in Levittown currently that does not have a hot water heater... and I am very close to going into contract.
But my wife is concerned about having hot water.
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| Posted 9/3/05 8:39 PM |
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CunningOne
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Member since 5/05 26975 total posts
Name:
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
I have lived with both situations. In my parents house, they have an oil burner to heat the hot water for a shower. They longer you shower, the more the oil burner cycles on and off to continue to provide hot water (i.e., you will not run out of hot water).
When you have a hot water heater, the water is stored in a tank (usually about 50 gallons) and that supply is used when you need hot water. It does run out and the resevoir tank will take some time to refill and get hot again. So, taking a long shower, you may end up getting cold water towards the end....
If the house has a boiler, her long showers will be fine!! 
Good Luck.
Message edited 9/3/2005 8:49:12 PM.
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| Posted 9/3/05 8:48 PM |
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june262004
But I love the Snow!
Member since 5/05 15379 total posts
Name:
Kristin
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
in my parents house (and in the house we are buying) we had an oil burner! NEVER ran out of hot water! And you could burn your hands when washing.
Our Apt water is heated by gas. Water never gets hot and the shower S*CKS
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| Posted 9/3/05 8:57 PM |
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hazeleyes33
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 13060 total posts
Name:
Ginger
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Ohhh...do I have to answer you on this!!! We JUST got a hot water heater this past year and it is soooo great!! I know I am pathetic-lol!!
It was HORRIBLE trying to give the kids a bath because the hot water DOES run out with only the oil burner. We bought our parents house and many, many years ago when my father used to take a shower, he would have to turn off the heat and then wait to get some hot water. It just got worse over the years. I HATED taking showers and now with the hot water heater, I LOVE it!!
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| Posted 9/3/05 9:08 PM |
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
I grew up in Levittown where we had no water heater, and there was always enough hot water. Unless my brother was being a wise guy and flipped the switch for the oil burner while I was in the shower.  
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| Posted 9/3/05 9:25 PM |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
hazeleyes:
I saw a post you said about the kids in a previous thread.
How long did it take for your hot water to expire? 5 mins? 10 mins?
I plan on bringing the wife back to the house and have her throughly examine the house with the hot water running with the shower for like 30+ minutes to see how much hot water she gets.
We think we might need a new boiler "coil". The inspector said there was a slight drip in the furnace right around the coil.
Might just be worth it to have them replace the coil cause the inspector did say a new coil would produce hotter water.
My wife is just VERY concerned about not having enough hot water. She grew up in houses with hot water heaters... and when I told her this house didnt have one... her eyes lit up like this.  
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| Posted 9/3/05 9:45 PM |
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Irishlass
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 2961 total posts
Name:
Lisa
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
We dont have a hot water heater - most of the time we dont have a problem.
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| Posted 9/3/05 9:46 PM |
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hazeleyes33
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 13060 total posts
Name:
Ginger
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by DjPiLL
hazeleyes:
I saw a post you said about the kids in a previous thread.
How long did it take for your hot water to expire? 5 mins? 10 mins?
I plan on bringing the wife back to the house and have her throughly examine the house with the hot water running with the shower for like 30+ minutes to see how much hot water she gets.
We think we might need a new boiler "coil". The inspector said there was a slight drip in the furnace right around the coil.
Might just be worth it to have them replace the coil cause the inspector did say a new coil would produce hotter water.
My wife is just VERY concerned about not having enough hot water. She grew up in houses with hot water heaters... and when I told her this house didnt have one... her eyes lit up like this.
It would be maybe about 5-10 minutes and then no hot water. Mind you, the boiler was old and we just got a new one this year also. I don't know if you can go by me but I know that I have NEVER in my lifetime had a long enough shower WITHOUT the hot water heater.
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| Posted 9/3/05 9:52 PM |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Look at it this way....
... we currently live in a co-op that gives you TONS of hot water.
The hot water was so hot at one point.... someone in the building called 311 (the city hotline) and the city sent in an inspector and shut the hot water off in the entire building one morning to inspect the boiler.
The water was coming out at 170 degrees!
My wife was MAD ****** that morning cursing left and right at the building for doing this without notice. But when the city gets called... these things happen.
I am hoping she doesn't get used to the crazy hot water situation we have... figuring a house is going to be like that.
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| Posted 9/3/05 9:53 PM |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by hazeleyes33
It would be maybe about 5-10 minutes and then no hot water. Mind you, the boiler was old and we just got a new one this year also. I don't know if you can go by me but I know that I have NEVER in my lifetime had a long enough shower WITHOUT the hot water heater.
The boiler in this house is approximately 10 years old... and the inspector said its in good shape. He feels it just needs a new coil.
My wife also said there is something called a "tankless hot water heater"... that you can have installed.
Its a box that takes the hot water... and immediately spits it out hotter supposedly. But I heard it runs a good $1500 plus labor to install and you need the room to put it in.
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| Posted 9/3/05 9:56 PM |
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hazeleyes33
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 13060 total posts
Name:
Ginger
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by DjPiLL
Posted by hazeleyes33
It would be maybe about 5-10 minutes and then no hot water. Mind you, the boiler was old and we just got a new one this year also. I don't know if you can go by me but I know that I have NEVER in my lifetime had a long enough shower WITHOUT the hot water heater.
The boiler in this house is approximately 10 years old... and the inspector said its in good shape. He feels it just needs a new coil.
My wife also said there is something called a "tankless hot water heater"... that you can have installed.
Its a box that takes the hot water... and immediately spits it out hotter supposedly. But I heard it runs a good $1500 plus labor to install and you need the room to put it in.
I don't think 10 years is too bad. I KNOW our boiler was over 10 years so it was ready to go. I don't know about separate prices but we paid $4,000 for the hot water heater and oil burner from our oil company this past February.
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| Posted 9/3/05 10:03 PM |
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
We had an a separate electric hot water and it was expensive to run AND we would run out of hot water (examples: thanksgiving washing dishes and when we had 6 people over all taking showers one after the other)
We have since disconnected it and then got a new boiler too. Never have run out of hot water yet. You may need to adjust the water temp on the boiler - we turn it down in the summer and up a bit in the winter.
HTH
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| Posted 9/3/05 10:10 PM |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Thanks for the suggestions. If anyone else has something to add... please do.
My wife was just concerned because she was a little unfamiliar with what this entails to not have a hot water heater.
And me.... well... i am city apartment boy all my life... so i frankly have no clue. 
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| Posted 9/3/05 10:31 PM |
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peabody
Love green icing!!!
Member since 5/05 4691 total posts
Name:
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by DjPiLL
My wife thinks that if a house does not have a house water heater (the water is heated by the boiler)... you are going to run out of hot water in time.
Is this the case?
She is concerned she won't have enough hot water to take a 20-30 minute shower.
Thoughts?
I would be concerned too, I take 20 - 30 minute showers.
I don't know the answer, but I'll ask my DH.
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| Posted 9/3/05 10:59 PM |
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sasha96
lovin' my 2 little ladies!
Member since 5/05 7401 total posts
Name:
Julianne
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
I grew up with the boiler heating the water b/c we didn't have a hot water tank and we would not totally run out of hot water but the water would eventually get cool for the showers. My mother does get really, really hot water from the faucets. We have a hot water tank in our house and never had a problem getting hot water. From what I understand an oil fueled hot water heater should run you $2k installed. We have been told electric isn't worth it on LI...stick with oil or gas fueled water heaters.
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| Posted 9/4/05 7:49 AM |
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raken40
soooo in love:)
Member since 5/05 4369 total posts
Name:
Karen
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
We have a hot water heater, but its small..We have to get a bigger one. We run out of hot water pretty quickly when taking a shower. You cant do two things at once like take a shower and run the dishwasher...its crazy!
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| Posted 9/4/05 8:20 AM |
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TheInfamousOTG
Waiting for Lil' M....
Member since 5/05 3468 total posts
Name:
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
You will eventually run out of hot water when just running off the burner. Having a hot water heater is better. Bri's parents have that problem. They don't have a hot water heater. The hot water runs out real quick in the winter. I'm going to put one in for them. Hot water heaters are the way to go.
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| Posted 9/4/05 8:54 AM |
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june262004
But I love the Snow!
Member since 5/05 15379 total posts
Name:
Kristin
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by MrsProfessor
I grew up in Levittown where we had no water heater, and there was always enough hot water. Unless my brother was being a wise guy and flipped the switch for the oil burner while I was in the shower.
why did I never think of that!!!!
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| Posted 9/4/05 10:49 AM |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by TheInfamousOTG
You will eventually run out of hot water when just running off the burner. Having a hot water heater is better. Bri's parents have that problem. They don't have a hot water heater. The hot water runs out real quick in the winter. I'm going to put one in for them. Hot water heaters are the way to go.
Problem is this Levit House has no room for a hot water heater tank. 
I don't understand why some people say its not an issue... and some say it is? Very interesting. As well as some people that actually have the hot water heater say its great... but others say the tank can run out and give you cold water.
You would think of the boiler was efficient enough... you would have enough hot water... or EVERYBODY would have some sort of hot water heater.
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| Posted 9/4/05 2:02 PM |
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btrflygrl
me and baby #3!
Member since 5/05 12013 total posts
Name:
Shana
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
eventually you will run out, but not in a 20-30 minute shower. In a house of 6 people, we all took 20 minute showers, waited about 10-15 minutes between showers (sometimes less). It's the running of OTHER water that will alter the temp/pressure.
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| Posted 9/4/05 2:09 PM |
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by DjPiLL
I don't understand why some people say its not an issue... and some say it is? Very interesting. As well as some people that actually have the hot water heater say its great... but others say the tank can run out and give you cold water.
You would think of the boiler was efficient enough... you would have enough hot water... or EVERYBODY would have some sort of hot water heater.
yeah I don't know why all these conflicting stories, I will ask DH ....
All I know is, a hot water heater stores and heats water 20,30,40 gallons.. whatever once its gone its has to fill and heat back up to the set temp.
A boiler heats water as it goes through the heater coil.
Like I said no issues with "running out" with our new oil burner/boiler.
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| Posted 9/4/05 11:07 PM |
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TheInfamousOTG
Waiting for Lil' M....
Member since 5/05 3468 total posts
Name:
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Posted by DjPiLL
Posted by TheInfamousOTG
You will eventually run out of hot water when just running off the burner. Having a hot water heater is better. Bri's parents have that problem. They don't have a hot water heater. The hot water runs out real quick in the winter. I'm going to put one in for them. Hot water heaters are the way to go.
Problem is this Levit House has no room for a hot water heater tank.
I don't understand why some people say its not an issue... and some say it is? Very interesting. As well as some people that actually have the hot water heater say its great... but others say the tank can run out and give you cold water.
You would think of the boiler was efficient enough... you would have enough hot water... or EVERYBODY would have some sort of hot water heater.
To always have really hot water, your going to have to keep the temperture on the burner really high. Which means if your using gas or oil, your bill might be high at times.
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| Posted 9/4/05 11:46 PM |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
Well my wife just told me that her Mom's house (a house she lived in for at least 5-10 years)... does NOT have a hot water heater.
She just assumed it did (which I think was the cause of her paranoia on this) because she saw some big blue tank in her mom's basement. Well she spoke to her mom about this last night, and her mom said that was her old Water Pump which is no longer used... and she never had a hot water heater.
Boy my wife has a very different opinion now on the subject. LOL
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| Posted 9/5/05 12:55 PM |
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DRMom
Two in Blue
Member since 5/05 20223 total posts
Name:
Melissa
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Re: Hot Water Heater Question
The "tankless" water heater is an on demand water heater. They are more expensive than regular water heaters and we had one that was just unreliable. According to our repairman everything has to be perfect for it to work so if you have fluctuating gas pressure or something like that it won't work. Why don't you buy a water heater. They are only about 350 for propane even less for natural gas
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| Posted 9/6/05 1:09 PM |
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