Stainless Steel Water Heaters?

[Bob Scott]

Having lived in the same house for 24 years now, I'm on my 3rd gas hot water heater. The previous two died by leaking. They rust through because the tanks are made of cheap steel. They supposedly have a ceramic or porcelain coating on the inside to prevent rust.

Has anyone heard of gas water heaters with stainless steel tanks being available? I figure they should last a lot longer.

Changing out the tank in this house is a pain. The idiot contractor didn't leave enough room between the furnace and the door, so the tank has to be lifted OVER the furnace to get it in or out.

If no stainless tanks are available, I'm going to price out getting one fabricated from the same outfit that made our boat's custom shaped 40 gallon aluminum fuel tank. We had to get that one fabricated because, you guessed it, the old one rusted out.

Thanks, Bob

[RegUS_PatOff]

can the water heater be relocated ?

what about tankless water heater ?

gas or electric ?

[Bob Scott]

[user=3641]RegUS_PatOff[/user] wrote:

can the water heater be relocated ?

what about tankless water heater ?

gas or electric ?

There is no place for it anywhere else. It goes in the small "furnace room".

Do tankless heaters work the same? Have the same capacity? In wintertime? As efficient? Can you run the washing machine at the same time as taking a shower?

Isn't "Tankless" a new technology? I don't want to be the first one to get a nasty surprise, like the people who jumped for that new technology plastic plumbing that disintegrates after a decade of use, or built-in-ceiling radiant electric heater membranes that were recalled for starting fires after 5 years on the market. I can't believe a electrical design engineer would be so ignorant to think an electric heating element is so immune to failure that you can install it under the drywall!

I like to wait and see if new technology proves itself for a few years.

It's gas, 40 gal.

Apparently, the initial installer didn't know anything about dielectric unions either. I asked at the local lumber'n'hardware and he told me he didn't carry them because "DIYers don't buy that kind of stuff". Home Depot had them.

I guess nobody makes stainless tanks, huh?

[certified tech group 51]

Go to Google and type in hot 'water heaters stainless steel'..I did not know that there were so many manufactures out there that makes them......  Also tankless heaters ....... Tankless heaters have been in use in europe for decades.......... They are getting more popular in the U.S...............

[grey shrek]

Tank less heaters have been used here in great frozen north for many years.Much cheaper to operate.