2nd Water Heater

 All -

I'm having an additional hot water tank installed in my home in the
next few weeks.  I currently have a 50 gallon gas with an expansion
tank.  The plumber recommended purchasing a 50 gallon electric for the
additional tank and plumbing everything in so the cold water comes into
the new electric tank, which feeds the gas tank, and the gas tank
supplies hot water to the house.  Does this sound like the correct way
to go?

Also, he mentioned I would need to have a second expanion tank
installed as well.  So I'll have two 50 gallon tanks and 2 expansion
tanks.

Hoping to get some validation that everything with this sounds right.
Thanks so much for your time!

Ryan, The Untrusting Consumer

 

The correct way to go for what?  The key piece of information that is
missing here is a description of the problem you are trying  to solve.

Are you trying to get a larger supply of hot water, or higher
efficiency, or a backup in case one heater goes out, or what?

JT

 

As the other poster asked, what problem are you trying to solve ?  Read this
2 page paper by Rheem for some answers
www.rheem.com/includes/resourceLibraryPDF/1231.pdf .

If you already have a gas water heater then a 2nd gas water heater makes
much more sense than an electric one. Get a 2nd opinion from another
plumber.

 
catalpa wrote:

Agree, no idea what problem he's trying to solve.   But it sure looks
pretty stupid to run the cold water into an electric one first.
Usually, electric is more expensive than gas, so why not use 2 gas
ones?  Also, I don't see why a second expansion tank is needed.  The
tanks are linked, so one should suffice for both.   Before I went to 2
WH's, I'd strongly consider going with a tankless, on demand unit.

 trader4@optonline.net wrote:

He might not have space to vent a second one -- gas code doesn't permit
venting more than two gas appliances into the same flue. If his chimney has
only a single flue serving the existing water heater and a gas furnace, then a
second flue will be required. Electric does have the advantage of not
requiring any venting.

But I certainly agree that running the coldest water into the heater with the
highest operating cost isn't very smart. (OTOH, we don't know where the OP
lives, either. Generally, electricity from hydroelectric generation is pretty
cheap -- e.g. Buffalo NY -- and in some places, it could actually be cheaper
than gas.)


I'll second that -- and add that if the OP is on a well, the *first* one isn't
needed, as the pressure tank takes care of that.


Regards,
        Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.