Hey folks! My older 50-gallon water heater is on its last legs, and I'm thinking about switching to a tankless system for better energy efficiency and unlimited hot water. With three and a half bathrooms in my 2500 sqft home, I'm considering either the Navien NPE-210A or 240A. One concern I have is the lack of a dedicated hot return line—would this impact the efficiency compared to a traditional tank? Also, with the recirculating pumps in the "A" models, will I get hot water as quickly as I do now? Which model would be more suitable for my setup, and would it be beneficial to install a Navicirc? Thanks for your insights!
1 Answer
Just a heads up, tankless systems don't actually provide hot water any faster than tank heaters. The real advantage is getting that endless supply of hot water without running out. If you don't have a recirculating line, there's really no need for a recirc pump. In fact, a tank heater with a recirc line will perform similarly to a tankless unit with one. Some recirc setups can push hot water into the cold lines, but honestly, it's kind of a gimmick. You might get hot water sooner initially, but you'll end up wasting a bunch of water in the cold lines until you clear that out.