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OT- is it possible to get a gas water heater to turn on @ 5 am every day?

What type of water heater do you have now? Most likely a standing pilot as SD has not gone nuts like CA has. So if you mess with the thermocouple, you'll shut your pilot off. That only controls the pilot as a safety interlock. The gas valve has a mechanical sensing method (bimetal strip) used to control water temp.
Pretty tough to get any better then this device in your link.
Now you may have a new modern condensing type water heater. I've never worked on one of these so can't tell you how they control water temp. Same goes for the tankless type water heaters. These are supposedly going to be code standard shortly. For exactly the reason this timer is designed for.
You may be better off putting the $90 USD toward a new demand (tankless) water heater. However natural gas water heaters start at $700 for 6.5 GPM (check your local Menards).
 
you may waste more energy going from cold to hot at 5am....

than you use when leaving it hot all the time.....depending on the heat loss of the unit itself.

i have a circa 1875 steam system in my house at home. If i use a programmable thermostat and drop 5 degrees at nighttime, I have a longer cycle time in the morning to get the house up to the set point, than the total cycle time that it runs at night if i leave the set point the same. It's about 30% less actually if i never touch it.
 
What type of water heater do you have now? Most likely a standing pilot as SD has not gone nuts like CA has. So if you mess with the thermocouple, you'll shut your pilot off. That only controls the pilot as a safety interlock. The gas valve has a mechanical sensing method (bimetal strip) used to control water temp.
Pretty tough to get any better then this device in your link.
Now you may have a new modern condensing type water heater. I've never worked on one of these so can't tell you how they control water temp. Same goes for the tankless type water heaters. These are supposedly going to be code standard shortly. For exactly the reason this timer is designed for.
You may be better off putting the $90 USD toward a new demand (tankless) water heater. However natural gas water heaters start at $700 for 6.5 GPM (check your local Menards).

It's an old school standing pilot water heater. I have it wrapped with 2 fiberglass water heater blankets.

it is about 12 yrs old so i am guessing the sediment in the bottom is some of my problem. if i do a drain and flush on it it will more than likely start to leak, ill probably look into a tankless if they are that cheap.
 
you may waste more energy going from cold to hot at 5am....

than you use when leaving it hot all the time.....depending on the heat loss of the unit itself.

i have a circa 1875 steam system in my house at home. If i use a programmable thermostat and drop 5 degrees at nighttime, I have a longer cycle time in the morning to get the house up to the set point, than the total cycle time that it runs at night if i leave the set point the same. It's about 30% less actually if i never touch it.

My house furnace is a hot water boiler as well. (newer though) and i find that too.... if i program it, i use more energy than if i keep it constant. Hot water radiant heat is the best... If i ever build a new house. (hopefully not) it will have hydronic heat.
 
you may waste more energy going from cold to hot at 5am....

If he's got municipal (who knows in south dakota, right?), then the incoming water temp isn't likely to change at all.

And based on thermodynamic principles, I'm not sure I believe that leaving your house warmer is more efficient. There have been countless studies proving otherwise (which is why they sell programmable thermostats).... not to mention my own (contradicting) experience.
 
I live in Michigan and have "city water" supplied. By March the incoming is 39 to 40 degrees.
Will a gas tankless unit get me the 65 plus degrees of rise needed to feed about 7-8 gallons
per minute to feed 2 showerheads?
Or fill my whirlpool tub at about the same rate with 105-106 degree water?
Thanks
David
 
I have to assume that tankless water heaters are made better than when they first came out years ago. I had bad luck with two of them. First one exploded in the middle of the night. Second one died just after the warranty ran out. I think at that time they were made in Great Britain. I had to make a sizing die so the American copper fittings would fit the tubes on the units. I think British copper sweat fittings are a little smaller than U.S. Good luck.

JH
 
JMO, but the OP's probably about due for a new water heater which will likely solve his problem. Beyond that, the available energy source and new heater cost are the big decision drivers. Personally, Ive got gas and also got a deal on a good heater so for me tankless wasnt even considered. Lowe's had my 120 gallon tanked unit on closeout clearance 2.5 years ago for $150, a bit less than half price. Considering the water heater uses ~$10/month of gas it was a bit of a no-brainer.
 
Ok. GTS means Google that s***. Dip tube is the tube that runs the supply water down to the bottom of the tank next to the burner, and enhances circulation and therefore efficiency of the water heater. (Iazz gets the prize for being the first in the thread to call it a hot water heater.)
Here's a nice picture from the aforementioned Google.
Howard County - Water Heater Dip Tube Issues
I apologize in advance for not drawing it myself.

Chip
 
I have a few friends with both teenagers and tankless water heaters. They have commented that the main problem with heaters that never run out of hot water is that they never run out of hot water. Gas bill down/water bill up.

Chip
 








 
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