Yikes, your experience is making me rethink things. Just bought our first home and was seriously eyeing a tankless heater (mostly for the space-saving perks). Hadn't even considered the whole hard water angle until now. Sounds like flushing it out isn't rocket science, but honestly... I'd probably flood the basement or something knowing my DIY luck, haha. Good call on the softener—I might just budget that in from the start to dodge future headaches. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, definitely agree on the softener—it's a smart move. Tankless heaters are great, but they're pretty sensitive to mineral buildup. Had a buddy who skipped the softener and ended up replacing his heat exchanger way sooner than expected... pricey lesson learned there.
"Had a buddy who skipped the softener and ended up replacing his heat exchanger way sooner than expected... pricey lesson learned there."
Yeah, I've heard similar stories—makes me wonder if tankless is always the greener choice when you factor in maintenance and replacements. Anyone looked into hybrid heaters as an alternative? Curious how they stack up efficiency-wise long-term.
Hybrid heaters are definitely worth considering. Switched to one myself about two years ago after my old tankless started acting up (hard water issues, even with a softener). Efficiency-wise, hybrids are pretty impressive—mine cut my water heating bill nearly in half. They do cost more upfront, but factoring in lower maintenance and fewer headaches, it balances out over time. Plus, they're less sensitive to water quality issues compared to tankless units, so you won't be replacing expensive parts as often. Only downside I've noticed is they need a bit more space and can be noisy when running, but nothing too crazy. Overall, I'd say hybrids are a solid alternative if you're looking for efficiency without the constant upkeep worries.
"Only downside I've noticed is they need a bit more space and can be noisy when running, but nothing too crazy."
Yeah, hybrids are great, but the noise can be a surprise at first—mine sounded like a mini airplane taking off initially. Got used to it pretty fast though, and the savings definitely sweeten the deal.
