I would pipe these with a few valves to have the option of using them in series, in parallel, or one at a time (for those times when you need to clean the tank, replace the anode rods, or either tank dies). Three valves, two t-fittings, and a little extra piping would put all the options at your fingertips. I'm about to do this to my system - I'm adding a new tank, and my old one is still fine for now but I know it won't last forever and I want to be prepared so that I don't end up with a no-hot-water emergency, plus will now have the extra capacity for when we have higher hot water use demands. It also helps if you can buy a water heater while it's on sale rather than rushing to buy at whatever price it happens to be when your single water heater dies or has a problem.
I prefer to have the first take set to heat to around 80* and the second tank to do the final heating to the 120*+-. Seems to work better as a system in my house.
3 you should use one water heater as the primary and the 2nd one as a storage tank .the only thing you have to do is put a small circulator pump on the return line.
3:15 you can set the temps to balance duty cycles. And I'd argue series is better in most cases because the best benefit behind tanked water heaters is the water temperature stratification, which you can build on with tanks in series. Imo optimal setup is an electric tank with a gas tankless. this gives you capacity, throughput and redundancy in a small footprint.
Why not take advantage of the uneven use in series? Either setting the 1st tank on low with 2nd storage tank on high? or choosing a smaller 2nd tank for storage? Lower standby draw and would still give you extra recovery capacity.
@@charlesgibbins good point. im converting a double family to a single and have these two hot water heaters so been thinking of either doing a series, thought of doing parallel but they're different sizes, or just disconnecting one and saving it for when the other craps out
I have 2 gas heaters that i plumbed as series. My first tank is set at 90-100 degrees and the 2nd is 130. With 55 degree incoming water it shares the load, and never ever run out of HW
yes you can and I have done that. But in the end- the best way to explain it is---It takes X amount of energy to heat X amount of water PERIOD. I have done multiple experiments at my house. I have done 1 50 gallon tank. I have done a 50 gallon at 80 degrees feeding into an electric tankless. I have done tankless alone as well all while having energy monitors. Your electric usage will not change. The only thing I can think of is you may create an environment for bacteria at 80 degrees. Im not an expert, but that is a fact if you research it. In my head I was preheating to take the load off of the tankless and it does work but at the end of the day I go back to my first statement- It takes X amount of energy to heat X amount of water PERIOD.This is with 8 years of energy monitoring my 220 appliances. At first I had a different monitor but today I have the emporia system which is available on their site or amazon as well. Pretty accurate systems
I just ran a second circuit to my heater so it can run both coil at once. Never ending warm water, without the. HUGE power requirements of an on demand heater
I disagree every time someone says something negative about the first tank if you had only one tank it would do the same amount of work. The second tank kicks in and works if the first tank runs out so even if you pull hard on the system then the second tank will take the load the first tank will heat exactly the same as it would in any other circumstance. The disadvantage of this system is just simply you have to buy two water heaters and you pay the electricity for the holding tank. But I never hear anyone mention that if one water heater goes out bam you got another water heater right there ready to go till you get it replaced. I would contend it's like eating a taco over a taco when the stuff falls out of the first taco bam you still got a second taco.
Hi Jesse and Thank You for the videos. The question that I noticed that my two Rheem water heaters are connected in series. I also replaced them not to long ago with the same brand only more classy which are the “ Platinum” which offers auto shut off, wireless, App, etc etc. I’m encountering lately that the APP shows that the first Thank is empty but the second one. I don’t know if you are familiar with this but I have to reset the alarm quite often. Please help if you can. Once again Thanks for the videos. God Bless you and your family.
There is a vantage Hawaii you should have two water heaters in the event that one of them breaks you have the other one as a backup. 2. Those two water heaters whoever put them in should of put then in parallel .3.
it will run for a bit as the water between the tanks is actually cold until the hot water comes in behind it and then the element will shut off, I have that setup at my house. I have 2 bathrooms at the opposite end of the water heaters. So I added a 20 gallon auxilliary tank at the other end so now I get hot water quickly at the far end and like I said- that tank only cuts on for a few minutes at the most while the hot water arrives from the main heater-then it recieves hot water and will shut off
How about a 20 gal tank then your tank less. Instant hot water then unlimited. Heck save another $190 and go with a 2 gallon tank paired with a tank less heater
Either way, that setup is about 30k btu. Of course a single gas tank give you 38k btu. Two of those ant you're at 76k btu. Still short of a tank less's 110k+ btu
Your video confirmed what the plumber was saying about the first tank doing all the heating and thus shortening the life. so my two will get plumbed in parallel. Thx!!
And you'll get just above the equivalent to one tanks hot water because it mixes both at the same time. You lose a lot of hot water parallel. Where as the series continues to reheat a full tank while depleting the other, it becomes almost unlimited
I’m stupid so help me understand with the series the first tank is doing all the work…..so he said it would shorten the life….but my mind says the first tank is doing the same job it’s supposed to do….so how is the life shorten?
UPDATE: So I am a DIY guy. Had a plumber come in because I wasn't getting enough hot water to the newly installed bathroom. Dishwasher and kitchen sink got plenty of hot water, but only a few gallons were used so I had no clue. Come to find out that the 2 tanks need to be plumbed in parallel EXACTLY!! Soooo, series is best. Bought 2 @ 50 gallons each and will be installed in series....Lesson learned...duh 😛
You should plumb them in so they have an equal draw. The way this was done, one heater worked more than the other. Per manufactures instructions you can not install like this.
This is how you install two water heaters in a code compliant manner. The second tank is just hot water storage. The better option is a Rheem Marathon 50g.
To gain the benefits of faster recovery and full volume of storage without an increased electric bill, the tanks would have to be connected in parallel with equivalent piping for uniform flow. Connecting the tanks in series has no operational benefit other than having a backup water heater should the first tank fail. The second tank would never run and the first tank would have to work twice as hard to heat both volumes of water. The ideal benefits of two or more tanks in parallel is a faster recovery rate and less demand per tank. You're still using the same watts to heat a specific volume of water used but dividing that demand across multiple tanks. You will not get any benefit from piping in series. Series piping is only beneficial using a primary water heating source from a domestic water coil in a boiler or a de-superheater that is then pipe through an electric tank. When operating the primary source, it'll preheat the incoming water of the tank and reduce electric usage of the tank water heater.
Hi, maybe you can help. I have two 50 gallon water heaters in parallel. on the out going hot side, there is a 12" piping different from one unit to other unit. Unit with shorter out going piping seems to run more. Any ideals?
Would not change the electric bill 4500 watt each (15.1k btu/hour) They're heating the same number of gallons Either way. If parallel is saving you electricity, it would be doing so because it's sending cooler water to the user. Thus, your argument is pro series with the thought that first one is heating as normal, and the second one heats and stabilizes the water since it's not starting with 55° ground water mixing into it.
You are not correct when you state these are compliant. The Expansion tank is too small, piping is incorrect, and there should be an electric disconnect within reach.
No. Electric water heaters are engineered to work stand alone and definitely NOT in series. And not to be fed with hot water from the bottom. You might get by running them in parallel. But the piping would need to divid the flow perfectly even.
What inside them would be problematic by receiving hot water in through the cold water connection? As far as I know they are just different length tubes - the cold water tube extends to the bottom of the tank and the hot water one goes to the top. The purpose being that the hotter water, the less dense it is so will naturally be at the top, so when pulling hot water for use you will get the hottest water in the tank (by sucking out from the top vs bottom). Once the entire tank of water is heated, it is hot top to bottom so it makes no sense that injecting hot water into the bottom to begin with would cause any problems. The elements in the second tank would just kick on whenever the water inside needs to get boosted back up to set temperature, the same as happens in a stand-alone tank.
I would pipe these with a few valves to have the option of using them in series, in parallel, or one at a time (for those times when you need to clean the tank, replace the anode rods, or either tank dies). Three valves, two t-fittings, and a little extra piping would put all the options at your fingertips. I'm about to do this to my system - I'm adding a new tank, and my old one is still fine for now but I know it won't last forever and I want to be prepared so that I don't end up with a no-hot-water emergency, plus will now have the extra capacity for when we have higher hot water use demands. It also helps if you can buy a water heater while it's on sale rather than rushing to buy at whatever price it happens to be when your single water heater dies or has a problem.
I prefer to have the first take set to heat to around 80* and the second tank to do the final heating to the 120*+-. Seems to work better as a system in my house.
Can't this cause legionnaires? If the water is held warm but not at minimum temperature?
How long does your hot water showers last?
@@bicentennialbuck YES
3 you should use one water heater as the primary and the 2nd one as a storage tank .the only thing you have to do is put a small circulator pump on the return line.
3:15 you can set the temps to balance duty cycles. And I'd argue series is better in most cases because the best benefit behind tanked water heaters is the water temperature stratification, which you can build on with tanks in series. Imo optimal setup is an electric tank with a gas tankless. this gives you capacity, throughput and redundancy in a small footprint.
@mindcrime550 I’m wanting to do the optimal setup you’re suggesting. Do you have any resources that explain best practices for this?
Why not take advantage of the uneven use in series? Either setting the 1st tank on low with 2nd storage tank on high? or choosing a smaller 2nd tank for storage? Lower standby draw and would still give you extra recovery capacity.
Can't you set the thermostat on the first tank to say 100 degrees and the second tank to your final temperature? Both share a smaller load?
Same thoughts. Been wondering why no one mentions that as an option
@@charlesgibbins good point. im converting a double family to a single and have these two hot water heaters so been thinking of either doing a series, thought of doing parallel but they're different sizes, or just disconnecting one and saving it for when the other craps out
I have 2 gas heaters that i plumbed as series. My first tank is set at 90-100 degrees and the 2nd is 130. With 55 degree incoming water it shares the load, and never ever run out of HW
yes you can and I have done that. But in the end- the best way to explain it is---It takes X amount of energy to heat X amount of water PERIOD. I have done multiple experiments at my house. I have done 1 50 gallon tank. I have done a 50 gallon at 80 degrees feeding into an electric tankless. I have done tankless alone as well all while having energy monitors. Your electric usage will not change. The only thing I can think of is you may create an environment for bacteria at 80 degrees. Im not an expert, but that is a fact if you research it. In my head I was preheating to take the load off of the tankless and it does work but at the end of the day I go back to my first statement- It takes X amount of energy to heat X amount of water PERIOD.This is with 8 years of energy monitoring my 220 appliances. At first I had a different monitor but today I have the emporia system which is available on their site or amazon as well. Pretty accurate systems
I just ran a second circuit to my heater so it can run both coil at once. Never ending warm water, without the. HUGE power requirements of an on demand heater
I disagree every time someone says something negative about the first tank if you had only one tank it would do the same amount of work. The second tank kicks in and works if the first tank runs out so even if you pull hard on the system then the second tank will take the load the first tank will heat exactly the same as it would in any other circumstance. The disadvantage of this system is just simply you have to buy two water heaters and you pay the electricity for the holding tank. But I never hear anyone mention that if one water heater goes out bam you got another water heater right there ready to go till you get it replaced. I would contend it's like eating a taco over a taco when the stuff falls out of the first taco bam you still got a second taco.
sounds like series approach minimizes or avoid the interruption due to the secondary tank?
Set the 1st tank to a lower temperature than the 2nd
Makes sense
Hi Jesse and Thank You for the videos. The question that I noticed that my two Rheem water heaters are connected in series. I also replaced them not to long ago with the same brand only more classy which are the “ Platinum” which offers auto shut off, wireless, App, etc etc. I’m encountering lately that the APP shows that the first Thank is empty but the second one. I don’t know if you are familiar with this but I have to reset the alarm quite often. Please help if you can. Once again Thanks for the videos. God Bless you and your family.
first in last out pipe right
There is a vantage Hawaii you should have two water heaters in the event that one of them breaks you have the other one as a backup. 2. Those two water heaters whoever put them in should of put then in parallel .3.
Wondering why you didn’t go with Rheem Marathon tank for your second tank?
What happens if you run a smaller tank remotely 50-100ft away from the main tank in series?
it will run for a bit as the water between the tanks is actually cold until the hot water comes in behind it and then the element will shut off, I have that setup at my house. I have 2 bathrooms at the opposite end of the water heaters. So I added a 20 gallon auxilliary tank at the other end so now I get hot water quickly at the far end and like I said- that tank only cuts on for a few minutes at the most while the hot water arrives from the main heater-then it recieves hot water and will shut off
Excelente explicación thanks help me so much
Thanks
What is you have a 75g and a 50g ?
how come you didn't use a pan?
Looks like it's in a garage. Why bother? Garage floors can drain out the driveway anyway
How about a 20 gal tank then your tank less. Instant hot water then unlimited. Heck save another $190 and go with a 2 gallon tank paired with a tank less heater
Either way, that setup is about 30k btu. Of course a single gas tank give you 38k btu. Two of those ant you're at 76k btu. Still short of a tank less's 110k+ btu
Your video confirmed what the plumber was saying about the first tank doing all the heating and thus shortening the life. so my two will get plumbed in parallel. Thx!!
And you'll get just above the equivalent to one tanks hot water because it mixes both at the same time. You lose a lot of hot water parallel. Where as the series continues to reheat a full tank while depleting the other, it becomes almost unlimited
I’m stupid so help me understand with the series the first tank is doing all the work…..so he said it would shorten the life….but my mind says the first tank is doing the same job it’s supposed to do….so how is the life shorten?
UPDATE: So I am a DIY guy. Had a plumber come in because I wasn't getting enough hot water to the newly installed bathroom. Dishwasher and kitchen sink got plenty of hot water, but only a few gallons were used so I had no clue. Come to find out that the 2 tanks need to be plumbed in parallel EXACTLY!! Soooo, series is best. Bought 2 @ 50 gallons each and will be installed in series....Lesson learned...duh 😛
You should plumb them in so they have an equal draw. The way this was done, one heater worked more than the other. Per manufactures instructions you can not install like this.
This set up is wearing out one heater more no doubt but it saves you on electricity bill in the long run
Thats NOT how you run two tanks parallel to eachother.
He said these are in series, not parallel.
@@everettmartin5936 True, but still wrong.
@@andersonsprairieviewfarm2552
Why is it wrong?
Your correct ,that's how you series 2 water heaters
This is how you install two water heaters in a code compliant manner. The second tank is just hot water storage.
The better option is a Rheem Marathon 50g.
Dude, set those up in parallel!
Parallel set up is more efficient in so many ways,
To gain the benefits of faster recovery and full volume of storage without an increased electric bill, the tanks would have to be connected in parallel with equivalent piping for uniform flow.
Connecting the tanks in series has no operational benefit other than having a backup water heater should the first tank fail. The second tank would never run and the first tank would have to work twice as hard to heat both volumes of water.
The ideal benefits of two or more tanks in parallel is a faster recovery rate and less demand per tank. You're still using the same watts to heat a specific volume of water used but dividing that demand across multiple tanks. You will not get any benefit from piping in series. Series piping is only beneficial using a primary water heating source from a domestic water coil in a boiler or a de-superheater that is then pipe through an electric tank. When operating the primary source, it'll preheat the incoming water of the tank and reduce electric usage of the tank water heater.
Hi, maybe you can help. I have two 50 gallon water heaters in parallel. on the out going hot side, there is a 12" piping different from one unit to other unit. Unit with shorter out going piping seems to run more. Any ideals?
Would not change the electric bill 4500 watt each (15.1k btu/hour)
They're heating the same number of gallons Either way.
If parallel is saving you electricity, it would be doing so because it's sending cooler water to the user. Thus, your argument is pro series with the thought that first one is heating as normal, and the second one heats and stabilizes the water since it's not starting with 55° ground water mixing into it.
You are not correct when you state these are compliant. The Expansion tank is too small, piping is incorrect, and there should be an electric disconnect within reach.
No. Electric water heaters are engineered to work stand alone and definitely NOT in series. And not to be fed with hot water from the bottom. You might get by running them in parallel. But the piping would need to divid the flow perfectly even.
What inside them would be problematic by receiving hot water in through the cold water connection? As far as I know they are just different length tubes - the cold water tube extends to the bottom of the tank and the hot water one goes to the top. The purpose being that the hotter water, the less dense it is so will naturally be at the top, so when pulling hot water for use you will get the hottest water in the tank (by sucking out from the top vs bottom). Once the entire tank of water is heated, it is hot top to bottom so it makes no sense that injecting hot water into the bottom to begin with would cause any problems. The elements in the second tank would just kick on whenever the water inside needs to get boosted back up to set temperature, the same as happens in a stand-alone tank.
Parallel is the way to do it.
no no no slave and master bad