EcoSmart ECO 18 Electric Tankless Water Heater, 18 KW at 240 Volts with Patented Self Modulating Technology , 17 x 14 x 3.5, White

Great! Easy to install if you’re familiar with running electrical and minor plumbing. Definitely would run a filter on the inlet side. Installed a 18kw unit in SC (inlet temp 62f) and have no issues! Water is hot, and I mean HOT. We use high sierra low flow shower heads already at 1.25 gpm, so even though we shouldn’t be able to, we can run 2 showers with no problems. It’s super convenient to have unlimited hot water and not be heating a 60 gallon tank 24/7, using only what we need when we need it. Flow wise; it’s a bit slower, but it’s more consistent than before, not having to adjust valves as you run the kitchen sink as someone is showering. Definitely worth the money, especially since it’s less than the cost of a 6 gallon point of use tank from Home Depot or Lowe’s.

The GoodAs for the item itself I would only suggest that the purchaser make sure they have sized the unit correctly for their needs and have taken their area's ground water temp into account. The unit has a sublimely simple design and its shell is both space efficient and cosmetically pleasing. Unlimited hot water is a decadent luxury and Ecosmart makes it affordable to all. My lady is finally able to take her time wash and shave without ever running out of hot water (yikes for my water consumption). Regarding water consumption I'v found that this unit works amazingly well with the "Spa Fire-Hydrant" shower head, Economy and Performance.The BadThis pertains to the install process and NOT the unit. -- The plumbing is very straight forward and should be doable by a moderately experienced DIY'er with basic plumbing tools and a little soldering know-how. The electrical work is also not very difficult, BUT requires two Double-Pole 40-Amp Breakers and sufficient sized service to handle the unit (which is actually comparatively large). But if you've got the space or are willing to upgrade your electric service, this item is a must-have.Final WarningThe large cost for this unit will come from the install by licensed professionals without which you cannot quality for the lifetime Warranty, My advice (if you are not planning to install yourself) would be to get quotes for the install (both plumbing and electrical) and compare those numbers to the cost of the unit if you end up paying more for the install than the unit is worth you might be better off forgoing the warranty because if you do have a problem it would still be cheaper to by a replacement unit.***One year UpdateI've had this unit for a year now and recently blew a heating element, (an issue caused by a plumbing change and NOT the unit itself). I only bring it up because its a bit of a pain to have to order a replacement from Eco-Smart since no other place I found (Even Amazon!**(CAN be purchased on amazon now)) carries this odd element size (9kW 240v Screw-In). So I would suggest having a spare on hand to avoid the shipping time wait if it becomes necessary. Also having seen first-hand what kind of scale and build-up can occur at tragic speeds on the heating elements, do yourself a favor and drop the extra $65 on the recommend 'Aqua-pure' scale inhibitor. Most users can only tell you that it seems to work having nothing to compare it against. I have seen both sides and it makes a world of difference!Aside from that, I am Extremely happy with this purchase, there is no going back in my household, Even with my girlfriend's new 45-minute long shower ritual (compared to the 25ish she use to get), I have seen a consistent 20-30% electric consumption drop when compared to the two years proceeding it. So my unit will have paid for itself after another year of usage. If your experience is anything like mine you will NOT be disappointed with this unit, so I'd say buy with confidence***5-year UpdateAt the 5 year mark, I have been through 2 heating elements (since installed) and always keep 2 on hand to be prepared. I am positive that the unit has paid for itself at least twice and is still working strong. There is absolutely no going back to a standard tanked unit. Until a recent trip out of town in a hotel shower, I'd completely forgot about running out of hot water. The moment this unit breaks I'm replacing it with an identical unit. (A decision made over 2 years ago) every home owner should have one of these units. Save space, save money, and enjoy your unlimited hot water as a bonus for your wonderful investment!*** 10-year update,Just blew another heating element (5 in total now after a decade), and they are now available for purchase on amazon! My unit is STILL running strong and my girlfriend has built her own home and installed an Eco27 (As I mentioned, once you've experienced unlimited hot water there's no going back). This device has already well exceeded my expectations and I'm overjoyed to give an amazing review. Love this product and WILL buy again in the home I'm planning to build.

This is the third electric tankless water heater with which I have had some experience. The first two were of a different brand, but I opted to go with this one for my most recent foray because of the price and the reviews.Like any installation of an electric tankless water heater, it's always easiest to do when you're doing new construction. Trying to retrofit a home for one of these would be much more difficult just because of the electrical requirements. In this case, I was installing in a volunteer fire department where hot water isn't used everyday but when it is used, they need a large volume of it. So it seemed ideal to use an electric tankless water heater. Thankfully, the location for the heater wasn't too far from the breaker box, and it wasn't too difficult to run the wiring because of a dropped ceiling that gave access where needed.However, a cost that potential buyers should think about is the cost of WIRING. This installation requires two separate double-pole circuits with 8-gauge copper wire, and that is not cheap. In my case, I needed approximately 80 feet of wire for both circuits.Hookup isn't difficult at all. The wire is understandably stiff for that gauge wire; so you have to be aware of it, but it's not insurmountable. Because there are two separate circuits, you must remember to keep the two hot leads for each circuit separate: that is, each double-pole circuit's hot leads need to stay paired up.I used flexible water heater connectors (braided metal) for the plumbing side of it and then connected to CPVC. Again, it's not complicated.Construction on the inside looks solid and actually quite elegant. The basic premise of the circuit is simple. Two heating elements (each one is fed by its own circuit, hence the need for two circuits) are provided power through high current relays that are controlled by a microprocessor. The relays are kept cool by a heat sink that is connected to the incoming water line. A flowmeter is attached to the inlet; so the heaters do not operate until it detects water flowing. The display on the heater lights up whenever it's switched on and gives an indication of the water temperature that you've selected. You can select up to 140 degrees F, but I've kept ours at 120 F thus far. There are safety features built in in the form of thermostats on the inlet and outlet to disable the current if temperatures exceed a safe level.Because this heater is designed for low flow rates (2-3 gallons per minute), users should be reasonable with their expectations. It is NOT designed to run two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dishwasher, and a washing machine simultaneously. I had two sinks going at once, and the temperature did drop some, but it is quite manageable. One thing you can do to minimize frustration is to just reduce the flow when multiple locations are used. Most people want to turn on the water full force; just turn it on halfway or less and you will have sufficient hot water for 2 or more locations simultaneously with only minor issues.This unit has not been in service too long yet; so I can't speak to long-term use issues, but I am impressed thus far with the ease of installation and the quality of construction.