Eternal GU145S Condensing Hybrid Water Heater, 14.5 GPM Review

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(More customer reviews)I've now owned the GU145S for about 9 months now and have used it through the winter which really lets you know how it performs. I live in Dallas, TX, so cold here is about 15F worst case for a few days per year and above freezing most of the time. Overall, for my house, it's a great unit, but I'd recommend a bigger one for cold weather. I had a few installations issues that I'll describe too. This was a do-it-yourself project where I ran the new electric, gas and plumbing moving the water heater into the attic.
General: Go for the S units as they have stainless steel internal parts, which should give you better life. The outside is for show, but the inside is what matters. The unit is unique in that it has a mini-2 gallon internal storage tank, which makes it put out hot water from the instant you turn it on. Remember, you still have to heat up the pipes between the unit and the faucet, so it does not mean instant hot water, but it does make it produce as good as a regular water heater would.
Installation: The unit comes with a mounting bracket and hex head wood screws. The wood screws were so cheap that they stripped when inserting them into predrilled holes. The air inlets come covered with packing tape which I was unable to completely remove, leaving unsightly tape and glue on the new stainless steel. This nice unit is marred with this ugliness. Beyond that, installation was a breeze. The best part of this unit is that you can vent it with schedule 40 PVC, saving you $400-$600 over stainless steel. Since these units PUSH air out with fans, you must have a sealed pipe all the way to the outside. Normal gas heaters use covection and don't care about leaky pipes. You CANNOT reuse your existing flue pipes. Also, you'll notice a condensate drain must be connected. It'll generate as much condensate as your AC, so be prepared for that. I did write the manufacturer a letter describing the minor installation problems and received no acknowledgement in reply.
Gas lines: Most folks that I've talked to regarding these units have avoided installing them because their house was not plumbed for enough gas. Once you need to have a new gas line installed, the installation price goes way up. (Electric units are similar in that you need more wire and breakers installed). I was luck enough to have 1 1/4 inch pipe in the attic already and was able to insert a tee. My unit needed a 3/4" final run.
Operation: I have this unit installed in the attic above the garage, so it the same temperature there as outside, less wind chill. I regularly operate two showers at the same time, and sometimes more. When it's 32F and greater outside, no problem. It's amazing that starting and stopping the tub or another shower or kitchen sink does nothing to an already running shower. No temperature drop or rise is noticed due to this units design! When the temperature is in the teens, two showers at the same time will be lukewarm. One is as hot as you'd like it, but two are not. If you have extended cold spells, I'd suggest the bigger unit. (And BTW, my cold water inlet pipes are insulated all the way to the unit).
Value: There's little value in tankless units unless you are using horribly made water heaters. I replaced two perfectly good (3 year old) 50 gallon tanks in series with this unit. I did it to remove these from my garage and to have a small footprint in the attic. The base cost of the 2 gas heaters was about $1300 new and the cost of this unit was $1600. My two 50 gal units were $259/yr (total $320/yr) and the cost of the tankless was $195. It's a long payback on operating costs alone.
Other: Here's what scares me.... If I lost one 50 gal unit, I could still take a hot shower using the other. With only one unit, if it must be serviced, cold showers for all while we're down. If you lose electricity, cold showers. The manufacturer does not appear to be friendly to the do-it-yourself types and as such, warns against internet or local purchases without an installer. They appear to make it seem that you'll not be warrantied if you do-it-yourself. If this concerns you, be careful. (I do have a recirculating pump installed that moves water thru the lines on a timer and thermostat. To the tankless unit, it is simply a hot water call. The GU145S works seamlessly with the recirculating pump.)
Summary: Do do this to save money. Do it because you need the convenience of size. I like the unit and would recommend it to others.

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