Bosch AquaStar Indoor Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater #125FX NG Review

I live in a city apt., and must provide my own hot water. I replaced a 30 gal. tank with the HX (hydro pilot) model. It took some getting use to, it would shut down if I added too much cold to cool off the hot water. 2 1/2 yrs after installation, it doesn't always want to light. I have to run the hot water for 3 - 5 seconds, turn it off and turn it on again. Most always this works, but its an agravation. Bosch won't help, as I admitted I installed it in my bathroom, which voids the warranty,and Bosch won't give any technical advice for this other problem as a result. I installed a large vent in the lower half of the bathroom door, and have had no air intake problems. I am on the top floor and was able to vent out to the roof rather easily. I also have a CM detector/alarm in the bathroom near the unit which registers neglible amounts of CM.

"The place where you install the heater must have enough ventilation. The National Fire Codes do not allow gas fired water heater installation in bathrooms, bedrooms or any occupied rooms normally kept closed." from the installation manual, obtainable on the web. This is fine, and ample warning if you get a copy of the installation manual before you purchase the unit. The claim that hot water is instantaneous is not true. It actually takes longer than a heater with a tank, which has hot water standing by. The tankless takes cold water, and starts heating it a bit after the water starts to flow, but does come up to temperature pretty rapidly. In Europe (and foreign films) you see these right above the sink in the kitchen for a good reason.My kitchen is some 45 feet away from the bathroom, so it takes a little bit to get hot water, compounded by the fact that I have to turn the water on and off to fire up the unit.

"WaterValve (Part # 8707002649): The water valve on this heater should be serviced periodically. Lubricate component 36 on page 16 with a small amount of silicon, faucet or lithium grease every two years to keep its o rings fresh and pushrod sliding smoothly. Every 3-5 years replace component 36 on page 16."
Installation manual.

Unless you are technically proficient (able to install the unit your self) you will have to hire a plumber to do this. This makes the unit more expensive to maintain than a tank unit, perhaps eating up whatever savings you might realize not keeping a tank hot 24/7.

So, unless you have extra indoor space to stick this thing, are prepared for the maintenence routine, hopefully it will last twice as long as a tank model (20 yrs vs. 10 years) and will save on the purchase/installation after the first 10 years.

Savings: It's very difficult to compare energy usage between the tank/tankless models. I couldn't find any useful charts, etc to make a reasoned comparison. Perhaps if I was an engineer of some sort. I did have to replace my 12 yr old tank model, and liked the idea of not having to turn it down when I went away, etc. Also, the longevity of the unit is attractive, as well as the hydro (125HX) pilot is cool.

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Product Description:
The Bosch 125FX-NG AquaStar natural gas tankless water heater is fueled by natural gas and heats water on demand, cutting water-heating costs by up to 50 percent while providing 4.3 gallons of hot water per minute. Its gas valve and burners turn off when there's no demand for hot water, and the modulating gas valve lets you control temperature. The unit's automatic electronic ignition provides heat quickly, and its stainless steel burners and a solid copper heat exchanger ensure long life. You can easily mount this water heater with the included wall hooks and vent it horizontally through a wall using the vent terminator. The water heater features safety thermocouple and overheat shutoff protection. The heater measures 29-3/4-by-18-1/4-by-8-3/4 inches and weighs 44 pounds. Bosch backs its heater with a 12-year heat exchanger warranty and 2-year parts warranty.

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