1. Posted: Feb 24 2007

   February 5, 2007, -10°F (check the records), took a long hot shower. I installed this heater in September 2006 with some anxiety about how it would handle the cold days -- some of my research had some reviews stating that the water never sufficiently warmed up when the inlet water turned colder. Our shower has a normal shower head and two "body sprays". Essentially two showers going at the same time. The temperature has been very comfortably warm no matter what the outside temperature is. We try to take one shower at a time since the water pressure in the house decreases so much when two showers are taken at the same time. But on a couple of occasions, we have accidentally taken showers at the same time. Even though the unit is rated as a "single use" unit, we still had plenty of hot water -- but at low pressure! Positives: Never run out of hot water. Consistent hot water temperature -- doesn't get colder and colder as you use up the hot water. I hated constantly adjusting the faucet in the shower to keep the same temperature. More floor space in the basement. All copper construction -- warranty for 15 years but should last as long as our copper piping in the house. No fear of how long the sacrificial anode will last in the tank type water heater. Cocktail party discussion factor -- people interested in how it works and how it is working. Negatives: Had to run larger gas supply pipe -- old heater was ½", specs call for ¾". Minimum flow to get hot water. With a regular tank type water heater, you can turn the sink on full until the water gets hot and then turn it down to a trickle for rinsing plates, shaving, or washing hands. Not with this one! Keep the sink hot water faucet on fully open to keep the hot water flowing. If you turn it down to a trickle, you will eventually get unheated water out of the hot water faucet. Manufacturer recommends stainless steel ductwork. Boy is this stuff expensive! It cost me almost $300 for about 8 feet with hood and elbows. The manufacturer states that you can use galvanized, but you have to seal it carefully and states that corrosion might eventually eat it away. We intend to stay in our house and opted for the more expensive ductwork in hopes that we don't have to touch the hot water system for 20 or 30 years. Bottom line -- as stated above, we don't intend to move. But if we had to buy a new house I would definitely spend the money to have a tankless installed and would choose the Bosch 125 FX again. If you are building a new house, it would be a no-brainer to have one of these installed since you could have the builder credit the cost of the tank type water heater which would be installed anyway.

2. ( 4 of 4 found this review helpful ) Posted: Feb 24 2007

   February 5, 2007, -10??F (check the records), took a long hot shower. I installed this heater in September 2006 with some anxiety about how it would handle the cold days -- some of my research had some reviews stating that the water never sufficiently warmed up when the inlet water turned colder. Our shower has a normal shower head and two "body sprays". Essentially two showers going at the same time. The temperature has been very comfortably warm no matter what the outside temperature is. We try to take one shower at a time since the water pressure in the house decreases so much when two showers are taken at the same time. But on a couple of occasions, we have accidentally taken showers at the same time. Even though the unit is rated as a "single use" unit, we still had plenty of hot water -- but at low pressure! Positives: Never run out of hot water. Consistent hot water temperature -- doesn't get colder and colder as you use up the hot water. I hated constantly adjusting the faucet in the shower to keep the same temperature. More floor space in the basement. All copper construction -- warranty for 15 years but should last as long as our copper piping in the house. No fear of how long the sacrificial anode will last in the tank type water heater. Cocktail party discussion factor -- people interested in how it works and how it is working. Negatives: Had to run larger gas supply pipe -- old heater was ??", specs call for ??". Minimum flow to get hot water. With a regular tank type water heater, you can turn the sink on full until the water gets hot and then turn it down to a trickle for rinsing plates, shaving, or washing hands. Not with this one! Keep the sink hot water faucet on fully open to keep the hot water flowing. If you turn it down to a trickle, you will eventually get unheated water out of the hot water faucet. Manufacturer recommends stainless steel ductwork. Boy is this stuff expensive! It cost me almost $300 for about 8 feet with hood and elbows. The manufacturer states that you can use galvanized, but you have to seal it carefully and states that corrosion might eventually eat it away. We intend to stay in our house and opted for the more expensive ductwork in hopes that we don't have to touch the hot water system for 20 or 30 years. Bottom line -- as stated above, we don't intend to move. But if we had to buy a new house I would definitely spend the money to have a tankless installed and would choose the Bosch 125 FX again. If you are building a new house, it would be a no-brainer to have one of these installed since you could have the builder credit the cost of the tank type water heater which would be installed anyway.

3. ( 18 of 18 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 27 2006

   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. "Water Valve (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.

See all reviews...