[mike31154]

Tankless hot water systems have come a long way in the last few years. Yes, there are drawbacks including high initial cost, but if going green is the goal..... My hot water tank is having some issues and I'm certain that when the time comes, I'll be going tankless. My parents installed one last year and are quite happy with it. Their gas usage has dropped noticeably.

Newer tankless HW systems have the option of installing controls with digital readouts for each location, kitchen, bath etc., allowing you to precisely control the water temperature delivered, not just a knob with "Hot, Warm, Vacation" as on conventional HW tanks. No pilot light to worry about either, electronic ignition. You can also prioritize which location gets the hot water when multiple taps are used. The biggest thing you need to do is figure out how much flow you're likely to use for your family and ensure you buy a large enough unit so the person taking a shower doesn't get a surprise when you run the hot water in the kitchen... Starting to sound a lot like the issues we have with our fish tanks, no??