Quoted:
So, if you had a system like this, and had gas and electricity to your water heater, then the water heater would work normally and you could take gen-yu-wine hot showers, no?
I care about this because I'm on a well. No power=no water. But I never lose gas to the water heater. And water heater controls take VERY little electricity. Seems like this would allow me to have full home water, including hot water, during a power outage. Am I right?
Another reason I care––I was in the Loma Prieta quake of '88. No power for 3 days. And a LOT of repair work during those 3 days. Running water and a hot shower would have made things SO much nicer.
The controls for your gas heater should take no electricity from the grid, usually the controls are powered by thermoelectric devices within the water heater itself.
As to being on a well, you may want to consider a holding tank as a moderate $$ solution. We have a 500 gallon reserve tank that feeds the pressure pump for the house. That coupled up with a small generator to power the pressure tank, you have hot water with the least amount of muss and fuss.
Harbor Freight and Northern Tool (on-line stores) both carry small pressure tanks that would work well on a limited budget.
c0
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