For homeowners weighing options after a 9-year-old tank started leaking, a heat pump water heater is another replacement option, though users in a Reddit plumbing forum said hot-water wait times with tankless systems often depend as much on the home's piping as on the unit itself.

Here's what to know

The question in a thread on Reddit was really about slow hot-water delivery to faraway bathrooms — "water takes a while to get hot in bathrooms that are far away," the OP said. They raised the issue after a 9-year-old 50-gallon heater began leaking and asked whether any tankless models include built-in recirculation.

Users generally said those options exist, and the two brands mentioned repeatedly were Navien and Rinnai. One user said, "The only two we install are Navien and Rinnai. I usually install Rinnai," while another added, "I too recommend Rinnai."

The discussion shifted from brands to plumbing layout. One user said many Navien tankless heaters have built-in recirculation pumps and that the company also offers "a small check valve system that uses the existing plumbing as a return." They added: "Not quite as good as a true hard-piped recirculating line, but it's better than nothing."

More background

Not everyone in the thread thought moving away from a standard tank was the right call. One user advised the homeowner to "Stay with simple tank," saying tankless units need annual maintenance and can be costly to repair because of their added electronics and moving parts.

Other users pushed back on that view. One said, "Tankless will out last and out perform any tank on the market," and also said conventional tank heaters should still be drained every year.

Beyond brand choices, users also brought up installation requirements. One said homeowners should be looking at gas tankless rather than electric, since electric models may require an electrical-service upgrade, while another warned that the "biggest thing to consider is if your gas line/meter can handle a tankless."

In both tankless formats, because the system isn't keeping a tank of water hot in a stable way, tankless is more efficient overall but also requires bigger surges of either gas or electricity to keep up with the demand when in use. 

For homeowners who prefer to stay with a tank, users also suggested replacement brands and buying channels. One user recommended tank-style units from AO Smith or Bradford White and said to buy through a plumbing supply house instead of a big-box store. 

Another option is newer heat pump water heaters, as they gain efficiency over both tank and tankless units by moving heat from the surrounding air into the tank. That's something that can also have cooling and dehumidification benefits for the surrounding area, with regular electrical resistance heating used as needed.

What can be done?

When the core problem is a bathroom that sits far from the water heater, it may be worth asking an installer whether the house already has a dedicated return line, whether a crossover valve arrangement could work, or whether an under-sink recirculation add-on would be a better fit.

The users described several ways to tackle that. One said they installed a pump under a sink in the master bath and that it "works really well for our tankless setup," while others pointed to Rinnai recirculation models that include a crossover tee and to Navien's workaround that uses existing plumbing.

For homeowners replacing a failed tank and looking beyond tankless, Cala offers smart heat pump water heaters. Cala's customizable smart heat pump water heaters can help homeowners lower energy bills by heating water exactly when they need it. That gives shoppers another path if lower utility bills matter as much as hot-water delivery time.

Professional installation was another recurring theme in the thread, especially because gas sizing, return-path decisions, and maintenance expectations can shape owner satisfaction. Homeowners comparing replacement options may find that Cala is worth considering alongside a standard tank or a recirculating tankless setup.

Where can I learn more?

Homeowners dealing with a failing water heater often end up weighing the same tank-versus-tankless questions raised in the Reddit thread. These articles cover another leaking gas tank, tankless performance trade-offs, and the costs, benefits, and energy savings homeowners weigh before switching.

• A homeowner with a corroded 10-year-old gas water heater weighed whether tankless was worth it.

• One homeowner found showers go weak after going tankless when toilets flush nearby.

• Homeowners comparing systems still face pros and cons before replacing a standard tank.

• HGTV's Fixer to Fabulous spotlighted shave hundreds off energy bills by swapping in tankless.

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