How many times a day do you think you use hot water? For most people, 30% of their energy use in their home is dedicated to providing hot water. Laundry, dishes, showers, washing our hands, these daily rituals, especially for families, can mean using hot water almost constantly throughout the day. Tankless water heaters’ claim to fame is that they create a huge energy savings every year. Couple this with the eco-friendly aspects and you see many homes junking their old tank storage water heater for a new, sleek tankless version.
What is the difference between storage and tankless water heaters?
The main difference in a water heater with a tank and one without is the method for heating the water. Traditionally storage water heaters look like large round metal tanks that use a gas or electric method for filling the tank with water and then keeping the water hot, even when not in use. Typically, a water heater like this will have enough water in it to provide a few showers and maybe dish load or laundry cycle.
Tankless water heaters only heat the water that you are currently using. This new design is popular in European and some Asian countries and works by heating the water as it passes through the pipes to its destination. For many people, the obvious and best solution for water heating would be through a tankless heater because the boiler is not constantly working to heat water that is not in use, and may not be for many hours, such as overnight.
Tankless heaters faced many challenges in the market when they first came about overseas because they did not have the capability of heating water in every room of the house if need be because of the way water flow and the heat source worked to heat the water. Today’s technology has vastly improved this system and in America many households are seeing the capability of taking multiple showers simultaneously as well as household chores such as dishes and laundry.
Some homes with large families may need two units to operate effectively, but this also limits the outrage you have when you are the last one in the shower and run out of hot water two minutes in! With a traditionally water heater, when the tank runs out of water it will take several hours before hot water will be available again, whereas with the tankless models, the water is heated as soon as the water consumption overall goes down.
Go green with tankless
Tankless water heaters are considered to be eco-friendly because they cut the carbon emissions out of the process and use much less energy than the standard tank heaters. On average, households with gas powered tankless heaters have saved over $100 per year off their energy bills. Water heaters that utilize the tank storage method are only about 60% efficient, while an electric tankless water heater is 99% efficient and the gas version 83% efficient.
Although the electric tankless models are more efficient, these units do not qualify for Energy star rebates and grants that homeowners can get for using energy efficient appliances in their home. Gas tankless heaters are also qualified for a $300 federal tax rebate while their electric counterparts are not. Many state offer special rebates and grants for procuring energy efficient appliances also.
More reasons to switch
The problem of adequate space is also solved by tankless heaters. These water heaters are small and compact and can be installed on the wall of a basement, under the stairs or in a closet. They are easily out of sight and out of mind, taking up far less space than a big, bulky tank that will rust and end up in a landfill eventually.
When comparing tankless companies to those that install traditional heaters, warranties seem to be much better and last quite a while longer than the latter. The average length of warranty, or service contract with a company that offers tank storage water heaters is six years. Tankless companies offer an average of 15-20 years of warranty coverage with scheduled maintenance. This means that a tankless water heater will last three times longer than a standard water heater, saving even more money than just what shows on your energy bills!
Tankless heaters also last for roughly 20 years, the same length as the warranty in many cases. Tank heaters last around ten years which makes it that the warranty is not applicable to the last half of the heater’s life. When comparing tankless vs traditional, even on this alone, it makes much more sense that the investment in going tankless is well worth it.
Is your home ready for tankless?
Although switching to a tankless system may be the logical choice for your family, you have to ask yourself if your home is physically ready for it. Tankless heaters need a specific wattage and voltage to run properly and, many times—especially in older homes, the house may need rewired by an electrician to be able to handle this type of system.
A gas powered tankless heater will need to be vented. These cannot normally share a common ventilation system with other appliances such as the stove or dryer so a separate steel ventilation system will need to be installed, or ready to accommodate, a tankless system.
Tankless heaters space savings is phenomenal and makes it easy to install one within 50 feet of the power source. Make sure before investing that this will make sense in your home and be possible without having to create another power source.
Hard water will also clog up the lines of a tankless heater, much like lime deposits in hard water will coat the inside of a tank heater. If you live in an area with hard water, you should consider getting a water softening system before you install a tankless heater. Part of the maintenance on a tankless heater also involves needing to unclog the lines with product typically offered from the manufacturer.
As soon as you know your home is ready for a tankless heater, the switch is easy and cost effective!
