All You Need to Know About Tankless Water Heaters
Every home needs a hot water supply for showers, laundering, dishwashing, and other day-to-day activities. If you are tired of waiting for hot water or annoyed due to its limited supply, especially in the larger households, consider upgrading the existing tank water heater to a new, more efficient, and on-demand tankless water heater. Also known as instantaneous or in-line water heaters, they are becoming increasingly popular due to their compact size and ease of use.
Here is all the information needed about the tankless water heaters to decide if it is perfect for meeting your needs.
What is a tankless water heater?
A tankless water heater ensures an immediate and steady supply of hot water only when activated or demanded. It doesn't have a tank to store the heated water that helps cut the standby energy loss. Most of these units are designed to offer 2 to 5 gallons of hot water per minute. You can find two variants of tankless water heaters in the market: whole-house and point-of-use (POU) water heaters. A whole-house heater is a single unit meant to serve all the hot water outlets in the house and usually runs on gas or propane. Point-of-use water heaters are smaller in size and supply hot water to a maximum of one or two outlets. Many homeowners prefer to install several point-of-use units as they are compact and have a no or very little lag time. Most of the POU's available in the market uses electricity. You can also use both types of heaters in the house, depending on the need and water habits.
How does it operate?
Tankless water heaters either use natural gas or electric-powered heating elements to heat water. When the user turns on the hot water tap to let the cold water run through a pipe into the system, the heat exchanger (gas or electric coils) gets activated and heats the passing water depending on the temperature already pre-set by the user. Gas tankless water heaters have a higher flow rate but are expensive and need maintenance. Electric tankless water heaters are affordable, easy to install, and have high thermal efficiency but low flow rate and may require high power to operate.
Pros and cons
Pros of tankless water heater system:
More energy-efficient
Longer lifespan
Needs less space due to their compact size
Unlimited hot water supply
Environmentally-friendly
You can get a federal tax rebate for installing a tankless water heater
Saves money
No issue of leaks and water damage
Easy installation
Easily replaceable parts
Cons of tankless water heater
High initial cost
Not enough hot water supply when multiple fixtures are used simultaneously
Electric variants consume high energy
Old homes may require an electric upgrade
Tankless water heater lifespan and maintenance
A tankless water heater can easily last for more than 20 years when properly installed and maintained. A plumber can help with routine maintenance, especially in hard water areas where mineral and scale build-up can clog the heat exchanger.
Hire a professional plumber for a tankless water heater installation. He can also help in choosing the right-sized heater based on household needs.
No Worries Rooter of Gilbert offers residential and commercial drain cleaning, leak detection and repair. We recommend Bio-Green drain care for customers who have slow drains caused by buildup in their pipes. Call us at (480) 405-4497.
