Tankless Water Heaters

I was showing a city home the other day and noticed a tankless water heater in the basement, something I have been seeing more of as of late.

Let’s take a look at this more efficient (and expensive) option to the standard water heater

Demand (tankless or instantaneous) water heaters provide hot water only as it is needed. They don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters, which can save you money.

How They Work

Demand water heaters heat water directly without a tank for storage, avoiding any heat loss while the water is “standing by” as with standard storage water heaters. When you turn on the hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels directly through the water heater while being heated instead traveling through a storage tank. of pipe into the unit. Demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water although the output limits the flow rate.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, demand water heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2–5 gallons (7.6–15.2 liters) per minute. Not a small amount for a small household but a larger home or one that would use hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses would run out of hot water. For these situation, two or more demand water heaters are recommended. You could also install separate demand water heaters for appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwater—that use a lot of hot water.

For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%–14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water—around 86 gallons per day. You can achieve even greater energy savings of 27%–50% if you install a demand water heater at each hot water outlet – U.S. Department of Energy

Which Model is Right for You

With most things that are more efficient, they costs more however, you may find that a demand water heater may have lower operating and energy costs which could offset its higher purchase price.

In analyzing whether of not a demand water heater is right for you, you should take into consideration the following:

• Size
• Fuel type and availability.
• Energy efficiency (energy factor)
• Estimate costs.

Most tankless water heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years. They also have easily replaceable parts that extend their life by many more years. In contrast, storage water heaters last 10–15 years.