21 Mar 3 Reasons a Tankless Water Heater Might Not Be For You
Water Heater Service | Always Affordable Plumbing
Are You Looking for a New Hot Water Heater? Tankless Might Not Be Right for You
Tankless water heaters are all the rage these days. Well, at least in the plumbing world. They are highly efficient, reliable, and compact. However, for all the great benefits of a tankless heater, they may not be right for every house. Here are 3 reasons why a tankless heater might not work for you.
You Use a Lot of Water at Once
One of the best features of the tankless water heater is “hot water on demand”. Meaning, there is not a tankful of hot water that you can run through and run out of. Instead, water runs through the heating element, as you need it. However, while this mean you won’t run out of hot water, there is a caveat. If you run a lot of hot water items at the same time, it is possible that your tankless heater won’t be able to provide enough FLOW of water to keep up with the demand. For example, in a busy household, you might be in one shower, someone else in the other shower, someone doing the dishes, and the washing machine is running. Well, in this case, the tankless heater just might not be able to keep up. Alternatively, until your traditional tank style heater runs out of hot water, it would be able to keep up with that demand. It would just run out of hot water quickly.
You Don’t Have a Gas Hook Up
This is not always an issue, but is one we see fairly commonly in the Sacramento area. Many older homes out here only have electric. They don’t have a gas hook up. While a tankless water heater comes in gas or electric models, the issue we sometimes come across is that the house does not have an electric panel capable enough to safely accommodate the power needs of a tankless heater. In other words, some older homes would need an upgrade to their electric panel in order to safely install an electric tankless water heater. This is especially true in larger, older homes or homes with a lot of people which may require a stronger tankless to keep up with flow demand. This can be a significant expense on top of the cost of the tankless system. At Always Affordable Plumbing, you can rest assured that our technicians would never recommend equipment that would not be safe.
Larger Upfront Cost
A tankless water heater provides real savings over time; however, they can come with a higher upfront cost. Not only is the actual unit itself more expensive, but installation will cost more than if you are just replacing your traditional tank with another tank. Of course, every situation is different, which is why it is important to get a professional estimate from Always Affordable Plumbing first. Even though a tankless system takes up less space than a traditional tank heater, not every home has the wall space readily available for a tankless system. Additionally, some homes may require some additional plumbing to connect a tankless system. All of these things make it more expensive to upgrade to a tankless system. While there will be savings over the life of the new tankless system, you may not fully realize those savings if you don’t plan to stay in the house for 10+ years.
Do You Need Water Heater Service?
If you have plumbing questions, Always Affordable Plumbing has the answers! If you are having trouble with your hot water, we can help. We are always just a phone call away, happy to go over all of your options and help you find the best solution for your problem. Whether you need a new hot water heater, your drains cleared, or a leak fixed, Always Affordable Plumbing is here for you.
LEARN ABOUT TANKLESS HOT WATER HEATERS HERE
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Find out more about Always Affordable Plumbing (Lic. #1003782) by calling:
SACRAMENTO VALLEY: (916) 970-0188
SOLANO COUNTY: (707) 410-3182
Water Heater Service | Always Affordable Plumbing