20 Jan 3 Great Things About Tankless Water Heaters (and 1 Bad Thing)
Tankless Water Heater Installation | Always Affordable Plumbing Sacramento
Should You Install a Tankless Water Heater? That Depends…Here Are Some Things to Know About Tankless Water Heaters
Hot water is a major convenience of modern plumbing. However, it is also one of our major expenses. The combination of using both heat energy and water makes the hot water heater a serious drain on resources and wallet. Fortunately, technology is helping us save energy and money when it comes to heating our water. Tankless style water heaters are a popular upgrade for many households. If you have been wondering if a tankless style water heater is right for you, here are 3 of the best things about them. We also throw in 1 of the worst things about them just to make sure you are well informed (or confused)!
Tankless Water Heater: They Save You Money
A tankless style water heater will save you money in the long run. This is simply because they are far more energy efficient than a traditional tank style heater. According to the US Department of Energy, a tankless water heater is between 8%-50% more energy efficient than a tank heater. That type of energy savings ends up saving you money.
On a rough average, that is somewhere around $110 per year. Saving around $10 a month may not seem like a lot, but that adds up over time. Tankless heaters are going to be more efficient if your water use is less than about 40 gallons a day. If you require a lot of water, like more than 80 gallons a day, they will be a little less efficient overall. However, even then, they are still about 10% more efficient than a traditional tank style heater.
Tankless: You Won’t Run Out of Hot Water
Another great feature of tankless water heaters is that they provide hot water on-demand. This is a HUGE advantage, especially for multi-people households, as there are few things more frustrating than running out of hot water mid shower! A tankless system is able to provide constant hot water simply because it heats the water as needed, from a constant water supply.
This is different than a traditional tank system. A tank water heater is constantly trying to keep a fixed supply of water hot. For example, a 50 gallon tank water heater is constantly trying to keep that 50 gallons of water hot and ready to use. This is usually fine, until your demand for hot water exceeds the amount that is available. If your demand is greater than your supply, then you will have to wait for the water heater to refill and reheat cold water. Incidentally, this is also the reason that tank water heaters are so inefficient when compared to tankless style heaters. Having to constantly heat water wastes energy, especially when you don’t need it.
For example, your tank hot water heater does not know when you are on vacation, or away at work. It is always heating that water so it is ready when you need it. Alternatively, a tankless water heater only heats water when it is needed. When you turn on the hot water on your faucet, fresh water flows through the tankless heater and is rapidly heated to your set temperature. This only takes a couple of seconds, plus the time it takes for the hot water to flow through your pipes to the faucet outlet. You won’t run out of hot water with a tankless heater because it has a constant source of water, as opposed to a limited storage supply like in a tank heater.
Tankless Heaters Last Twice As Long, Take Up Half the Room, and Require Zero Maintenance
OK this one is a few “pro’s” in one. Tankless water heaters have several design advantages over tank style heaters which serve as great benefit. For example, the average life of a traditional tank water heater is somewhere between 8-12 years. Compare that to an expected 20 year life for a tankless water heater!
Additionally, a tankless style water heater takes up much less space than a tank style. Tankless water heaters are typically installed on the wall. On average a tankless system is about 2′ x 1.5′, and only about 10″ deep. That gets it up and out of the way.
Most of us are familiar with the size of traditional tank heaters. On average they are somewhere around 5′ high cylinders with about a 20″ diameter. Commonly placed in the corner of the garage, or in a designated laundry room, the bottom line is that a tank style heater takes up a significant amount of space.
Finally, the tankless style water heater requires next to zero maintenance. Alternatively, most people don’t even realize that they should be doing annual tank draining maintenance on a traditional hot water system. Additionally, because a tank heater is constantly holding standing water, you have to worry about corrosion and water damage to the equipment. This is another reason that annual water heater maintenance is so important. It allows you to inspect the equipment for damage, corrosion, or leaks.
One Downside of Tankless Water Heaters
Perhaps the largest downside of a tankless water heater system is the upfront cost. This includes cost of the unit as well as the installation. Depending on the situation, a tankless unit can cost almost double the cost of a tank system. Here are some general cost estimates from HomeAdvisor: 
Yes, the upfront cost is a significant factor. However, a tankless water heater is actually a good investment if you intend on being in your home for a long time. As described earlier, the benefits of a tankless system can actually offset the upfront cost over the life of the equipment. When you factor in the energy savings over time (approximately $2,000 over the 20 year life), as well as the fact that you would likely need to replace a traditional tank heater TWO times over the life of one tankless system, it becomes clear where the cost savings are.
Additionally, your local water or energy utility company may provide rebates and incentives for switching to a high efficiency, tankless system. This can help offset your upfront costs.
Affordable Tankless Water Heater Installation
Our goal is always to help keep plumbing service affordable and honest for our community. Our service team is happy to go over all of your options when it comes to hot water heaters. In fact, your tank heater may only need a maintenance service and not actually need replacement! However, we are experts at tankless water heater installation too. Additionally, we can help you with drain cleaning service, leak detection, hydro jetting, hot water heater installations, water filter installation, and more.
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Service, quality, and affordability for our customers always comes first. Call today to schedule your appointment!
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Tankless Water Heater Installation | Always Affordable Plumbing Sacramento