Tankless Water Heater: Is One Right for Your Home?
A tankless water heater, also known as an on-demand water heater, is an efficient appliance that heats water only when you need it. Rather than storing hot water in a bulky reservoir, the unit heats water instantaneously to the optimal warmth and delivers it directly to your faucet. This advanced water heating method delivers many benefits, but make sure it’s practical for your home before switching to a tankless system.
How Do Tankless Water Heaters Work?
As soon as you use a hot water tap, a sensor in the tankless unit senses the flow of water. This activates either a gas burner or an electric heating element, depending on your fuel source, which quickly warms the water as it passes through. When you turn off the tap, the system shuts down and stops heating, which avoids standby energy loss.
Perks of Tankless Water Heaters
More homeowners in Springfield are adopting tankless water heaters to benefit from these fantastic perks:
Endless hot water: Imagine your family taking numerous back-to-back showers without the last person in line getting stuck with not enough hot water. That’s the best part of a tankless unit, which delivers virtually unlimited hot water as it flows rather than requiring 30 to 60 minutes to reheat a tank of water.
- Energy efficiency: Tankless water heaters are up to 34% more energy efficient than tank-style water heating units. The lesser amount of hot water you use, the bigger your energy savings. After all, you only pay for the hot water you actually need, not the standby energy loss from heating a huge tank of water 24/7.
- Long lifespan: If you expect to stay in your home for the long haul, a tankless water heater is a wise investment. These units last more than 20 years, almost twice as long as traditional tank heaters—which have a projected lifespan of 10 to 15 years.
- Compact design: You may be accustomed to your large, cylindrical water heater tank, but this isn’t how it has to be. Most tankless systems are about as big as a carry-on suitcase mounted to the wall. This saves space because you can install tankless water heaters in compact areas like closets or small utility rooms.
- Lower risk of water damage: Since tankless water heaters lack a tank, there’s no danger of a burst unit damaging your home.
Is Installing a a Tankless Water Heater Right for Your Home?
Tankless water heaters are efficient, budget-friendly technology, but they may not be suitable for every home. Think about these factors before upgrading:
- Higher initial costs: Tankless systems require a higher upfront investment than traditional models. But, HVAC tax credits and rebates for eco-friendly appliances help reduce these costs.
- Fuel sources and venting requirements: Tankless water heaters are offered in electric and gas models. Gas units have a higher performance capacity but need venting to safely safely remove exhaust gases. If your home doesn’t already have a vent, installing one will raise the installation cost. Electric models are simpler to install but are constrained by their less powerful performance. They also can’t receive energy-efficiency tax credits.
- Temperature rise requirements: Tankless systems warm water as it flows through, which is a significant temperature boost. The colder the incoming water, the more efficient the heater must be and the more energy it will consume. For instance, if the groundwater temperature is 40 degrees F in a northern state, and you need 110-degree water to flow from the tap, your system must manage a 70-degree rise. While possible, this is the upper limit of most gas-fired tankless units.
- Limited flow rate: Since tankless heaters don’t store water, they can only provide a limited amount of hot water at any given time. The unit’s flow rate tells you how much hot water you can use simultaneously, a crucial factor to consider if you have a houseful of people trying to shower while the dishwasher and washing machine are running! One way to prevent a drop in hot water is to install multiple point-of-use models in high-demand locations. But, this increases setup and operating costs.
- The cold-water sandwich: Tankless water heaters produce a “cold-water sandwich,” a short surge of cold water when the unit turns off and on again. It also happens if you only run a tiny amount of hot water, which is not enough to keep the tankless unit running. While merely a slight inconvenience, it’s worth understanding before making the switch.
