What are tankless water heaters, and how do they differ from traditional one? Tankless water heaters may not have been around as long as conventional water heaters, but they’re quickly gaining popularity. Keep reading to learn the differences between these two appliances and find out which water heater is best for you.
Tankless vs Conventional Water Heaters
The Main Difference: The Tank
Conventional water heaters have a large tank that typically holds between 50 and 80 gallons of water. The water heater has heating elements below the tank, which periodically turn on to maintain a set temperature. Then, when you need water, the water heater sends the stored hot water to wherever it’s needed in your home. The tank is then refilled with cold water, and the heating elements restore the desired temperature within the tank. The key difference between these 2 types of hot water heaters is right in the name; a tankless water heater is, well, tankless.
Tankless water heaters work a little bit differently. They don’t store any water but instead heat it on demand. When you turn on a hot water faucet, the tankless water heater pulls water through a wall-mounted device. The water is rapidly heated and immediately sent onto whatever faucet you’ve turned on. The heating of the water happens almost instantaneously, so you still don’t have to worry about any kind of delay in getting the hot water you need; it will get to your faucets just as quickly as it would with a traditional hot water heater.
How Do Their Prices Compare?
If you’re looking at the price tags on these two different types of water heaters, a tankless model is going to cost you more upfront. However, it’s a good idea to look beyond the immediate cost of your water heater and consider how their prices compare over the long term.
One thing to think about is how long the water heater is going to last. A traditional water heater with a tank is expected to work for about ten years. Generally speaking, the tank is what will fail at the end of a traditional water heater’s lifespan, as it can rust and crack. A tankless water heater doesn’t have this component in its design so it can last much longer. In fact, a tankless water heater can last up to 20 years—twice as long as a conventional model. This means that you’ll likely need to purchase two conventional water heaters in the same amount of time that you would have one tankless water heater. Typically, a tankless water heater isn’t double the cost of a tanked model, so even when considering lifespan alone, a tankless model is cheaper for the amount of service you get from it.
Which Is More Energy Efficient?
Of course, it’s also a good idea to consider how energy efficient your water heater is. Efficiency is always improving for home appliances, and water heaters are no exception. Even if you replaced your current water heater with a new conventional model, you would still decrease your energy consumption every month. However, suppose you’re really looking to reduce the power bill. In that case, a tankless model is going to do a lot more for you than even the most energy-efficient conventional water heater around.
If you’re interested in making your household a little greener, a tankless water heater is a way to go. This is largely because tankless water heaters are not constantly working to maintain the temperature of unused water. Even when you’re gone on vacation, your water heater is constantly heating the water it stores for eventual use, and that’s simply not an efficient use of energy. A tankless water heater only heats up water when it’s actually needed, saving a significant amount of power. In fact, tankless water heaters can use up to 30% less electricity than conventional electric water heaters.
Of course, suppose you currently have a gas water heater. In that case, you’ll need to consider the issue more, especially if you’re only interested in reducing your utility bills every month. Natural gas tends to be a bit cheaper than electricity, so your savings may not be as high as they would be if you were switching from a conventional electric water heater. However, you’ll likely save money on your utility bills in the long run.
Which Will Give Me More Hot Water?
If running out of hot water is a major concern for you, then a tankless water heater is exactly the upgrade you need. Even with a conventional water heater that’s appropriately sized for your home, there’s always the chance that you’ll end up with a cold shower if a lot of hot water has been used during the day. This is because traditional water heaters take some time to heat up the water stored inside them. If all of the stored hot water is used—for baths, showers, washing dishes, washing clothes, and so on—more hot water won’t be available until the water heater is refilled and it’s had the time to restore the tank’s temperature.
With tankless water heaters, you don’t have that problem. You get the hot water you need instantly, heated to the desired temperature in the moment that you want it. This means you don’t have to worry about a tank emptying out or waiting for the hot water to get back up to temperature. However, tankless water heaters do sometimes struggle to provide a large amount of hot water simultaneously. For example, if multiple people are trying to shower in your home while the dishwasher is running, you might experience low hot water pressure. Aside this, however, a tankless water heater will eliminate your concerns about your hot water supply.
Which Is Best?
Ultimately, tankless hot water heaters outshine traditional models in virtually every category. According to the best Stockton plumbing company, as long as the upfront cost doesn’t put it out of your reach, switching to a tankless model is a smart investment to make in your home.
