Whether your old water heater’s on its last legs or you’re remodeling, it’s worth considering the switch to a new, tankless heater. Storage heaters take up lots of space and waste energy by heating water when you don’t need it, but tankless water heaters only heat water when you turn on the faucet or shower, and they’re much smaller.
Tankless Heaters vs. Storage Heaters
Tankless and storage water heaters provide hot water through different methods. As water passes through a tankless heater, a gas burner or electrical element heats it. The hot water then travels through the home’s plumbing system to wherever it’s needed. A storage heater maintains a tank of water at a constant hot temperature, ready to be used in the home. However, when the tank’s empty, it can take some time for the tank to fill up and heat more water.
Buying Costs
Higher setup costs are one of the disadvantages of tankless heaters, which are also called instantaneous or demand heaters. As well as costing more than storage heaters, you also have to pay for installation. However, if you’re replacing your heater anyway, the plumbing costs are unavoidable.
Running costs
A major benefit of tankless water heaters is their cheaper running costs. Unlike storage heaters, tankless heaters only heat the water you use, when you use it. You aren’t paying for water to stand around losing heat. Both gas and electric tankless heaters are generally cheaper to run than storage heaters and more energy efficient.
Lifespan
Tankless heaters generally last up to 20 years, which is five to eight years longer than storage heaters. What’s more, replacing worn parts in tankless heaters is easy and can extend their working lives even further.
Space saving
The tanks of storage heaters take up much more space than tankless water heater units. In fact, you can fit a small tankless heater under a sink.
Output
The water flow or output from tankless heaters could be the decision-clincher for your next water heater purchase. There’s no denying that they don’t provide as much hot water as quickly as storage heaters. An output of five gallons of water at 77 degrees F per minute is the maximum you can expect from a large, gas-fired tankless heater, and electric demand heaters have a lower flow rate. What this means is, if you have a large family or regularly run two appliances at once, like a shower and dishwasher, a tankless heater may not be for you. However, you can get around this problem by having two tankless heaters in different places in your home.
A tankless water heater can be the best choice for many households. Tankless heaters are energy efficient, have a long working life and don’t take up much space. Before you make your choice, however, talk to a professional about your home’s hot water needs.
For answers to your questions, contact the Pink Plumber today.
