Tankless Water Heater: Is One Right for Your Home?
A tankless water heater, commonly referred to as an on-demand water heater, is an efficient appliance that warms water only when you need it. Instead of storing hot water in a bulky reservoir, the unit warms water to the desired heat level and delivers it directly to your faucet. This advanced water heating method offers many benefits, but make sure it’s feasible for your home before switching to a tankless system.
How Does a Tankless Water Heating System Work?
As soon as you turn on a hot water tap, a sensor in the tankless unit senses the flow of water. This triggers either a gas burner or an electric heating element, based on your fuel source, which rapidly heats the water as it passes through. Once you turn off the tap, the system shuts down and stops heating, which prevents standby energy loss.
Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters
More homeowners in White Plains are adopting tankless water heaters to benefit from these impressive perks:
Endless hot water: Picture your family taking several back-to-back showers without the last person in line getting stuck with not enough hot water. That’s the advantage of a tankless unit, which supplies virtually unlimited hot water as it flows rather than requiring 30 to 60 minutes to replenish a tank of water.
- Energy efficiency: Tankless water heaters are up to 34% more energy efficient than traditional tank water heaters. The lesser amount of hot water you use, the more you save. After all, you only have to heat the hot water you actually need, not the standby energy loss from heating a huge tank of water 24/7.
- Long lifespan: If you intend to stay in your home for the foreseeable future, a tankless water heater is a wise investment. These units last more than 20 years, which is significantly longer than traditional tank heaters—which have an expected lifespan of 10 to 15 years.
- Compact design: You may be familiar with your large, cylindrical water heater tank, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Most tankless systems are about as big as a carry-on suitcase mounted to the wall. This means you can install tankless water heaters in compact areas like closets or small utility rooms.
- Lower risk of water damage: Since tankless water heaters don’t have a tank, there’s no risk of a burst unit flooding your home.
Is Installing a a Tankless Water Heater Right for Your Home?
Tankless water heaters are eco-friendly, economical technology, but they aren’t ideal for every home. Evaluate these factors before making the switch:
- Higher initial costs: Tankless systems have a higher upfront price tag than traditional models. But, HVAC tax credits and rebates for eco-friendly appliances help decrease these costs.
- Fuel sources and venting requirements: Tankless systems are offered in electric and gas models. Gas units have a higher performance capacity but must have venting to safely safely remove exhaust gases. If you don’t already have a vent, adding one will increase the installation cost. Electric models are less complicated to install but are restricted in that they have less powerful performance. They also don’t qualify for energy-efficiency tax credits.
- Temperature rise requirements: Tankless systems warm water as it flows through, which demands a significant temperature boost. The lower the incoming water, the more efficient the heater must be and the more energy it uses. For instance, if the groundwater temperature is 40 degrees F in a northern state, and you need 110-degree water in your sink, your system must manage a 70-degree rise. While possible, this is the peak capability of most gas-fired tankless water heaters.
- Limited flow rate: Since tankless heaters don’t store water, they can only deliver a certain amount of hot water at one time. The unit’s flow rate tells you how much hot water you can use simultaneously, an important factor to consider if you have a houseful of people trying to shower while the dishwasher and washing machine are also being used! One way to prevent a drop in hot water is to implement multiple point-of-use models in high-demand locations. However, this increases installation and operating costs.
- The cold-water sandwich: Tankless water heaters generate a “cold-water sandwich,” a short blast 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 minor annoyance, it’s worth knowing about before making the switch.
