When it's time to replace your hot water heater, upgrading to a tankless water heater is worth a second look. Tankless water heaters are energy efficient, helping thousands of homeowners reduce power costs. Here's how they work:
Hot Water On Demand
Tankless Water Heaters are sometimes called "on demand" water heaters because they heat water to desired temperatures only when it's needed. Tankless systems use a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of your water when you need it.
What's the Difference?
You probably already know how a standard tank water heater works. A heating element in the bottom of the hot water tank keeps a ready supply of water heated and ready when you need it. Standby heat loss is the term used to describe the energy being used to keep this supply of water at a constant temperature, so it's ready when you need it.
Tankless hot water heaters are more efficient because they heat water as it's needed, avoiding the wasteful standby heat loss of traditional tank water heaters. Tankless water heaters are sometimes called "on demand" for the same reason.
Choose the Best Size for Your Needs
Tankless water heaters give homeowners the option of point-of-use or whole house water heaters.
- Point-of-use tankless water heaters are smaller and are a good option because they can fit under the kitchen sink or in a closet. These smaller water heaters can generally serve one or two outlets at the same time.
- Whole house tankless water heaters are larger and can provide hot water for the entire home. One consideration is the amount of lag time typical with whole house units. If this is a concern for you, point-of-use water heaters may be the better option.
The Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters
Aside from energy savings, tankless water heaters offer numerous other benefits. They don't run out of hot water, and they take up a lot less room than traditional tank water heaters. They can also last about 5 to 10 years longer, and can save homeowners about 20% on water heating bills.
If a new water heater is in your future, consider the benefits of going tankless. Contact us at Plumbing Solutions of Idaho today for more information!