Your home’s conventional water heater can be expected to last around 15 years with proper maintenance. For most homeowners, that means there will be a replacement in their future, at least once. That is typically when homeowners will begin to investigate their options and the pros and cons of a tankless water heater. Unfortunately, many decisions are swayed in favor of or against tankless units based on a few common myths out on the Internet. As licensed plumbers, we feel a responsibility to the general public to help sort out these misconceptions.
Do Tankless Water Heaters Really Deliver Instant Hot Water?
Instant hot water is kind of a tagline for tankless water heaters. But the reality is that they do not deliver hot water the moment that you open the faucet. There is still some cold water filling the pipe from the tankless water heater to the water fixture. And that needs to flow out of the tap before you have hot water. What makes a significant difference is the distance from the tankless water heater to the faucet. These compact units can be placed under the sink or in a nearby cabinet. So the amount of cold water you experience is much less than when the hot water is coming from the other side of your home. A more honest tagline would be very fast hot water.
Do You Need Natural Gas To Go Tankless?
Tankless water heaters can use a variety of power sources. There are units configured to operating via natural gas, propane, and electricity. And these more energy-efficient water heaters will save between 8% and 14% on the energy used to create your home’s hot water.
Are Tankless Water Heaters More Costly?
The initial purchase price of a tankless water heater will exceed the cost of a traditional water heater. But there is far more to consider when evaluating the value of these innovative appliances. The average tankless water heater is rated to last about 50% longer than a traditional unit. If you own a home for about 30 years, you will likely purchase three conventional water heaters. If you convert to tankless water heating, you will only need two units. Over the three decades, you will spend about the same amount on the two tankless units that you would invest in three traditional water heaters. So the pricing evens out over the long haul. In addition, you will be saving money on your utility bills when you switch to the tankless style of water heater. So you will recover some of that increased purchase price each month.
Do Tankless Water Heaters Heat Water More Efficiently?
Science tells us that it requires the same energy to heat water, no matter how it is heated. Tankless water heaters do not use some space-aged technology to heat water more energy efficiently. They do eliminate the wasted energy used to keep a large tank of water hot at all times. Imagine all the hours you are asleep, not at home, or simply not using hot water. In most cases, it is about 20 to 22 hours each day. But your water heater is using energy to maintain the temperature of the water in the holding tank. A tankless water heater only makes hot water when there is a demand for it. That is how a tankless water heater saves a tremendous amount of energy.
To learn more about tankless water heaters, call (928) 597-1690. The licensed plumbers at Professional Home Doctors will be happy to provide you with a free, no-obligation price quote for a tankless water heater installation.