Choosing a tankless water heater over the traditional tank-style models could make a world of difference in your hot water accessibility and energy consumption. Tankless water heaters are a relatively new idea to some homeowners, and you should know about this option when it is time to purchase a new water heating unit. Before upgrading, however, there are some things you should know and understand so that you feel confident in your decision to switch.
What Is a Tankless Water Heater, and How Does It Work?
A tankless water heater uses a heating element to heat water. Rather than holding the hot water inside a large tank, tankless models draw water across the heating element before sending it to your faucet. With the tankless design, you have no holding tank to keep your water sitting in, and water is only heated as needed. Tankless water heaters are becoming increasingly popular for upgrades and new construction, with many reasons leading to this popularity. Read on to learn all the great benefits of swapping out your old tank water heater for a new tankless unit.
Endless Supply of Hot Water
Traditional tank-style water heaters heat the water and then hold it in a reservoir for use at a later time. Once the tank runs empty, you’re stuck waiting for it to refill and give you more hot water. With a tankless water heating unit, you have hot water on demand, thanks to the water heating up while it moves across the heating element right before heading to the tap.
By using a tankless water heater, you will never run out of hot water, no matter how much your household uses. Multiple hot showers, loads of laundry and other household chores will never deplete your hot water supply. With a tank water heater, large amounts of hot water use translates into running out and waiting. With a tankless model, you can continue using hot water without interruption. There is no need to wait for the holding tank to refill, which can translate into greater convenience and time savings for you and your family.
Environmentally-Friendly Operation
Your tankless water heater uses energy only when the water moves across the heating elements to be heated. A tank water heater uses energy nearly constantly to keep the water in the reservoir hot. Tankless water heaters use up to 35% less energy than traditional tank-style units. Making the switch will translate into huge energy savings, helping you do your part for the environment, and you can feel confident in your eco-friendly behavior as a homeowner.
Lower Utility Bills
Less energy spent heating the water in your home translates into a lower utility bill each month. Your tank water heater runs nearly constantly to keep water in the tank hot until you need the hot water for showers, laundry, dishes and other household chores. This tank stays full of water at all times, aside from when you dip into it, to keep up with the hot water demands of your family. Even after the tank is empty from using your capacity in hot water, you’ll still use energy to heat more water and refill the tank. A tank water heater is an endless cycle of energy consumption.
Tankless models offer a much more energy-efficient operation, only running when you need hot water. This energy savings lowers the amount you pay on your utility bills, sometimes in an amount that is very noticeable at the end of the month.
Compact and Versatile Design
Traditional tank water heaters have tanks of varying sizes depending on your needs. You may find one as small as 20-30 gallons in capacity or as large as up to 80 gallons of water capacity. Because of the tank, your water heater takes up a bit of space, even if it is small. Tank water heaters are generally found in a utility closet or basement because of their space requirements.
Tankless water heaters have no holding reservoir and are extremely compact in comparison to tank-style units. A tankless water heater consists only of heating elements and is typically mounted on the wall. Switching from a tank heater to a tankless model frees up precious real estate in your home better used for storage and other needs. Additionally, when you choose a tankless water heater for your new construction home, you have a high degree of versatility in terms of where you can choose to have it installed.
Safer Operation
Although the risk of danger is relatively low, there are some safety issues when operating a tank water heater, especially if your unit runs on natural gas. You could face the risk of fire or explosion, causing extreme damage to your home and belongings and injury or even death for you and your family.
A tankless water heater is much safer to own and operate, with virtually no risk of damage or injury. Switching to a tankless model provides you with better household safety and gives you stronger peace of mind that your appliances and plumbing system won’t cause you and your family harm.
Lower Maintenance Costs
Tank water heaters require maintenance to clear sediment, minerals and other debris from the inside of your tank. Most experts agree this cleaning should be performed at least once a year and as often as every six months, depending on the quality of the water where you live. As water sits inside the holding tank, sediment and mineral buildup can settle in and stay behind. Over time, this nasty stuff may come out through your tap, leaving you with dirty, unsanitary water. To clean your tank, it must be emptied and flushed, getting rid of all sediment and other buildup.
With a tankless water heater, there is no need for cleaning and flushing as the water moves right on through as it is needed. There is no sediment sitting inside your unit and no mineral buildup clogging up your system. The maintenance costs of owning a tankless water heater are virtually zero, much less than the traditional tank-style units.
Make the Switch Today
The decision to switch from your old tank water heater to a new tankless model should be simple after learning about all the benefits that tankless water heaters provide. You’ll never run out of hot water in the middle of a shower again, you’ll cut your energy costs noticeably, and you’ll enjoy safer operation with practically no need for routine maintenance. Once you’re ready to get started with a tankless water heater, you need the experts from Baker & Sons Plumbing. Our highly skilled plumbers can make installation a breeze.
In addition, we offer a long list of plumbing services, including leak detection, toilet repair, sewer and drain repair and maintenance, and garbage disposal installation and repair. We also provide our customers with storm shelters to protect their families when dangerous weather strikes in the Marion area.
Make the switch to an energy-efficient tankless water heater today by calling Baker & Sons Plumbing.
