What Is a Tankless Water Heater?

So, what exactly is a tankless water heater, and what makes it different from traditional water heater types?
A tankless water heater directly heats water without using a storage tank. When you turn a hot water tap on, the cold water passes through a pipe attached to the unit. The water heater’s heating element then heats the water. The heating element may either be an electric element or a gas burner.
To put it simply, a tankless water heater delivers a constant hot water supply to your home.

In most cases, homeowners do not pay enough attention to their water heater installation. After all, why bother when it’s functioning the way it’s supposed to? When you notice that its energy efficiency is deteriorating or when your unit is about to reach the end of its useful life, that tends to be the only time you pay attention to your water heater. When this happens, maybe it’s time to upgrade to a tankless – or on-demand of water heating solution.

Why Shift to a Tankless Water Heater

Following are some of the main advantages of tankless water heaters over traditional water heating solutions:

Long-lasting –

In general, a tankless water heater has a rugged construction using durable materials. Thus, it has a longer life expectancy compared to regular heaters. In addition, most of the parts are reparable, resulting in less of a long-term effect on the environment.

Endless Supply of Hot Water –

The storage tank of a traditional water heater limits its capacity to provide hot water. This is not a problem with the tankless variety as it will continue to supply hot water continuously, provided there’s energy or fuel for heating.

Energy Saver –

In a traditional model, water starts to lose heat as soon as it reaches the tank. Thus, the unit needs to continually run in order to have a constant supply of hot water. In a tankless model, the unit is turned on only when hot water is needed, making it more energy-efficient.

Space Saver –

The tankless model is ideal for homeowners with limited or tighter space. Just imagine how much space a 60- or 40-gallon tank would require. A lot of space is needed just to install a traditional water heater. A tankless water heater doesn’t need nearly as much space and can open up a lot of usable floor space in the basement or wherever it is located.

Lower Eco-Impact –

A tankless water heater does not only lower reliance on non-renewable sources of energy. Most of the parts can also be repaired, unlike traditional models that often require complete part replacements.

Cons:

Following are the disadvantages of tankless water heaters. Weigh the pros and cons in order to make an informed buying decision.

Higher Installation Cost:

By switching to a tankless water heater, you need to spend on initial costs up front, including installation. You may also need to install new vents and gas lines. However, you’ll recover the additional costs in the form of energy savings. This is because you will no longer need to heat and re-heat water in a tank on a constant basis.

Low Water Output:

Obviously getting water from a 60-gallon water tank is more convenient. This is true when you simultaneously need water in your household for laundry, dishwashing, and showers. While a tankless unit is more efficient, it can only provide a limited amount of water at the same time. Thus, you may need to install several tankless water heaters to address this problem.
When considering replacing your old unit or upgrading to a tankless water heater, you can count on Spartan Plumbing to provide the perfect solution. With a professional and skilled team, you’ll get a great customer experience from sales to installation.
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