A tankless water heater has its share of
benefits. For instance, once you turn on your faucet, the water heater starts heating
your water. Once you shut the water off, the water heater shuts off as well.
Plus, a tankless heater lasts much longer than one a standard water heater -
possibly up to a decade longer. Before you purchase one, you should know what
to look for and how to compare them.
1. Fuel Type
You may choose between an electric or gas
water heater. You want to take into consideration what's available in your area
when you make this particular decision, as well of the price of each fuel type.
2. Capacity of the Unit
With a unit with a tank, you calculate the
size based on your family's size. However, with a tankless heater, you want to
take into account the devices you use at the same time along with their flow
rates.
Write down all of the flow rates of the devices
that you'll run at the same time. You may find this information by looking in
the manual of the device. However, if you don't have the manual, you may look
it up online and even use a similar product to calculate. Some examples of typical
flow rates
include the following:
- Bathroom or kitchen faucet: 1.5 GPMs
- Shower: 2.0 GPMs
- Clothing washer: 2.0 GPMs
3. Size
You have to take into consideration the
amount of space you have to situate or mount the water heater.
On average, a tankless water heater is much
smaller than one that has a storage tank. Therefore, you may mount this type of
unit to your wall. The gas ones take up more space in general than the
electric, so you must take this into account when you choose a tankless water
heater for your home.
Typically, an electric water heater is 10
inches by 7 inches. On the other hand, a gas heater is larger. Generally,
this type of water heater is 30 inches by 20 inches.
4. Temperature
Temperature is another factor you want to
consider, especially for the devices you plan to use simultaneously. You want
to use the GPMs that you either figured or estimated from above. You want to
use these values in addition to the temperature of the water to determine the
water heater you need.
You may determine this by looking at the
temperature of each device you plan to run at one time. For instance, take into
consideration the temperature of the water you plan to run for your shower. If
you don't know the estimates for the temperature, you may look them up
online.
As an example, you may want your shower to
run at 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, you may want the water for your
dishes to run at a slightly hotter temperature. If you also plan to use your
clothes washer at the same time, it may run at an even hotter temperature.
You'll then consider these temperature
figures compared to the GPM of the devices. When you research the different
options you have for water heaters, you can use the comparisons to determine
the one for you. If you're unsure of how to proceed, you can speak to a
specialist at the place you purchase your water heater, or you can contact a
plumber.
If this is your first tankless water
heater, you need to know how to compare your options. The process is slightly
different than a standard water heater. Moreover, you want to ensure you find
the right one for your household since it's an investment that will last you
many years.
Contact Peter Piper's Plumbing &
Draining Cleaning Service by calling us today
if you have an issue with your current water heater. We serve Santa Rosa
and the entire Northern Bay region.
