If the time has come to replace your hot water heater, you have a big decision to make. Should you stick with a standard, tank-style unit, or should you switch to a tankless heater that warms the water on demand? Many homeowners love their tankless water heaters, but there are definitely situations in which they are not always the right choice.
Tankless water heaters are sometimes called continuous flow, on-demand, or instant water heaters. They warm water as it flows through the device, rather than storing warmed water in a tank until it's needed. Some situations in which they work well include the following:
You Have a Large Family
When you have a large family, there are bound to be times when multiple people want to shower in a row, or someone wants to shower right after another family member washes dishes. Even the largest hot water tanks don't often hold enough for large families to take back-to-back showers. With tankless water heaters, however, you have an unlimited supply of hot water so nobody has to take a cold shower.
You Have Limited Space
Tankless hot water heaters take up much less room than tank-style heaters. Since they are small boxes that mount on the wall, you can place the tankless heater in a corner and use the floor space in your basement or linen closet for other purposes.
You Travel a Lot or Are Outfitting a Vacation Home
Tankless heaters only use electricity when they are actively heating water. In contrast, a tank-style heater is always drawing electricity or gas to keep the water warm, even if you are not around to use that hot water. If you travel a lot, changing over to a tankless water heater will allow you to save significantly on energy bills. Similarly, if you're putting a water heater in a vacation home, a tankless unit is definitely the most energy-efficient choice.
You Value Energy Savings
In the typical family home, switching to a tankless water heater won't miraculously slash your energy bill in half, but it will result in some energy savings. The average family saves about $100 a year with an on-demand unit. If you are dedicated to maintaining as eco-friendly and efficient a home as possible, installing a tankless unit is a step in the right direction.
In spite of their eco-friendly benefits and an endless supply of hot water, a tankless hot water heater may not be suited to your particular situation. Here are some instances in which you're better off sticking to a standard hot water tank.
You're on a Tight Budget
Though tankless hot water heaters save you money on energy in the long run, they do cost more up-front. Your installation costs will also be higher since your plumber will have to make modifications to accommodate the tankless unit. If you're on a really tight budget and urgently need a new water heater, a hot water tank is the more affordable choice.
You Want to Run Multiple Taps at a Time
Tankless hot water heaters offer an endless flow of hot water, but they can only heat a certain volume of water at one time. If one person is taking a shower, the washer is running, and you turn on the faucet, the water coming through the faucet may be cold.
You could install multiple tankless heaters to supply water to individual taps, but costs can add up quickly. If you plan on frequently running multiple taps at once, you might be better off with a hot water tank, since you can extract a higher volume of water from the tank at once.
To learn more about tankless water heaters and to get an estimate for having one installed in your home,
contact the experts at Peter Piper's Plumbing.
