The majority of homes use a traditional tank heater to supply hot water, though there are other options available, one of these being tankless heaters. Unlike traditional heaters, these demand-type heaters provide hot water when it is needed rather than keeping it on-hand at all times. Depending on the needs of your household, switching to a tankless heater might even save you money, as they do not constantly siphon off energy to maintain a store of heated water.
Tankless water heaters function much different than other heating options, and rely on either gas or electric power to heat water as it is needed. This means that with a tankless heater you can have all the hot water you could possibly need on hand. The only drawback as far as supplying hot water is that since tankless heaters do not already have a reservoir of water on hand, that the flow of hot water will be slower when compared to traditional models.
Having a lower flow rate can prove problematic if you live in a larger household where simultaneous demands for hot water become more commonplace. This problem doesn’t extend entirely to larger households, as any simultaneous draw on hot water will put a tankless heater under significantly more stress, reducing your flow of water. There are solutions to this however, as you can also have separate tankless heaters installed for various high-use systems within your home to stop them from competing with the same source.
This type of heater will help to reduce monthly energy expenses however, and is estimated to be around 30% more effective than conventional tank heaters when used in homes with smaller hot water demands. As the demand increases, the savings are reduced, though you still might see around a 10% improvement in efficiency in a larger household by eliminating standby energy expenses of standard heaters.
The major drawback with tankless heaters is often the installation cost. You will more than likely see savings elsewhere, but a tankless heater can be significantly more expensive thank your standard options. Before you decide to switch to this kind of water heater, you should consult the water heating experts at Ted Serjak Plumbing & Drain Cleaning to determine if this switch is right for you and your budget.
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