A tankless water heater is a new technology to satiate your hot water desire. In other words, you can say that you will have a hot water supply right at the moment when you think about it. Tankless water heaters are known as an instant water heater. You won’t have to wait for hours to have a hot water supply.
You will be amazed to know that heating water is the second-highest utility cost after heating the house in the United States. The reason is the storage tank water heater. First, you fill it up around 40-50 gallons and then consume a big amount of energy to make the water hot. This is not the end, the energy consumes for an entire day to keep the water hot for the whole day. This utility cost can be reduced up to half if you start using a tankless water heater.
The tankless water heater is getting fame slowly and gradually. Still, people have so many ambiguities about the instant water heater.
This article will target to answer all your questions about the worth of Tankless water heater, tankless water heater pros and cons.
So let’s get started.
Contents
Tankless Water Heater:
Tankless water heaters are commonly known as an instant water heater or on-demand water heater. They are compact and space-saving units that do not have any storage tank. Instant water heater basically heats the water only when it is needed.
Besides this, they are quite an energy-efficient as they don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with storage tank heaters.
Tankless water heaters heat up water via a gas burner or electricity. Ideally, a tankless water heater provides water at the rate of 2-5 gallons per minute.
Working of Tankless Water Heater:
Instant water heater gives you hot water supply right at the moment when the hot water tap is turned on. The working mechanism is quite simple. The cold water from the pipeline enters into the unit which is equipped with a heating element as soon as the water passes above the heating element (gas burner or electric element) it heats up the water. This way you will get an on-demand and constant supply of hot water.
Do Tankless Water Heaters Cost Efficient?
If you are looking for the answer of this question, then the answer is a big YES, tankless water heaters are cost-efficient.
Some people might distract you by saying that tankless water heaters are expensive.
Yes, they are expensive, but it’s just a one-time expense which you can cover in few months by saving monthly utility cost, as its operational cost is too low.
Tankless water heaters are designed in such a way that it consumes less energy. No matter its running on natural gas or electricity, the tankless water heater will save your utility cost.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a tankless water heater? below are some of them.
Tankless water heater pros and cons
Advantages of Tankless Water Heater
When it comes to advantages of instant water heater, there are numerous advantages which are 100% genuine and proven. Let’s have a look at a few of them:
1. Cost-efficient
The initial cost of a tankless water heater is relatively higher such as an energy star rated tankless water heater costs about $125 to $1000. In contrast to this, the gas-operated tankless water heater is comparatively more pricier. Their price begins from $2000.
Let me add into your information that if you use a gas-powered tankless water heater you can save up to $108 in energy bills whereas, with an electric tankless water heater you can save about $44 in a year. This way you can save a smart amount at the end of the year with tankless water heaters.
2. Eco-friendly
Instant water heaters are equipped with such amazing technology that promises to keep your environment safe and clean from unwanted harmful gases. This amazing technology ignites the burner only when the switch is pressed on. This means it won’t utilize gas or electricity in heating without any need. Usually, the tankless water heaters have an energy factor of 95. This means fuel wastage is only 5%.
3. Uninterrupted on-demand hot water supply
With tankless water heater 100% convenience and comfort are guaranteed. You will have an on-demand and continual supply of hot water without any interruption. The majority of the tankless water heaters have the power to deliver about 2 to 10 gallons of hot water in a minute. If you have multiple uses of hot water in different places of your home, then it is recommended to install two or more tankless water heaters connected in parallel for simultaneous demand of hot water. By installing a tankless water heater at each hot water outlet you can save up to 27% – 50% of your utility energy.
4. Durable and long-lasting
Tankless water heaters are quite expensive but they are durable enough to work for unlimited years. Generally, a tankless water heater has a life expectancy of a minimum of 20 years.
5. Avoid Standby Heat Loss
Tankless water heater eliminates the standby heat loss which is normally associated with storage water heaters.
6. Easy to Maintain and Repair
Maintenance of tankless water heater is quite simple and easy. You can easily clean and maintained the inner structures of the unit. Since it does not have any storage tank, so you won’t have to deal with issues like ruptured tanks with tankless water heater. In addition to this, the repairing process is quite simple. The best part about this instant water heater is its replacement parts are easily available. Because of this, you can’t easily replace any faulty part instead of replacing the entire unit. This way tankless water heater keeps the cost of maintenance lower.
Disadvantages of Tankless Water Heater:
Just because it is a unique technology with so many advantages doesn’t mean at all that it won’t have any downsides. Like every technology, tankless water heaters have some cons. Some of them are mentioned below:
What is the downside of a tankless water heater?
They are costly, have high installation costs, and Inconsistent Temperature.
They are costly
Tankless water heaters are quite costly as compared to the storage-tank water heater. But the unit pays back the cost in 2 to three months. Trust me it’s just a one-time expense. Rest of the month you will be saving a good amount in your bank account.
High Installation Cost
Since the tankless water heater is an advanced technology that requires professional personnel for its installation who will charge you an arm or leg. Not only professional personnel, but tankless water heater also require personalized installation procedures. For instance, for a gas-operated on-demand water heater you need to have a specialized gas line installed whereas for an electric tankless water heater you need to have a powerful power socket and wiring system.
This is the second most highlighted con of tankless water heater. But I assure you like its upfront cost, its installation cost is just one time.
Inconsistent Temperature
Usually, tankless water heaters have electric control unit but certain models in the market lack the electric control unit. Meaning, you have no clue about the temperature of hot water and how consistent the temperature is. In a tankless water heater, the water flow and heat consistency is affected by the higher water output.
How to Choose the Best Tankless Water Heater for Money?
Choosing the best tankless water heater can be a cumbersome task especially when you are buying it for the very first time. For this purpose, we have prepared a brief and concise buying guide that, only covers those factors that you need to look into while buying the best tankless water heater.
Flow Rate
When buying a tankless water heater, its flow rate should be your topmost priority. Flow rate is measured in gallon per minute. Be sure to buy a unit that can effectively meet your household’s water demand.
Electric or Gas Operated
Though both types of on-demand water heaters work exceptionally but there is a price difference between them. Electric powered tankless water heaters are comparatively cheaper than gas tankless heaters. But you won’t save much amount with an electrically powered tankless heater. Whereas gas operated tankless water heater are quite expensive but they are way more cost savers than the former type.
How Much Does A New Tankless Water Heater Cost?
How much is a tankless water heater, A tankless water heater is one way to ensure that you never again experience any unanticipated cold showers. But these water heaters are not cheap: the average cost of a tankless water heater, with installation, is approximately $3,000. The total cost depends on the model chosen and whether your home requires retrofitting.
Wrapping Up!
If at this stage still you are confused about tankless water heaters, are they worth buying? Then my answer would be a big YES, keeping in mind all the pros and cons. They totally worth the money.
In households where there is constant use of hot water, tankless water heaters are the perfect appliance for such a household. They promise to give you instant hot water without increasing the cost of your utility bills. Believe me, by installing a tankless water heater you can save up to hundreds of dollars annually. It’s a lifetime investment that pays you back for the lifetime.
So don’t waste your time, go and choose the best tankless water heater and start saving your energy bills cost.
What is the downside of a tankless water heater?
A tankless water heater can’t provide continuous hot water. Even the most powerful of them is limited to about 4 showers at once. If someone in your home tends to take very long showers, you might need two tankless units installed for adequate coverage.
Some homeowners would prefer not to have pipes running through their living rooms or bedrooms when they cannot even use that space (and heating/cooling ducts) during winter and summer months. A gas line installation may be required with a tankless system that does not already exist (read more about it here – link). On top of that, with this type of unit it’s usually only one faucet that can be used at a time. For example, if you want to run a bath and wash your hair with the shower on, you can’t do so – someone taking a bath will have no hot water. However, tank units are usually more flexible in this regard – they can heat up multiple rooms at once, if needed.
Finally, there is the general downside of having anything electrical that needs to be installed into your walls or basement/attic space: it may require an electrician for installation. Depending on how your home is wired, additional circuitry might need to be added before installation so know exactly what’s involved beforehand. And if you’re not comfortable with making those types of changes yourself, don’t hesitate to call an electrician!