Tankless water heaters or demand water heaters are designed to heat water only when you need it. They are a compact, energy-efficient solution to your hot water needs, and if you’re curious about the advantages of using one, check out the three top benefits of tankless systems.
They Save You Money on Your Energy Bills
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Whether your old hot water heater is going bad or it’s in top notch condition, it’s wasting money. Tankless water heaters are more expensive to purchase and install than traditional water heaters, but you’ll recoup that money in monthly energy savings. The benefit of having a tank of hot water in your house is that it’s there when you need it. Unfortunately, you have to use energy to keep that water hot. Even if you go an entire day without using hot water, the tank is still using energy to keep that water hot for when you do need it.
Tankless systems only heat the water when you need it. That means they don’t start using energy until you turn on the hot water. If your home uses 41 gallons or less of hot water a day, a demand water heater may be 24 to 34 percent more efficient than a traditional water heater.
You’ll Never Run out of Hot Water
Tank systems have a tank of hot water just waiting for you to let it flow, but depending on the size of your water heater, you may run out of hot water. Even just one person taking a long hot shower could deplete all the hot water, forcing you to wait for it to reheat before you can take your own shower or wash dishes.
With a tankless water heater, you can’t run out of hot water because you’ve used too much at once. The system just keeps heating water until you don’t need it anymore. The disadvantage, however, is that it takes time for the water to heat. It doesn’t take as long as it takes for a water heater to refill, but the hot water isn’t instantaneous.
You Can Use a Tankless System for Your Whole Home or One Faucet
If you want the best savings possible, a whole-home tankless system is the best choice. Whole-home systems mean that every faucet and appliance uses the tankless water heater for hot water. With this option, depending on how much hot water you use a day, you may end up saving over $100 a year on energy costs.
However, if you want, you can install point-of-use tankless systems on faucets and appliances that use the most hot water, such as the shower and dish washer. You won’t generate the same savings, but you’ll also be able to keep all the benefits of a traditional tank system and use the tankless system for most of your hot water needs.
Tankless water heaters have many advantages, and they are an energy-efficient way to heat your water. Whether you choose a whole-house system or a point-of-use system, you can reduce your monthly energy bills.
