Are you in the process of buying a new heater for your house, look into a tankless water heater. Electric tankless heaters can save you up to 30% over their conventional heater counterparts. As always, make sure that any appliance you buy has the energy star logo. This will help you stay on top of energy saving. What are these heaters and why are they better.
The conventional water heaters that we are used to are big tanks filled with water. Many times they will have a pilot that is used to heat the water. The water is kept at a certain temperature. This means that the amount of energy used is constant because it needs to keep the water at this temperature.
Tankless heater work completely differently. They heat water as you need it. Most of the time there is no big bulky tank of water either. The new technology allows you to only heat the water you will be using. This in turn saves up to 30% on you bill, or about $15 a month. (Some older houses may not be compatible with a tankless heater.)
As you are looking around for a new heater, keep in mind an electric heater. Many times energy saving devices are more expensive that regular energy devices. Both heater cost around the same price. To save around 100 a year is a huge benefit. The next time you need a good water heater, go Tankless!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
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There's so much misinformation circulating about tankless water heaters. Almost all(I can't think of any possible exceptions but I'll be fair and say "almost") homes built to use a tank heater, electric or gas, aren't compatible with gas tankless - they'll need a bigger gas line and exhaust vent - this is assuming the house had a gas tank heater, if it didn't, it'll need all new exhaust venting and a new gas line. Either way, installation of a gas tankless water heater is comparably fairly expensive. Almost any house built in the last 30 years is compatible with electric tankless(that requirement being a 200Amp electrical service). Electric heaters don't require any venting and most don't require clearance around the heater itself. Energy savings vary widely and is entirely dependent on usage patterns. Savings on water heating costs can realistically be between 5-95% but average 50% for most homes(which is typically between $25-45 a month. Either way, electric users realize the most energy savings. Go tankless!! You'll save energy, water, and space. When you do make the switch, don't hire joe the plumber - find a qualified, manufacturer trained professional to ensure proper sizing and installation meeting building codes.
speaking of misinformation, one of the biggest myths circulating around tankless water heaters is that they save water. please, think about it and explain to me how a tankless heater saves water. none of the models actually provide hot water instantaneously (it takes a few seconds for the water to heat up), and since they don't turn on until they sense flow, tankless water heaters actually use more water than their traditional counterparts. the only instantaneous hot water comes from a traditional tank heater, however water is typically wasted by waiting for the cold water between the tank and the fixture to clear (this can be best remedied by rethinking plumbing designs or installing an on demand pump). plus, many new more hot water heaters are better insulated and approaching the efficiency of tankless, without the wasted water.
If a tankless heater is installed right where the tank was, you'll use slightly more water due to the "cold water sandwich" effect - purging the cold water from the hot water line. The benefit of tankless saving water is typically only realized by those using electric tankless. By relocating the water to heater to a more central location in the home or business which is much more easily accomplished by tankless heaters due to their compact size.
Wow, great info! TY to Eco2020 & anonymous. Our old water heater is leaking slightly, been thinking about a tankless. Does anyone know anything about supply quantities? You know how a conventional heater has a certain tank volume.... is there any practical limit on the volume a tankless can deliver? Thanks all :)
Thanks for the post. Tankless water heaters are efficient but they cost more initially. The key thing to think through when considering a tankless hot water heater is your home's hot water usage pattern.
You gotta make sure that the tankless water heater - gas or electric - will actually work for your needs.
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