When it comes to water heaters, there’s a wide range of choices. For example, there are conventional water heaters, which are among the most popular options. You can also choose from heat pump water heaters, solar water heaters, and condensing water heaters.
Then, there are tankless water heaters. In this post, we’ll go over tankless water heaters and discuss their pros and cons.
What is a Tankless Water Heater?
Tankless water heaters heat water as it flows through the device. They don’t use a storage tank.
When you turn on a hot water faucet, cold water flows through a heat exchanger in the tankless water heater. A heat exchanger is a device that transfers heat from one device to another. The heat exchanger within a tankless water heater either uses an electric element or gas burner to heat water while it passes through a pipe and into the unit.
How Are Tankless Water Heaters Different From Conventional Water Heaters?
Most homeowners are familiar with conventional or tank water heaters. Conventional water heaters heat water, and then store it in a tank for when you’re ready to use it.
After using all the hot water in the tank, you must wait for the water heater to refill with hot water. Because tank water heaters can store a lot of water, the units are relatively large, ranging from 30 to 50 pounds.
Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, don’t use a tank to store hot water. Instead, they heat water on demand. Because tankless water heaters don’t store hot water, they tend to be smaller than conventional tank water heaters.
Tankless Water Heater: Pros and Cons
Below are the advantages and disadvantages of using a tankless water heater:
Pros
- More energy efficient because they’re not constantly using energy to heat water
- Smaller size, which means they’re useful for families that have limited space
- Have a longer lifespan. Conventional water heaters can last up to 10 years, while tankless heaters can last twice as long.
- Eliminate “standby loss”. Traditional units reheat water repeatedly, while tankless water heaters heat water on demand.
Cons
- Initial purchase and installation can be costly
- Not the best for larger households. Typically, the water flow of a tankless model is 2-5 gallons per minute. This means that hot water flow may not be enough if people in your household use water at the same time. For example, if you’re washing dishes and someone else is taking a shower, the hot water may run out more quickly than it would if you used a traditional hot water heater.
- Electric tankless heaters won’t work during power outages. This is because there’s no backup hot water source like with conventional heaters.
Trust Lennox With Professional Tankless Water Heater Installation
If you’re looking to upgrade to a tankless water heater, you need skilled professionals to take care of the installation.
Here at Lennox, we’re happy to help you choose a unit that meets your needs. Feel free to contact us today for more information.