benefits tankless water heater

Basics and Benefits of Tankless Water Heater Options

If your home’s water heater is on the decline and you’re looking into replacement options, one area to take a long look at is the tankless water heater. This modern option works in a different way than the older tank water heater format most are familiar with, providing on-demand hot water in a way that’s often much more efficient for today’s homeowners.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we provide a wide range of water heater installation and repair services, including tankless water heater options available at your request. Let’s go over how tankless water heaters work and how they benefit you, plus the steps you should take toward determining if they’re the right choice for your new water heater.

Tankless Water Heater Basics

A tankless water heater, also known as an on-demand water heater, removes the tank used by older models and instead provides hot water as it’s needed in the home. It does this via a gas burner or an electrical unit – when a hot water tap is turned on anywhere in the home, water enters this unit and is immediately heated on the spot. Generally speaking, a single tankless water heater can produce between two and five gallons of hot water per minute.

For homes that need more water than this, multiple units can be connected to a parallel system. In other cases, some people install a tankless water heater specifically for certain appliances.

Benefits of Tankless Options

Tankless water heaters come with several specific benefits compared to other hot water heater systems:

  • Hot water is provided instantly, rather than waiting for it to flow up from the hot water tank.
  • The water’s temperature remains consistent at all times, rather than fluctuating based on how much hot water is in the tank.
  • Tankless water heaters have longer lifespans than traditional options.
  • Tankless options require less space for installation.
  • There is a reduced flooding risk based on a lack of a large tank filled with many gallons of water.
  • Many homes find major energy savings when it comes to the production of hot water within a tankless system.

Examining Your Water Bill

So how do you get an idea of whether a tankless water heater is the right call for your home in terms of efficiency? By looking at your water bill.

If you discover that your home averages under 41 gallons of hot water used per day, the US Department of Energy says a tankless option will be anywhere from 24 to 34 percent more efficient than a traditional tank option. If your home uses up to 86 gallons per day, the hot water heater will be between 8 and 14 percent more efficient. The USDE also has a convenient tool that helps you calculate water heater costs and determine if a tankless option would be a better choice for you.

For more on tankless water heaters, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.