More households are switching to tankless water heaters because they offer a lot of advantages over a tank-style heating setup. However, some would say that a tankless system requires complex technology and therefore, installing one for your home can be quite expensive.
To help you decide if this is what your household needs, here are the pros and cons of tankless water heaters.
Pros of Tankless Water Heater
Energy-Efficient
Using a tankless water heater requires less energy to warm up more volume of water. As reported by Forbes, the US Department of Energy lists a tankless water heater with 24% to 34% higher energy efficiency than a tank-type water heater. Although, this rating can be achieved for households using 41 gallons of water per day.
Nonetheless, doubling that amount would still make tankless water heaters more energy-efficient than storage tank heaters, with 8% to 14% improved efficiency. A household can even attain up to 50 percent energy savings if there are more units of tankless water heaters installed at every spot in the house with high hot water demand.
On-Demand Heating
A tankless water heater would heat the amount of water that you need at a time. It's because the heater allows the user to get hot water almost immediately upon turning on the hot water faucet. The experience is very different with tank-style water heaters that take up much time to provide hot water since the entire water in the tank needs to heat up first.
High Durability
The average life of a tank-style water heater is 12 years. On the other hand, tankless water heaters are known for their durability, lasting up to 20 years before wearing down.
Space Saver
It is easy to imagine that a tankless water heating setup would take up much less space since it doesn't require a tank. For a house that has limited space, a tankless water heater is the best option.
Unlimited Supply of Hot Water
What makes tankless water heaters appealing is that it offers a limitless amount of hot water as long as you allow water to keep running. Practically, a person can take a hot shower for as long as he likes since the tankless water heater almost instantly warms up the water that is coming out of the shower.
Related Article: Is Your Heating System Energy Efficient? Here's How To Found Out
Cons of Tankless Water Heater
High Installation Costs
The number one setback of choosing tankless water heaters is the high cost of installation. The average cost of installing a tank-type water heater is about $900. On the other hand, the cost of tankless water heater installation can go above $3,000
Limited Flow Rates
As per BHG, you will need to study the expected daily flow rate of your home before proceeding to install a tankless water heater. For example, a bigger household requires a higher flow rate. It is better to hire an experienced plumber to make a better decision. Poorly-planned installation can result in a low flow rate. You can increase the flow rate of hot water, but it will take a more expensive setup for your tankless water heater.
Affected by Power Outage
Electricity powers up tankless water heaters, and even the gas-powered models still require electricity to operate. Expect that once the power goes out, the tankless water heater installed in your hope will also stop heating the water.
