During winter months, water heaters are of great help in every household. Water heating systems are installed to provide consistent supply of heated water to various plumbing fixtures in the house. Without these, you’ll have to manually heat water for your bathing, cooking, and handwashing needs, to name a few.
The most common type utilized in households are tank water heaters, but they often prove to be inefficient as they are not able to generate enough water supply when large amounts are needed. Thankfully, there are innovative water heaters known as tankless water heaters, which come in two types: gas and electric tankless water heater.
Here are some of the benefits of having tankless water heaters installed in your home:
Compact And Takes Less Space
Tank water heaters come with bulky tanks. Normally, these can store about 20 to 80 gallons of hot water, so imagine how much space one would take up in your home. Most homeowners install tank water heaters in the kitchen, closet, or garage, but they’re somehow far from points of use. Newer models come with thicker tanks for more heat insulation, and they’re even bulkier in size.
On the one hand, as their name suggests, tankless water heaters are without storage tanks. The entire system is only about the size of a suitcase, allowing you to save more space in your home. With smaller tankless units, you can even install it near points of use, which proves to be energy-efficient.
Longer Life Span
Unlike tank water heaters that can only last from 10 to 15 years, the tankless types could remain functional for up to 20 years or more, depending on the build quality and level of maintenance. Tankless water heaters, therefore, help you save more costs over the long run. If you do the math, tankless water heaters are twice as durable as their bulkier counterparts.
The main issue about tank water heaters is corrosion due to moisture exposure. Well, you may replace these corroded parts, but if the whole system has failed, then you have no choice but to get a new one. Tankless water heaters, on the one hand, only struggle with scale and sediment buildup. This is the reason why you have to clean your tankless water heater annually for a longer life span.
Water- And Energy-Efficient
Since tankless water heaters operate sans the use of tanks, these will only heat up a specific amount of water that you need at a given moment. This way, less energy will be utilized. Electric tankless water heaters have 99% operating efficiency, while gas tankless units, 82% to 85%.
On the other hand, the extra amount of water stored in tank types has to remain hot, thus requiring heat-insulating elements that will also demand energy.
Furthermore, you won’t experience any water leaks and flooding due to ruptured tanks when using tankless water heaters. Thus, you can save more water that can be used for more worthwhile purposes.
Environment-Friendly
Tankless water heaters can potentially lessen household energy expenditure, which, in turn, reduces greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Whenever traditional tank water heaters operate, the heat pumps and other heating elements in these units eventually generate greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, causing climatic impacts.
To remedy GHG footprint linked to traditional heat pumps, gas and electric tankless water heaters use renewable energy sources, such as coal-generated electricity. This heating method provides an effective and economically viable alternative for heating water, as well as lessens climatic drawbacks caused by GHG emissions.
Easy To Operate
Surprisingly, controlling and operating tankless water heaters is quite an easy task. Some tankless water heating units are incorporated with smart technology. These are WiFi-enabled, and have applications that you can install on many android and IOS devices.
Other tankless water heaters are not WiFi enabled, however they’re designed to detect full-body movement, such as when you’re entering your bathroom or turning the faucet on in the bathroom and kitchen. You can also set a specific time you want the water heater to operate.
Bang For The Buck
Despite the fact that tankless water heaters tend to be heftier than the tank types in terms of initial purchase cost, you’ll be enjoying lower month-to-month expenses with the former since they’re more energy- and water-efficient. Last but not the least, their life span is much longer, so you won’t have to buy another unit anytime soon.
Bottom Line
Tankless water heaters offer a more conducive experience in terms of heating water for your various household needs. Apart from the fact that it is easy to operate, a tankless water heater can also help you save money in the long run as they are water- and energy-efficient. What’s more, they are environment-friendly! Most importantly, installing a tankless water heater in your home is a worthwhile investment as it could remain fully functional for many years.