If it’s time to replace your home’s water-heating system, you may want to consider replacing it with a tankless water heater. However, you’ll want to know whether a so-called demand water heater is right for your family. Usually the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages in tankless water heating systems, which are widely used outside the U.S.
You can save space and energy in most cases when having a tankless model installed. This is especially helpful if your current water heater is installed in a tight space in your attic, laundry room or elsewhere. A tankless water heater will warm your water on demand, using either a gas- or electric-powered heating element attached right to pipe. When you turn on a hot-water faucet, the tankless water heater instantly heats your water, and can provide a continuous amount of hot water if the system has been sized properly to meet your household’s needs.
This type of water heater is available in models that use electricity, propane, or natural gas. The near instantaneous conversion of cool tap water into hot water – a few seconds typically – is where the energy savings come in. Because the heater is tankless, there is no energy wasted or insulation required to keep a tank of water hot and ready to use, whether you need the hot water or not.
You may be under the mistaken assumption that if you switch to a tankless water heater, you will only be able to run one water use at a time, such as not running the dishwasher while someone takes a shower. This is not generally true, especially if you carefully size your system. Larger households often will need a larger whole-house tankless unit, with one or more smaller, point-of-use tankless water heaters strategically placed near special water uses, such as a laundry room or guest room bathroom.
To determine if a tankless water heater is right for your family, contact the experts at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We have been providing quality HVAC services to the San Joaquin Valley for almost 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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