Pros And Cons Of Tankless Water Heater

Well, buying a tankless water heater is a great energy saving initiative. It will consume 30 to 50 percent less energy than units with tanks. Consequently you can save $100 or more per year on you energy bills. These units heat the water only when you turn on the faucet. They do not have any storage tank to store 40 to 50 gallons of water hot. As they don’t heat extra gallons of water, the energy use is cut down to a large extent. However, when you turn the faucet on, the heater will supply enough water to fill up a big hot tub or a whirlpool. They're more compact than a standard water heater and mount on a wall. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons

Pros

• These units save money in the long run as they heat and supply water as on when you need it. They don’t heat an extra bit for storage, to be used later. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a gas-fired tankless heater saves an average of $108 in energy costs per year over their traditional tank counterparts. The electric tankless heaters save $44 per year.

• If you get a unit of appropriate size installed, it can effortlessly deliver a continuous supply of water at preset temperature levels. You would never run the risk of running out of water. It would supply as much as 5 to 7 gallons of hot water per minute.

• These compact units not only save space but also come with longer warranties. The warranty for a tankless unit could be 15 years, whereas a tank-type unit come with a six-year warranty.

• Tankless units are more eco-friendly as tanks of water heaters rust over time and are not fit enough to be dumped in landfills.

• The life expectancy of tankless units are more than tank-type ones. They can last more than 20 years, almost twice the lifespan of storage water heaters.

• Tankless water heaters running on gas is almost 23% more efficient the tank-type ones.

• If you buy tankless water heater running on gas, you may qualify for a $300 federal tax rebate. Many states offer similar incentives.

• The tankless units are also safer than their tank-type counterparts. The former only operates when warm water is required. The storage type units are almost permanently on.

• Electric tankless heaters are 99 percent efficient.

• Tankless water heaters that use natural gas are about 23 percent more efficient than traditional storage versions, which is about 60 percent efficient.

Cons

• They are more expensive to buy compared to conventional units with tanks. They can cost up to three times to traditional water heaters.

• Moreover all honms will not be compatible to tankless heaters. Some homes will need to upgrade their electrical system by hiring an electrician. Rewiring could cost you as much as $5,000 to the cost of installing a tankless water heater. Besides this there are costs of piping and venting, which are costly.

• If you live in area with a supply of hard water, you will need to install a water softener to prevent damaging the tankless water heater.