Tankless Water Heater Data
Tank water heaters can result in a large electricity or power bill and a way to decrease your bill is by using a tankless water heater. Regular water heating systems account for about 30% of all the energy you use in a month. While many tankless water heater companies say they can reduce your bill in half, they don’t actually reduce your bill that much but it will make a difference. Additional names for tankless water heaters in clued on demand or instantaneous water heaters.
Instead of heating a full tank of water and keeping it at a hot temperature the tankless water heater heats water through a heat exchanger only when hot water is needed. You will still use power to operate the water heater but not nearly as much as maintaining a tank of water at a specific temperature. Tankless water heaters can be used for your entire houses water needs or for dishwashers, remote bathrooms, hot tubs, poolhouse, remote BBQ, outdoor sinks and more.
It is possible to purchase an electric tankless water heater or a gas fueled tankless water heater. Each type of heater has different requirement as a gas tankless water heater needs to have proper ventilation and the electric heaters require a specific voltage and need to be on their own circuit breaker. You may need to make some renovations to your home depending on the type of tankless water heater you desire.
One of the first things to consider is the function of your tankless water heater. If you only need it for a single fixture then you should look into purchasing a Stiebel Eltron Point of Use, Eemax Single Point or Chronomite Instant Flow SR tankless water heater. If you want to run two fixtures form the tankless water heater then a flow-controlled system is perfect. If you want to use a tankless water heater for long pipes then a thermostatic tankless water system can be used to boost the water temperature.
There are models available to provide hot water for your entire home or even your entire property depending on what you want. The Rheem Indoor gas fired tankless water heater, Eemax EX280T2T series three and Stiebel Eltron Tempra are all large enough to supply hot water to your whole house.
AS with many energy efficient products the upfront costs are high but the actual cost of running a tankless water heater is much less then a traditional hot water system so you will eventually break even. Tankless models require a few electrical outlets nearby to power the fan and electronics and if you have an older home you may need to upgrade your ventilation and gas pipes. Tankless water heaters should also be flushed with vinegar once a year to break down any calcium build up. You may need additional filters depending on the type of water in your area.
A few disadvantages are that the water temperature tends to be inconsistent. Additionally if you only need a small amount of hot water then the heat exchanger may never turn on. Tankless systems also do not produce instant hot water it may take a few minutes for the water to warm up. Also if the power should go out then you will not have hot water.