Tankless Water Heaters 101
Tankless water heaters, a decades old technology, have finally begun to catch on here in North America. For the last 75 years they’ve primarily been used in Europe, Asia and South America where energy costs historically average higher than here in the States.
The real advantage to a tankless system is that it does not use energy to keep water hot 24 hours a day like a conventional water heater with a storage tank. Its “on-demand” heating system makes for a more efficient use of energy.
Simply opening a faucet activates the system. When you turn on the sink faucet or shower, the system kicks on. The water is heated instantly as it passes through the unit. When you turn off the faucet, it will shut down without heating water unnecessarily. You will no longer heat and re-heat unused water. This efficiency translates to dollars saved and energy not consumed.
Tankless water heaters can use either electricity or gas. Electric units can be used in almost all applications where gas units must be mounted externally or in a properly ventilated area.
The life cycle of these units promise to be fairly long. Many units in Europe and Asia have been in use for many years. The reason these units can last so long is that they do not have a storage tank. Most problems with traditional water heaters originate with the storage tank. Either mineral build up or tank deterioration causes the tanks to leak or in some cases have a complete catastrophic failure resulting in flooding. Using a potassium based water softener in areas where hard water is present is recommended no matter what type of system you own.
You must consider a few different factors to determine the number and size of units you require such as the maximum flow of hot water your household requires and how hot you want that shower water to be. In other words, the more water you need and the colder the water is when it comes into the unit will determine the functional size of the unit or units. Installing low flow shower heads and flow reducers on sink faucets is one way to decrease your water heating needs. However, it is not uncommon to have multiple tankless water heaters in a home. For maximum efficiency you should place your units as close to their point of use as possible. It is important to note that a poorly designed layout and system configuration can actually cost you money. Please visit with your water heater supplier for usage suggestions and design criteria.
These water heaters could save you anywhere between 5% and 50% of your current water heating cost. By not heating water over and over again all day you save money and energy. A hot shower and saving a few dollars. In the end, isn’t that what we all want?
