When it is time to replace your water heater, tankless water heaters are an upgrade worth considering seriously. They have great benefits and are a fast-growing favorite these days. We’ve included some pros and cons to help you make this decision and tidbits about picking the right plumber.
Pros
Unlimited hot water – Running out of hot water is a nuisance. Unlike traditional water heaters, tankless units don’t store a limited amount of hot water. Instead, they heat the water as you use it. They typically heat two or three gallons of water per minute and on demand. This is a better solution if you often run out of hot water with a traditional water heater.
Save money – If you typically use less than 41 gallons of hot water daily, tankless heaters can save you as much as 34% in energy bills, or about $100/yr. Tankless units don’t use as much energy because they don’t have to maintain water temperatures even if you aren’t using hot water, a definite advantage over traditional ones. Tankless water heaters also have a much longer lifespan over traditional water heaters, about twice as long. This saves you money in the long run.
Save space – Tankless water heaters are small and take up mere inches on a wall instead of an entire closet.
Cons
Is Your Water Heater Working Properly? Give Us a Call!
Initially, Tankless units are more expensive to install, so if you live on a tight budget, this could be an issue. It depends on the model, of course. If you replace a traditional water heater with a tankless one, additional retrofitting expenses will be added because the tankless system is more complicated.