All About Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are quickly taking the world by storm. They’re much more energy efficient, so they just make economic and environmental sense for those who are worried about our world and their electricity bills. So how are tankless water heaters different from traditional water heaters? There are a few differences you should be aware of.

Advantages of Tankless Water Heaters

Homeowners should first realize that a tankless water heater looks and operates differently than traditional water heaters, so regular maintenance is a bit different. Tankless heaters actually heat the water as it passes through them. It doesn’t have to store water that’s already heated. This is where the energy savings comes in. The water heater doesn’t lose heat because it only heats water as it passes through it.

Also homes with a tankless water heater don’t have to worry about running out of hot water. Since you don’t have to wait for it to heat the water up after you use up what’s in the tank, there is an endless supply of hot water. There’s almost no time needed to wait for hot water, unlike with traditional water heaters.

Disadvantages of Tankless Water Heaters

One problem some homeowners may have is that tankless heaters tend to have a slower flow rate than traditional storage heaters do. You may only get two to five gallons of hot water per minute, compared to faster rates with gas storage models. However this is really the only drawback to this type of water heater.

Conclusion

Tankless heaters tend to last for over 20 years, while you will find yourself replacing a traditional water heater after just 10 or 15 years. In order to ensure that your tankless water heater lasts for as long as it can, it’s important to take care of it. However, you should be aware of the different type of maintenance it requires. Traditional water heaters require flushing every so often, and so do tankless heaters. However, the flushing process is a bit different.

In both cases, the flushing process is designed to take out mineral deposits that have built up inside the unit. This is the natural order of things because where there’s water, there are going to be minerals floating around inside of it. With tankless water heaters, usually white vinegar or some other type of low grade acid is flushed through it so that the mineral deposits are eaten away. It is always advisable that you get a plumber to take care of this for you, especially because of how new this type of water heater is.

So as you can see, there are many benefits to opting for a tankless water heater rather than the traditional kind. If it’s time to replace your water heater, you should consider switching over to the new kind. Just make sure that you have a reputable plumber handle the retrofit for you because it isn’t as easy as taking out the old one and then putting in a new one. More work must be done in order for it to fit.

Call Scott English Plumbing to learn more about tankless water heaters. We can install them for you or service them if they need maintenance or repair. Our plumbers understand how complex the process is to retrofit homes from a traditional water heater to a tankless one. We know how important quality and reliability are, so we only install the highest quality tankless water heaters from brands like Nortitz, Ranaii, Bradford White, and Takagi. Let the experts at Scott English Plumbing show you how much value truly lies in the addition of a tankless water heater to your home.