How Tankless Water Heaters Work
Have you ever thought about how a water heater without a tank could work?
Would it last as long? Would it be more cost-efficient?
Let’s answer those questions and learn a little more about how tankless water heaters work and how they can be great for your home.
Benefits
One of the nicest amenities of a tankless water heater is that it will give you instant hot water, the moment you want it. This lowers the amount of energy used and cuts down the overall amount of wasted water. These heaters typically will last five to 10 years longer than the average water heater.
How does it work?
From the moment you turn the handle on your faucet, the heat exchanger activates. Electric coils or a gas-powered burner generate heat inside of the heater. Because the warm water comes on-demand since the unit keeps a full 40 to 50 gallons of water hot at all times, you don’t have to worry about water in the tank causing flooding or energy being wasted when water is reheated over and over again if there is no use for it.
Different types
There are two main types of tankless heaters that you can have installed in your home: whole-house and point-of-use.
Whole-house heaters are larger than a point-of-use heater, but are able to provide for more than one outlet. They will typically use propane or gas to power them. A point-of-use system is smaller and will heat for one or two outlets. They can easily fit under a cabinet or inside of a utility closet. These tanks are often powered electrically.
If you are considering a tankless water heater for your home, you will need to take into account flow rate and lag time.
For example, if you have a whole-house heater, you may have to wait a while to get your hot water if there are multiple, spaced-out outlets. If this is the case, your water bill may go up a little, but your energy bill will go down. By buying a water heater that has a lower flow rate, you can use water from multiple outlets at the same time.
If you are looking to cut energy cost and reduce your amount of wasted water, a tankless water heater could be the perfect solution and fit for your home! Allow Empire Heating and Air Conditioning to help you in the decision.