Ah, the agony of running out of hot water mid-shower. Or having to choose between running the dishwasher and the clothes washer at night. These are struggles that many of us have faced thanks to our traditional water heaters. Tankless water heaters (also called on-demand water heaters) don’t “run out” of hot water because they don’t pre-heat it and store it in a gigantic tank in your laundry room (or wherever). They heat water instantly, when you need it. In addition to a boundless supply of hot water for all of your clothing, dish, and self-cleaning needs, tankless water heaters are extremely efficient because they only heat as much hot water as you need. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, they can actually be up to 34% more energy efficient than traditional water heaters, depending on your water usage. Other perks include the fact that they’re small (often mounted on the wall), have a 20+ year life expectancy, and minimize the potential for water damage, since they don’t store water. In a tank. That can leak. (A leading cause of major property damage!) Now, when it comes to tankless water heaters, you have two options: whole-house and point-of-use. A whole-house tankless heater does exactly what it sounds like — heats all of the water for your whole house from one central location. Installing a whole-house tankless water heater is more cost-effective up front, but it does mean that you’ll have to wait longer for the hot water to travel from the heater to your fixture via your home’s pipes. If you have a smaller home, you may not mind this, but it could also mean that you’re running the water longer. Plus, even though your tankless water heater’s capable of producing unlimited hot water on demand, your unit’s flow rate may limit the number of fixtures that you can operate simultaneously. So, you still may need to schedule out your hot-water activities. Point-of-use tankless water heaters, on the other hand, are mini units installed at individual fixtures, or within specific rooms (think the kitchen). These can be pricier, but you’ll spend zero time waiting for hot water to reach the faucet and waste zero gallons of water while waiting. It also means that your flow rate won’t be a limiting factor, and you really can run every single hot-water-using appliance — and take a steamy shower — all at the same time. Sound like something you could get behind? Give us a call and we’ll talk about the best options for your home.
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