Traditional hot water heaters have kept our water going hot for a long time. They’ve been fairly reliable for society. And it seems like almost every home has one now.
But these traditional hot water heaters can have their disadvantages.
They tend to take a lot of energy to keep that water heated. This can account for up to 18% of your electric bill.
A 50-gallon 5500-watt hot water heater can cost you up to $781 per year for operation.
And they do break down. There could be times when your family comes over and they drain the thing. Older heaters’ coils would crack if this happened. And the repairs were always costly.
Sometimes this would spell full replacement.
But there is something new waiting around the corner for you. It’s the tankless hot water heater.
But is it really that great? Let’s take a look and find out.
1. They Cost More But Save You Money In The End
Like a lot of the better things in life, if you want to get something you gotta give something. And the same is true with hot water heaters.
Tankless hot water heaters can cost up to $3000 for a whole house model. And installation can run you up to $1000 extra.
But that cost evens out eventually once you replace your old jalopy of a hot water heater.
Over time, you will recoup that cost by the savings you make on your energy bill and the repair costs associated with a traditional tank.
Just know that you’re in this for the long haul and that it’s a great investment for your house too.
Consider it a way to increase ROI as well. As people become more environmentally conscious, they’re going to want a tankless hot water heater in their homes.
The fact that they save on your energy bill means that they also save in environmental costs.
The energy that comes into your home often gets there through some pretty environmentally costly and dangerous means.
So, getting rid of that old water heater might be a good environmentally conscious decision as well.
2. Save Space With Your Tankless Hot Water Heater While Obtaining A Longer Warranty
Those water heaters of yore take up a lot of space. Depending on where your hot water heater is, you might be missing out on some useful space. So where does your hot water heater usually live?
Hot water heaters often take up space in the basement or sometimes have their own closet. You really don’t want a giant tub of water taking up a whole closet, do you?
A tankless hot water heater is your friend in this regard.
A tankless hot water heater only takes up half a foot in space. And most of the time it hangs on the wall and out of the way.
You now have more floor space to store stuff.
These creations of wonder also last longer than traditional tanks. This is evidenced by the longer warranties they come with.
When a company adds a longer warranty to something, it tells you they have confidence in their product.
If they didn’t have confidence in their product and it broke down all the time, then they would lose money.
The hot water heater warranty reflects the life of the heater. The average life of a tankless water heater is about 20 years because the warranty for the heater exchange is 10.
Breakdowns happen less often and when it does break down it won’t spill all over the floor.
With tankless, you’ll be less likely to have stuff ruined if your hot water heater leaks.
3. You Can Add A Circulation System To Get Hot Water Faster
While tankless hot water heaters do take a second or two to heat up, which is a little slower than your traditional heater. You can get a model with a circulation system installed.
This is like your own circulation system. It keeps a buffer of hot water running through and back into the pipe system at particular times of the day.
This cuts back on energy usage and the time it takes to heat up your hot water.
It also doesn’t take re-configuring your piping to add the buffer circulation tank to your tankless hot water system. So you won’t be adding any extra installation costs outside of installing the tank.
4. Before You Install Understand The Permits And Regulations
If you are installing a gas tankless hot water heater, there are going to be regulations and inspections involved.
If it uses gas, it creates exhaust and carbon monoxide.
Be sure you know all of the standards before you get it installed. And don’t try to go it on your own unless you have the proper training and certification.
These installations, especially with gas heater installations, can be dangerous. We really don’t want to hear about you in the news because of a gas water heater accident.
It’s really best to call a professional and know the rules before you replace your traditional hot water Heater.
5. Also, Know That Not All Tankless Hot Water Heaters Are The Same
Some would impress Tim The Toolman Taylor. Others would not.
It just depends on how much you want to spend.
Also, look at product reviews. Some might be more reliable than others. Others might have poor product support.
If yours breaks down, you don’t want to be without hot water for too long. You want to be able to get the repairs you need or the technical support you need.
In essence, you want something that is utterly reliable to you.
Conclusion:
Really, a tankless hot water heater is the better way to go. It’s more environmentally friendly.
It will save you money in the long run. It will most likely be more reliable. And it can deliver your hot water much faster if you want it to.
If you’re in the market for a new tankless hot water heater, get a free quote right away.