Still Wavering Between a Tankless Water Heater and Storage Type? Weigh the Benefits of Each

If you’re shopping for a new water heater for your Wilmington area home, you may be considering a tankless water heater as an efficient alternative to the traditional storage type. Work closely with your plumbing professional to determine which system is best for your water heating needs and budget.

Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters heat water on demand using gas burners or powerful electrical heating elements. By heating water as needed at an outlet or appliance, tankless systems save energy by eliminating standby heat loss. Moreover, tankless water heaters are durable systems that may last 20 years or more, and parts are easily replaced by your plumbing professional.

The secret of leveraging maximum energy savings and meeting hot water needs is in the design. A tankless water heating system can be custom sized throughout the home to meet heavy hot water usage, such as showering and clothes washing, and lighter duties with small point-of-use units, such as for remote bathroom sinks. No matter the size of a single tankless unit, each unit in a tankless network is sized to meet the maximum gallons per minute (GPM) of hot water needed for connected outlets.

How Storage Water Heaters Compare

Even though tankless systems generally use less energy than traditional storage types — up to 50 percent less energy — a storage water heater offers benefits and practicality for many households. If you’re replacing an old storage water heater, the installation of a new high-efficiency system will generally be less expensive than accommodating a tankless water heater.

If you’re undertaking new home design or a remodel, a tankless system may make better sense. Ask your plumbing professional to provide a cost analysis for the ROI comparing storage and tankless systems. After all, the true cost of your water heating investment includes purchase, installation, monthly bills, replacement and savings.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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