Tankless Water Heaters: Straight Talk About the Advantages and Disadvantages

Despite their popularity, storage tank water heaters are, simply put, wasteful. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, give you hot water only when needed. This can save you money and is a “green” choice for saving energy. But is a tankless water heater the right choice for you? What are the pros and cons of tankless water heaters?

With a tankless water heater, when you turn on the tap, cold water travels through the pipe into the tankless water heater unit where either a gas burner or an electric heating element immediately heats the water. This provides a never-ending flow of hot water, as long as you don’t have too many hot-water uses running at once.

Another disadvantage is the cost: A tankless water heater is more expensive than a conventional storage water heater. However, if you plan to live in your home for the long run, tankless water heaters (20-plus year life expectancy) will outlast standard water heaters (10-15 years life expectancy) and offer long-term lower operating expenses.

Traditional hot water heaters are about 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. That big water heater’s storage tank takes up precious space, If your home is a condominium, for example, you probably have a utility room where your furnace, water heater and washer/dryer are located. Though they vary in size, an average tankless water heater is about 20″ x 28″ x 10″.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act provides a $300 federal tax credit for homeowners who invest in a qualifying tankless gas water heater through Dec. 31. The federal Energy Star program states that by heating water with an on-demand tankless water heater, the typical family can save more than $80 per year, or $1,700 over the lifetime of the water heater, compared to standard storage tank models.

Since 1987, Sobieski Services, Inc. has provided fast and efficient plumbing, heating and air conditioning service to families and businesses; we strive for no less than 100 percent customer satisfaction.

Please contact us with questions or for additional information. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

Image Credit: HeyThereSpaceman.