Is a Tankless Water Heater the Right Choice for You?

These days anytime you turn on the TV to a home improvement channel it seems like someone is installing a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters are supposed to provide energy savings over traditional tank type water heaters which should not only help you to save money, but also is better for the environment. However, tankless water heaters may not actually be the best choice for everyone.

Tankless water heaters are supposed to cut the average water heating bill by 10-20% when compared to water heater tanks. The reason for this is that when the warm water is sitting in the tank waiting to be used some of the heat is loss. With a tankless water heater design the water does not sit in a tank, so none of the heat is lost.

With a tankless water heater, you set the temperature to whatever your personal preference is and the water heater provides water at that temperature without having to store it in a tank. Tankless water heaters come in electric, gas and propane models and have a heating device that is triggered by the flow of water. So if no water is flowing, the water heater is not running. When the water starts flowing then the heat source kicks on and heats the water as it comes out. This provides a constant supply of hot water so you never "run out".

One of the other benefits of a tankless water heater is their small size. Rather than taking up a lot of floor space like a traditional water heater, tankless water heaters are mounted on the wall and are usually about the size of a medicine chest. You can get both whole-house tankless heaters as well as tankless water heaters that are just used for a single spot in your home such as the shower. The smaller tankless heaters that are designed for just one location are usually small enough to mount in a closet of under a sink.

The greatest energy savings with a tankless water heater comes from setting the water heater's thermostat set exactly to the temperature of water you want and to avoid mixing cold water with the hot. If you keep the thermostat set too high and have to mix cold water with the hot to achieve a comfortable temperature it will wind up costing you both money and energy.