Buyers Guide to Tankless Water Heaters

Do you turn on the water and have to wait for it to warm up? Tankless water heaters bypass this problem by heating the water where it is being used. "Point of use tankless water heaters are located right where the water is being used, so the water is almost instantly hot, which saves water. They also save even more energy than centrally installed tankless water heaters because no hot water is left in the pipes after the water is shut off." (Wikipedia) Although there are certain advantages and disadvantages to this type of heating system they can be useful, efficient and cost effective in the right usage applications. For example, when one is not using the shower which is typically most of the day, one's hot water tank periodically turns on to keep the water at a minimum temperature setting. This uses energy when nobody is home and/or using water. A tankless water heater only operates 'on demand' and therefore uses energy when it is needed and not when it is not needed.

Types of Tankless Water Heaters:

There are several types of tankless water heaters including propane, natural gas and electric tankless water heaters. These heaters require more energy at the time of water use but may use less overall energy and water. The heaters come in different sizes and energy requirements based on the application. For example, if one just wants on demand water heating for faucets there are tankless water heaters specifically for use in faucets. A shower and/or laundry machine would require a different size of tankless water heater because it uses more water. The link to www.theplumbingstore.com at the bottom of this article explains this concept in more detail.