Just heating up water and keeping it hot and available accounts for 20-30% of the energy bills in an average home. One of the drawbacks of a tank water heater is that in order to provide hot water consistently, it has to always have water on hand, regardless of whether or not it is being used. As the water heater heats the water from the tank and it is used in our homes, it needs to be constantly replenished.
A tankless water heater, by contrast, heats water quickly, as it’s needed. That removes the issue of a tank storage heater’s heat loss, and provides additional benefits as well:
- When the hot water capacity of a tank water heater is exhausted, it needs to re-heat its entire volume before hot water is available again. A tankless water heater heats water as it’s needed, so the hot water won’t run out.
- Tankless heaters can be installed centrally, to provide on-demand hot water for your entire home, or as “point of use” units, close to the faucets or appliances they serve. These units reduce the time it takes for hot water to get to the faucet – remember that hot water has to travel through the pipes from the heater to the faucet, flushing out all the water that’s been cooling in the pipes before it.
- Point of use units also reduce the load on a central heater, tanked or tankless; if you have appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines that use a lot of hot water during their operation, assigning them their own water heater can keep them from disturbing the water supply to the rest of the house.
- Water heaters don’t have a standby operating cost. You won’t have to think about turning down the heater when you leave for vacation, for example.
If you’re considering switching to a tankless water heater, or supplementing your existing tanked or tankless water heating system, let the experts at Roth Heating & Cooling guide you through the pros and cons. We’re happy to help our Portland neighbors.
