You finish dinner late after a long day at work. You want to take a nice warm shower, but your kids used up all the hot water in the tank. You wait and wait for the water to heat up, but it’s just taking too long. Look no further than a tankless water heater. Today, we’re going to show you the pros and cons of a tankless water heater to help you decide what’s best for you.
Pros of a Tankless Water Heater
1.) Energy & Space Savings
Tankless water heaters are an excellent option for incredible energy savings. Tankless water heaters on heat up the water you need when you want it. Conventional tank water heaters heat the water inside all day, using way more energy. Think of it this way: 82 cents actually heat the water with a tankless heater for each dollar you spend. That is opposed to 60 cents when we’re talking about a traditional heater.
Year-over-year, a tankless water heater will save you more than 10% in energy costs, plus it takes up a fraction of the space.
2.) Lifespan
The lifespan of a tankless water heater is around 25 years or more! That’s more than double the life of a tank heater that clocks in at 8 to 12 years. When it comes to products we spend a lot of money on, we want them to last as long as possible, and with a tankless water heater, you get what you pay for.
3.) They’re Leak-Free!
Think about it. With a tankless water heater, there’s no 50-gallon tank to leak all over the floor. If a tankless water heater were to leak, you would be dealing with a leak the size of a trickle from a kitchen sink vs. a massive toilet drain leak.
Cons of a Tankless Water Heater
Don’t get us wrong, there are some downsides to tankless water heaters that often prevent people from buying them.
1.) Power Outages
With a tankless water heater, it runs off of electricity in most cases, so, if there’s an outage, you’re out of hot water. A tank water heater will still hold and insulate the water it already heated, so you would get some hot water from it.
The way to work around this issue is to get a battery generator to connect to the tankless water heater so you won’t ever have to go without hot water.
2.) Cost
The average cost of a tankless water heater exceeds the price of a traditional heater by $500 or more. The average cost for a tankless water heater is about $1,000, not including installation.
The installation process for a tankless water heater is a bit more involved and will require more labor, especially if it is gas-powered.
3.) Water Output
If you do not consider the size of your home or the demands for hot water your family has, you could end up with a tankless heater that struggles to meet your needs.
With a heater that is too small for your home, you could end up spending just as much, if not more, on energy costs. The amount of gas the unit will use could exceed that of a tanked heater if you don’t discuss the proper-sized unit with a licensed plumber.
At Autry Plumbing, we have highly-trained plumbers who are well-versed in installing and maintaining tanked and tankless hot water heaters. Reach out today if you would like to learn more about the pros and cons of a tankless hot water heater.
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