When replacing major household appliances, you need to do diligent research and carefully weigh your options. The same is true when it is time to replace your old water heater.
Your first instinct may be to purchase a new version of the same water heater you already own. However, you should know that there are other options, some of which might give you a significant upgrade from what you currently own.
Tankless water heaters are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. There are several advantages to replacing your old tank-style water heater with a new tankless model. Read on to learn more about these benefits before you purchase your new water heater.
1. Greater Energy Efficiency
A traditional water heater utilizes a storage tank or reservoir to keep heated water available to draw from the tap. As this water sits in the tank, the water heater uses energy to keep it hot until someone needs it. With a tankless water heater, water moves across heating elements. With this type of unit, the water heats up only when needed.
Your energy consumption drops drastically with a tankless unit. You no longer need to keep water hot as it just sits and waits; rather, you’ll be able to heat water on demand. Once you start doing this, watch your energy usage drop dramatically.
2. An Endless Supply of Hot Water
With a traditional tank-style water heater, you have a choice in the size of your tank. Once the tank fills with hot water, you will only have that much until more water heats up and refills the tank. With heavy hot water consumption, this could mean running out of hot water during showers, laundry, dishes, or other household tasks.
With a tankless water heater, the water heats on demand, giving you endless hot water. Tankless water heaters are especially popular in homes with heavy hot water use. Tankless models allow for multiple hot showers without running into cold water. Use all the hot water you need and virtually never run out again with a tankless water heater.
3. Saving Money on Energy Costs
As discussed above, a tankless water heater uses far less energy than tank-style models since the water doesn’t need to be kept hot until use. Tankless water heaters use up to 30% less energy to provide your home with hot water.
With this energy savings comes a lower energy bill. Although you may see a higher up-front cost when switching to a tankless design, the energy savings will pay off quickly to make the price tag worth it over the years. Throughout the useful life of your new tankless water heater, you’ll save money.
4. Fewer Maintenance Requirements
Water heaters with holding tanks require occasional maintenance. Depending on the tap quality where you live, your tank may need service every six months to a year. Water sits inside the reservoir of your water heater, allowing sediment and minerals to build up inside.
This buildup settles into the bottom of your holding tank over time. The tank should be flushed out and cleaned to remove this excess sediment and minerals and ensure safe, clean water running through your home.
Tankless water heaters do not store water inside of a reservoir. The water moves across the heating elements before going straight to the faucet. Because of this design, there is no buildup of sediment or minerals. Tankless water heaters are also far less prone to mechanical failures, breaking down less often than tank-style units.
A lower risk of breakdowns translates into a lower need for maintenance and repairs. This lets you save money by spending less spent on professional services over the lifetime of your water heater.
5. Space Savings
Since tankless water heaters have no reservoir, they are much smaller and more compact than traditional tank-style appliances. Tankless water heaters are typically mounted on the wall, freeing up valuable floor space. Tank-style water heaters require enough space to fit a tank holding up to 80 gallons.
They are usually installed in basements or closets, taking up valuable real estate in some homes. In new construction, installing a tankless water heater gives you more versatility with placement. In existing homes, you may still be limited on placement due to the water lines, but your new water heater will take up less room, leaving you more living and storage space.
6. A Longer Lifespan
The average lifespan of a traditional water heater with a holding tank is 10 to 15 years. A tankless water heater has a lifespan of about 20 years, giving you nearly twice as much use from one unit.
When you factor in the up-front cost of a water heater, you may already be saving money when you switch to the longer-lasting tankless style. If you live in your home for 50 years, you can expect to purchase and install half as many tankless water heaters as you would if you went with the tank-style units.
7. Safer Operation
Although they are rare, traditional tank-style water heaters do come with safety risks. These risks include gas leaks, explosions, and burns. Tankless water heaters have almost zero risk of these damaging hazards, making them much safer to own and operate inside your home.
Additionally, you have a lower risk of toxins and sediment in your water with a tankless water heater. Water sits inside the holding tank of traditional water heating units, allowing sediment and minerals to build up over time. Without proper maintenance and cleaning, this sediment can come through the tap in your running water.
Make the Switch to Tankless
When choosing a replacement for a major appliance in your home, there are a lot of factors to weigh. For water heater replacement, you must consider the size of your household and your hot water needs.
If the people who live there take numerous showers and do plentiful loads of laundry and endless dishes, you need a high volume of hot water available at any given time. You’ll also need to think about up-front costs. A tankless water heater can be a bit pricier, but don’t forget to consider the future savings you’ll get from an energy-efficient tankless unit.
Now that we’ve given you some information on the main benefits of tankless water heaters, we feel the choice to switch will come effortlessly for you. When you are ready to purchase a new water heater for your home in Anaheim, CA or the surrounding areas, call on the experts from Splash Plumbing to guide you.
We will provide you with all the information you need to make a wise decision for your household. Once you’ve settled on the water heater you want, we’ll make installing it painless with a professional, courteous installation. You can also count on us for any other residential or commercial plumbing service you need.
Ready to install a new tankless water heater in your home? Call the expert plumbers at Splash Plumbing and start saving money, energy, and hassle with endless hot water.
