Tankless water heaters, also referred as on-demand water heaters, heat water only when it is needed around the house or at the office. A tankless water heater saves you money and significantly lower your utility bill since it does not attract standby energy loss. Unlike most traditional water heaters which store water, on-demand water heater heat water directly without the use of any storage tank.
How do they really work? Cold water runs through a pipe into the heater unit and from here, the water will either be heated using gas or electric furnace. As a result, tankless water heaters ensure a constant flow of hot water. Typically, this water heater delivers heated water at a rate of 2-5 gallons per minute meaning, you get to enjoy every minute of showering without the fear of shower running cold. In addition, instant heating of water through tankless water heaters reduces the time normally wasted as you wait for a storage tank to fill in a conventional heater unit.
It is estimated that if a house utilizes about 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, on-demand tankless water heaters can be 24% to 34% more energy efficient than a tradition storage tank water heaters. However, between gas-fired and electric tankless water heaters, the gas furnace heater produces higher flow rates. Although, hot water consumption will vary with the size of the household and in most cases, even the largest gas-furnaced unit cannot satisfy the high demand of hot water large households have. For instance, multiple usages of hot water like dishwashing or showering tend to push tankless water heater to its limit.
It’s therefore important that you access how hot water is being used around the house and whether it will be necessary to install additional water heaters. Likewise, you can designate a specific tankless water heater for simple uses around the house like dishwashing or laundry. This will off-load the burden on one water heater and ensure a constant supply of hot water.
In conclusion, if you are aiming to optimize energy efficiency, proper installation and regular maintenance of tankless water heater are required. Proper installation entails several factors such as climate, fuel type, local building codes, and safety requirements. As a result, it’s recommended that you consult expert plumbing services to do the installation for you. But if you are looking to have a do-it-yourself home project, kindly consult with the unit manufacturer for installation manuals. While at that, you also need a permit for before you begin the installation
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