Tankless Water Heater

8 Responses to “What Are The Benefits For Using A Tankless Water Heater Instead Of A Conventional One?”

1. skirickf
   February 9th, 2010 @ 6:37 pm

   One of the major benefits is that they can be located nearly anywhere you need hot water and have access to electricity. You can mount one under the kitchen sink for doing the dishes, or under a bath lav in the vanity cabinet for hand washing, etc. Larger units for supplying hot water for showers, baths, etc, can be mounted in a central location in the house so that the hot water doesn’t have to travel so far before it’s used. Also some of the larger tankless heaters are gas fired, instead of electric, if you have that preference. And not all tankless heaters are slow, it depends on the brand, type and size heater you get.

2. Corky R
   February 9th, 2010 @ 8:07 pm

   Advantages: Instant hot water at the point of usage. Saves Energy due to fact no losses in pipes and tank.
   Disadvantages: An expensive gadget that wont wont save you a dime in the long run. Those things are expensive to buy and expensive when one goes on the blink. Dont buy them they are more gadets that can break and require an expensive tech to get going again properly.
   The cost of buying one and installation and yes yes, that maintenance and repair far far exceeds the savings ever in energy costs.

3. James M
   February 10th, 2010 @ 2:10 am

   On-Demand water heaters are popular in Europe. Hotels and larger housing facilities however do not use them as often as private homes.
   They save energy in that they do not maintin heat in a large quantity of water for a sustained time period, they only heat the water as it flows through the coil on its way to the faucet,tub,shower.
   If you bathe in a tub there is no difference to speak of unless it is fuel savings. At the sink the diference is hardly noticable either.
   In the shower however it becomes a trial and error and trial and error and trial and error process to adjust the temperature. As the heat of the water reaches its set point the flame stops,then as cold water passes the set point the flame returns and so forth. It is a matter of the devices quality and proper time lag settings that even this out but even then should some one flush a toilet the heater can again be thrown into a cycling spasm.
   The ones that I suffered the most under were the ones attached to the lines in the bathroom–they are considerably smaller than reservoir heaters and can be mounted on a wall, well above the floor. They are also sort of noisy.

4. klby
   February 10th, 2010 @ 8:19 am

   The main benefit is potential savings in the long run, however the initial cost is about 2 1/2 times more than a standard one, the venting is very expensive and the more people that use the shower, tub, dishwasher, sink etc the less water pressure you will have.
   I sell both types and rarely recommend the tankless units.

5. mobildik
   February 10th, 2010 @ 9:14 am

   1. You dont have to wait for the water at the tap to warm up. Heat is practically immediate.
   2. If it is new construction or in a remote area of the home, less piping is required.
   Downside:
   more expensive to buy, and run, but you are not paying to store hot water…
   You will have to weigh the factors to see if it is economical. There are many obscure possibilitys that will warrant the installation. but, other than the convenience of hot water right now! It is costly, as gas is cheaper than electric toheat water.

6. Dr. Feelgood
   February 10th, 2010 @ 2:42 pm

   Benefits:
   - Virtually limitless supply of hot water. I have one and use the hot water spigot for the washing machine to fill up a 250-gallon hot tub piping hot in about 20 minutes.
   - They take up very little space. Even the bigger ones (more flow capacity) that can feed a whole house are about the size of a carry-on airplane bag.
   - Very efficient. You are heating the water you need, not the water that sits in a tank and needs to be maintained hot for whenever you do need it.
   - They don’t need special strapping (particularly in seismic zones). Tank water heaters, by code in most areas, need to have special strapping to keep them in place in case of earthquake or whatever.
   Cons:
   - They’re pretty expensive. I got a 6.9 GPM Noritz on eBay last year for $1000 delivered.
   - By code, they must have a 3/4-inch gas and water supply to them, plus a 3/4-inch hot water feed line. This makes installation expensive, particularly if you have to run new gas and water pipes.
   - If you lose power and have an electric-starting water heater, there is no reserve hot water (no tank full of hot water).
   - Smaller units are problematic. I bought the 6.9 GPM unit to replace a 3.2 GPM unit. The 3.2 GPM unit would provide hot water to one appliance and maybe a faucet at a time. But, the flowrate was very low.
   A tankless water heater is rated at a certain flowrate. But, that is based on a 55-degree F change from cold to hot. If the water coming in is at 65 degrees and you have the thermostat set for 120 degrees, you’ll get the maximum rated flow (65 + 55 = 120 degrees).
   But, if the water coming in is at 55 degrees and you have the thermostat set for 120 degrees, the flowrate decreases, because the water must spend more time in the heating elements to reach 120 degrees. This means less hot water pressure if you’re trying to run multiple appliances (dishwasher and washing machine) while taking a shower, for example.
   But, if you are willing to spend what it takes to purchase and install a high-flowrate unit (about 7 GPM or more), you’ll wonder how you ever got along without a tankless water heater.

7. Paul in San Diego
   February 10th, 2010 @ 6:17 pm

   Saves energy and less expensive to operate.
   A traditional tank system keeps all the water in the tank hot 24 hours a day and thus uses alot of energy.
   The tankless system heats the water as you use it.

8. T.J.
   February 10th, 2010 @ 7:09 pm

   The main benefit is saving money! The cost upfront is a little higher, but the money you will save will add up quickly. Don’t waste your time in the home center either. Find a local plumbing supply house and go in and discuss your concerns with an inside sales person. They can answer your questions in depth and provide you with quality information. Research online; a couple of good brands are Takagi and Rannai.

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