Tankless Water Heaters: Are They Worth It?
First, let’s discover how they work. When a hot water faucet is opened, water begins to flows through the water heater. By using a heat exchanger the water heater is able to heat the water as it passes through the device. When there is no hot water demand, the water heater remains off, or in standby mode, to conserve energy. Because of this, tankless water heaters only come on when they are needed, unlike tank-type units that must remain on constantly to heat the water they store in their tanks. Since they are on for less time, tankless water heaters generally save homeowners a good amount of money of their energy bill.
Of course, these benefits don’t come cheap. Tankless water heaters require a larger initial investment to purchase and install in your home. They are also somewhat more sophisticated than tank-type models, so performing your own repairs if something goes wrong is probably out of the question.
Whether or not you should make the switch to a tankless water heater really depends on your situation, and your needs, but they are certainly worth looking into. Despite their higher price tag, the money they will save you on your energy bill over time will more than make up for their purchase price.
Can’t make up your mind about what type of water heater you should buy? Maybe you should consider a hybrid water heater, which combines advantages from both tankless and tank-type units. Hybrid water heaters utilize a small reservoir of heated water to minimize the time it takes to deliver hot water, while still taking advantage of the heat exchange technology found in tankless models to help save you money.
Make sure to consider tankless water heaters the next time you need to replace your home’s water heater.
