When to Choose a Tankless Water Heater

Have you been wondering if a tankless water heater is right for your family? The answer to that question is: it depends. The reason for this answer is because each family needs to assess what they want to accomplish by having a tankless water heater instead of a conventional tank water heater. Review the benefits of each to make your determination.

Beneficial Aspects of Tankless Water Heaters

1. A tankless water heater uses much less space than a conventional water heater, making it ideal for apartments, condos, and small homes. This is also beneficial when one wants to take the space the old heater is using and convert it to something more useable, such as a pantry or linen closet.
2. The typical lifespan of a tankless water heater can be up to three times longer than a tank water heater. How much longer it will last depends upon the quality of water and various other factors.
3. Generally you will see a water heating cost savings with a tankless water heater because it is not heating 40 or more gallons of water all the time.  Instead, it only heats water when you need it.

Beneficial Aspects of Tank Water Heaters

1. Replacing a tank water heater with another tank water heater does not usually require any extra pipe work and costs less, making this option about half to one-third the cost of a tankless water heater.
2. The amount of hot water you can get is limited only by the size of the tank you have, and that can be increased by putting in a larger capacity tank water heater. While a tankless water heater supplies hot water on demand, it can have trouble keeping up if there are multiple sources putting demand on it at once.
3. Depending on the plumbing service you use, they may have these in stock, whereas a tankless water heater may need to be ordered. This isn’t always the case, so check with your plumbing company about availability when making a decision based on this aspect.

If you are still unsure when to choose a tankless water heater, give a call to a plumbing company that has experience in both types. They will be able to guide you more specifically by factoring in your family’s specific needs and local utility costs.