Are you considering an upgrade to your water heater, and wondering what the benefits of a tankless water heater vs. tank system? Whether it’s time to replace your water heater or you’re just considering your options for an upgrade, tankless or “on demand” hot water can offer some significant advantages. If your home has natural gas or propane, it qualifies for a tankless water heater. Here are a few reasons to consider a tankless water heater.

Unlimited Hot Water

There’s no ruder awakening than your water running cold before you’re ready to turn it off, but you can say goodbye to shortened showers with a tankless water heater. Because the water is heated in the pipes as you use it, there’s no end to the hot water. You can take as long of a shower as you would like, or everyone in the family can shower right after one another without it running cold.

Hot Water When You Want It

Another advantage to going tankless is hot water whenever you want it. The term “on demand” can be misleading since you’ll have to let the water run for a few minutes to clear the cold water from the pipes, especially if you’re using a faucet far from the water heater. But that problem can easily be resolved with the addition of a recirculation pump, which periodically recirculates the water in the line during peak times, such as in the mornings when everyone is showering.

Longer Heater Life

A new traditional water heater usually needs to be replaced every ten years or so. Switching to a tankless water heater may sound appealing since they last much longer before needing to be replaced. A well-maintained tankless water heater should last at least twenty years before needing to be replaced, and possibly longer if you opt to replace individual parts instead.

Less Risk of Water Damage

Another advantage of a tankless water heater is that it has a less dramatic way of failing. On the other hand, traditional water heater sits full of water day in and day out, so corrosion often takes them out of commission before their heating elements go bad. And when a water tank corrodes, most likely it’s going to dump its contents at some point, resulting in flooding and water damage inside your home. With a tankless water heater, on the other hand, when it goes it’s most likely just to stop heating the water, so a cold shower will be the worst you have to endure.

Space Saving

Tankless water heaters are ideal for smaller homes, or anywhere else where you don’t want to dedicate a lot of space to storing hot water. Unlike a traditional water heater, where you have to make room to store all the hot water you might want for showers, loads of laundry or doing the dishes, a tankless water heater has no need to store anything. You just need to find room for the water heater itself, which is fairly small in comparison, and can easily be mounted against a wall.

Energy Efficient and Environmentally Friendly

Last but not least, tankless hot water provides a way for you to be environmentally conscious without sacrificing your comfort. Because you’re not wasting energy on keeping a large tank of water hot and at the ready all the time, you are ensuring that you only use energy to heat the water when you actually need it. The energy savings are reduced somewhat if you install a recirculation pump, which uses energy to periodically recirculate and reheat the water in the pipes, but they can be manually turned on and off or programmed to run only when you’re likely to use the hot water a lot, which once again means only heating the water when you actually need it.

Comparing a Tankless Water Heater vs. Tank System

If you’re having a hard time understanding the differences or making a decision, don’t hesitate to talk to a professional. Call Your Neighborhood Plumber, Shane Elmore Plumbing today, and one of our experienced technicians will be happy to discuss your hot water usage and determine which type of system is right for you.