When we say “water heater,” what image springs to your mind? It’s likely a big storage tank with a number of pipes and lines sticking out of it, right?
Now, take away the tank and replace it with a much smaller box.
You might be confused at this point—how is a box going to keep all that water hot? Well, because it’s much more than just a box. It’s a tankless water heater.
This type of water heater is just about exactly what it sounds like—it is a hot water heater that doesn’t require the use of a large storage tank to hold gallons of water until it can be used. Also called an on-demand system, it’s space-saving and prevents flooding, among other benefits. Read on as we uncover facts about tankless systems that will make you want to upgrade today!
Tankless Systems Are Energy Efficient
The problem with storage tank water heaters, especially older ones, is they experience standby heat loss. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, do not have to consistently keep gallons of water heated at a time, using between 30-50% less energy than a standard tank water heater.
Instead, when you turn on a hot water tap, a heat exchanger cycles on inside the tankless system, and the water is warmed as it passes over that heat exchanger.
Tankless Systems Use Less Water
Tankless systems are on-demand systems, like we mentioned above. This means they only heat water as it is requested, rather than holding onto water unnecessarily. This means you ultimately use and pay for far less water use.
Tankless Systems Take Up Less Space
Without the large, bulky multi-gallon tank, your tankless system uses up a lot less space than its tank water heater counterpart. This means more space for you to use in your garage, basement, hall closet, or wherever you have had to find room for a tank system before.
Their Limitations Can Be Easily Resolved
One of the complaints about tankless systems is that they do struggle to meet large water demands at one time. This means if someone is taking a shower while the dishwasher is running, but the clothes washer is also going, you may find that you can’t get hot water to all those taps at the same time.
This can be resolved by first ensuring that you have the proper size tankless water heater to begin with, which we can help you with. A second option is to install an additional tankless system, or a small tank system that manages one area, such as the bathtubs and showers, or dishwasher and washing machine. One last option is to make sure you’re staggering your time when using hot water appliances.
Remember, the best way to ensure that your tankless or tank water heater performs at its best is to contact trained and experienced professionals to handle the installation and service needs you’ll have over the years. This is the only way you can rely on your water heater to work as effectively and efficiently as possible for as long as possible.
For expert plumbing service, installations, or maintenance contact Reliance Plumbing Sewer & Drainage, Inc. Our knowledgeable plumbers in Skokie, IL serve the North Shore and Northwest Chicago suburbs. Rely on Reliance!