Should You Consider a Tankless Water Heater?

We’ve all heard of them. They’re called Tankless Water Heaters and they’ve become very popular.

So what exactly makes them so appealing? Are they really that much better in the long run than traditional hot water tanks? What about the costs involved?

Tankless Hot Water Heaters take up minimal space because they don’t store water in them. They’re powered by gas or electricity and water is heated as it flows through the coils of a series of hot burners at a rate of 200,000 BTU/hour.

There are three types of systems:  the first functions by heating the entire home using radiant piping, the second heats domestic water for household use (bathing and cooking) and the third effectively does both – radiant floor heating and water for bathing etc.

Some of the positives are of course that they allow for way more storage space as they take up so little room. They’re also highly efficient using approx. 30% less energy than conventional systems which will translate into money saved and there’s an endless supply of hot water.

Unfortunately they are quite expensive costing $2500-$3500 to purchase and they must be installed properly to last for longer than 15 years. The can also be leased. They require a large gas pipe (if using gas) and proper ventilation which can be challenging in terms of finding the best space for installing them. They’re quite complex and can be tricky and expensive to maintain. As well, sometimes it takes a long time for the water to heat up.

They’ve been used in Europe and Asia since WW2 and have become very popular in North America during the last decade or so.  At some point in the very near future it is likely that they will be the norm as they grow in appeal and become less expensive to purchase.