The Fuss About Tankless Water Heaters

You’ve probably overheard a neighbor, a relative, or maybe someone in the grocery line talking about how much space they gained by converting to a new tankless water heater.  Or maybe one of your hybrid driving friends mentioned how much more efficient and ECO friendly their new tankless unit is.  Don’t fret, you’re at the right place to learn exactly what all the hype is about.  Home ReBuilders has been replacing those big hot water tanks with the super small tankless units for years now.

Before we discuss all the great details about tankless units, let’s talk about your existing water heater.  Did you know that most tank water heaters will need to be replaced after as little as 11 years of regular use?  If you’re really diligent about regular water heater maintenance your tank may make it a few more years than that – but when was the last time you performed maintenance on your water heater?  Unfortunately, a dying or dead water heater can lead one from rarely, if ever, even considering that the huge tank is even in your home to sitting on the edge of your seat with your fingers crossed hoping that you’re not about to be hit with a huge repair bill.  Coming home to find your beautiful hardwood floors and your new carpet completely drenched due to an unexpected tank leak , is something that NO-ONE wants to experience.  We suggest setting aside a few minutes as soon as possible to do a little research and find out exactly how old your existing tank is & create a replacement plan so that you’re not caught having to install all new flooring.

Tankless water heaters are exactly what their name implies – appliances that heat water for your home without using a tank, which relieves a significant amount of space.  Each time you turn on the hot water in your home the appliance jumps into action by heating the incoming water instantly as it flows into the home.  This heating process is achieved using either electric elements or gas burners.  When you turn the hot water back off the appliance “goes to sleep” until hot water is needed again.  This is one of the aspects that makes it so Eco friendly – it does not waste energy keeping a huge tank of water hot all the time.  According to some reports the energy savings realized by installing a tankless unit can be as high as 20% – which really begins to add up when you consider the reoccurring monthly savings.  Another great product of the unit not having to hold gallons and gallons of water is that its lifespan is dramatically higher than a tank – usually around 20 years, or about  twice what you can expect with your current tank.  It IS true that tankless units are more expensive than the old fashion tanks, but you really have to double the price of both the tank, double the cost of the labor required to change it and deduct the energy savings over 20 years in order to get a true apples to apples cost comparison.

There are more neat features to talk about, and some drawbacks as well.  If it’s time for YOU to start planning on avoiding a water catastrophe, give the knowledgeable team at Home ReBuilders a call & we will gladly help determine if tankless is the best option for you.