Tankless Water Heater - A Good Idea?

Do you have a burning desire to "go green"? Then a tankless hot water heater is an efficient alternative to the conventional energy wasting tank type hot water heater. Let's take a look at how they stack up against one another.

When you compare traditional tank heaters to tankless, it becomes very obvious that energy efficiency was not a concern when the tank heater was designed. If you think of it logically, why would you continuously keep a tank of hot water when you could just as easily heat it as needed?

Using that logic, we would keep our food warm on the stove all the time "just in case we needed it?"

Now, the two common types of tankless water heaters electric or gas. If you're going for a entire house unit the gas tankless water heater is a better choice. Most of the electric units available today just don't have the capacity to supply hot water to an entire house. Gas tankless water heaters, on the other hand, have sufficient flow rates, which allow for simultaneous hot water usage.

The drawback with gas is the cost associated with installation. Installation should be handled by a qualified professional and unless you consider yourself in this category, you should hire an experienced contractor. Setting up a gas unit typically involves the running of gas lines, special combustion requirements, and the running of the exhaust system.

Electric tankless water heaters are great when utilized at a point of use hot water location. They can be used in bathrooms, kitchens or remote locations like your hot tub. And because they're right at the hot water source, they can be very efficient.