Tankless Water Heaters

tankless water heater
Double-circuit gas boiler in a new house for winter heating and water heating.

What is a Tankless Water Heater?

A tankless water heater is a device that heats potable hot water using natural gas or propane. When you turn on the faucet, cold water travels through pipes into the unit where it passes through either an electric coil or a gas burner. The water is heated directly without storing it in a tank so you have constant supply of hot water.

Since there is no standing water in the unit, a tankless water heater takes up much less space than a storage-type water heater that uses electricity or gas to heat stored water so you have hot water available on demand. If your hot water usage is at least 3 gallons per minute, you’ll want a continuous flow of hot water. If your hot water usage is less than 3 gallons per minute, you can use a storage-type water heater.

Not only are tankless water heaters small in size, most newer models are attractive enough to be installed as part of the decor of your home and they come in a variety of colors and finishes so it’s easy to find one that matches your décor.

The Advantages

One advantage of a tankless water heater is that it serves your hot water needs on demand. When you turn on the faucet, hot water comes out immediately instead of having to wait for the storage-type tank to fill up.

Another advantage with this type of unit is energy savings. Tankless models can save as much as 33 percent on your annual water heating costs.

  • They’re smaller than a regular water heater and can be put on the wall.
  • When you open your hot-water tap, each unit heats the water only when necessary.
  • Water heaters usually operate on natural gas or propane.
  • They provide a continual supply of hot water, which is perfect for filling a large hot tub or a whirlpool.
  • They save money on energy by eliminating the need for maintaining 40 to 50 gallons of hot water in a storage tank.

Electric vs. Gas

When it comes to tankless water heaters, you can choose between an electric and a gas-powered model. Both will save you money in energy costs when compared to a traditional storage hot-water heater that needs to maintain 40 or 50 gallons of water at the right temperature at all times.

The main difference is how they work:

An electric tankless water heater heats the water using energy stored in a large battery inside the unit. Therefore, you have no ongoing costs for heating the hot water. However, if your home’s power goes out or you experience an electrical outage, then there will be no hot water until the electricity returns.

A gas-powered tankless water heater heats the water using a gas burner within the unit. Once you have a gas line installed to your location, there is no ongoing cost for heating water because you only pay for the gas used to do so. With this type of model, it’s possible that you could experience decreased hot-water flow during high demand periods if the gas line pressure is not sufficient.

Call Today To Get Your Quote

At Plumbing Tree we install only the best tankless water heaters, so call us today for a quote. Give us a call or request an appointment online. We proudly serve customers throughout San Diego County.

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