Questions and Answers About Tankless Water Heaters

Homeowners sometimes find themselves faced with the decision of replacing an old or failing water heater. If you struggle with high utility bills because of your water heater's inefficiency, or if you'd simply like to choose the water heater for your new home as wisely as possible, you may want to consider a tankless water heater.

Tankless water heaters can offer some definite advantages over their tank-based counterpart, but you need to understand how they work, why they make sense, and what kind of unit you might need before you buy one. The following questions and answers about tankless water heaters should help you make a more informed decision.

What Happens Inside a Tankless Water Heater?

A tankless heater consists largely of a heat exchanger that uses powered coils to heat small quantities of water at a time instead of an entire tank's worth. As cold water from an outside line passes through the heat exchanger, it heats up to the desired temperature. The heated water then exits the unit and flows to your plumbing appliances.

Both the cold-water line and the hot-water line contain valves. The hot-water valve releases excess pressure from the heating process that might otherwise prove dangerous, while the cold-water valve allows you to flush the system of mineral deposits the water leaves behind. Sensors monitor and control water temperature and flow.

Why Do Tankless Water Heaters Conserve Energy?

When you operate a traditional water heater, you use that water heater's full capacity to heat its entire contents, whether your family actually needs that much hot water or not. Much of that water may go unused and cool off, representing wasted electricity or gas power that you end up paying for every month.

Since a tankless water heater only supplies hot water on demand, it can heat just enough hot water to give you that steamy shower or comfortably warm tub, instead of laboring to keep an entire tankful of water hot 24 hours a day. This on-demand heating offers obvious energy savings, which can mean lower utility bills.

What Other Benefits Do Tankless Water Heaters Offer?

Because tankless water heaters only need to heat a small quantity of water at a time, they can deliver that hot water almost instantly, although it still takes a little while to reach showerheads or faucets. Meanwhile, their ability to flush out minerals prevents the buildups that can impair the performance of traditional water heaters.

Tankless water heaters can prove highly practical for other reasons as well. Their small size lets you tuck them away in a corner or hang them on the wall, maximizing your home’s usable square footage. They typically feature recyclable, replaceable parts that resist corrosion, greatly extending their service life.

What Variables Should Shoppers Consider?

Tankless water heaters come in a variety of sizes and capacities, allowing you to choose the size that best suits your household's needs. However, actually making that choice can prove challenging because of the many factors that come into play, from how much hot water you use to how many gallons per minute the unit can heat.

Another variable involves the temperature of the groundwater in your area. Here in Southern California, with its relatively warm groundwater temperatures, a gas-powered unit that can heat seven gallons per minute (or an electric model that can generate 18 kilowatts) can replace a 50-gallon traditional water heater.

If you think you might want to install a tankless water heater in your home, assign that task to the plumbing experts at Drain Right. Our team can answer all your questions, help you select the right kind of water heater for your home, and provide expert installation and maintenance for years to come. Contact us today.