In the quest to save money on energy bills, many homeowners are looking toward tankless water heaters. Up to just a few years ago, these appliances were relatively rare in the U.S., while quite popular overseas.
Tankless water heaters essentially replace your existing traditional electric or gas water heater, and give you and your family hot water on demand. This not only avoids an empty hot water storage tank that your kids have to wait to refill before they can have a shower; it also eliminates a water tank that sits around constantly reheating water, whether you need it or not. You also won’t have to let your tap run as long before the water gets hot, which, in turn, helps save on water consumption.
Tankless water heaters can provide an unlimited amount of hot water, but only if the system has been sized for your household’s expected needs. Often, one whole-house system will be unable to serve more than one or two simultaneous uses. This issue can be addressed by installing one or more point-of-use tankless units at remote or high-demand places in your home, to supplement the work of the whole-house tankless water heater.
Although some tankless water heaters can be expensive to install, especially the gas-fueled models that require plumbing and venting adjustments, Energy.gov estimates that a family can save between 8 and 50 percent yearly on their energy bills by installing them versus traditional water heaters. This can also improve the resale value of your home as they’re usually considered an upgrade over traditional water-heating systems.
The life span of tankless water heaters is higher than their traditional counterparts, and you can increase their efficiency by having them regularly inspected. Some homeowners add them to the list of appliances that are regularly maintained by their heating and cooling specialists, as regular maintenance saves both energy and money while maintaining optimum performance.
If you’re considering a tankless water heater and have any questions, Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning will be happy to help you. We’ve proudly served Lorain, Erie, & Cuyahoga counties for 50 years, so feel free to contact us today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about tankless water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area