The Most Common Questions About Tankless Water Heaters

As homeowners, we can be resistant to change. Our home is our prized possession and we always want to preserve its value. We often fear making any changes because we think it will negatively affect our home in some way. For example, we are always hesitant about installing a tankless water heater. It sounds like it could be a good idea, but is it worth the risk? Perhaps we should learn a little bit more about what the technology entails.

Tankless water heaters deviate significantly from a conventional gas-powered unit with a storage tank. They are much more energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan. However, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding tankless water heaters and we want to help dispel any myths that are out there.

The technology is becoming a lot more popular in the United States because it supplies you with hot water on demand. Gas-powered systems typically store warm water inside a 40-gallon tank. Even when you are not using it, your water heater is running at all times to ensure that you have hot water on standby. A tankless system does not store hot water, and instead supplies it to you when as you use it.

Once you activate the hot water to your faucet, it triggers the water heater to turn on. Whether you have an electric or gas-powered system, the heating elements will spring into action and rapidly heat the water as it passes through the unit. The entire process is instantaneous and you won’t have to wait a while for hot water to arrive at your faucet. Once you stop using your hot water, the heating elements will automatically shut off. Your system only consumes energy when you activate it.

The money you save on monthly energy bills will depend on the model that you install in your home. The size of the unit and the energy source – electricity or gas – will play a role in what you’ll pay every month. You can save anywhere between 5% to 69% off your hot water heating bill. With a traditional storage tank, you have 40 to 50 gallons of hot water on standby at any time during the day. Eliminating the need to store your hot water is going to greatly reduce your energy consumption.

Tankless water heaters are extremely energy efficient because you are activating them only when you need access to hot water. You are not storing hot water, which will require you to re-heat it constantly, which is a waste of energy – especially if you don’t require large quantities of hot water. Conserving energy also equates to saving money and minimizing waste. Also, most tankless water heaters will supply you with an endless amount of hot water, provided that you size the unit appropriately. 

Here are some additional benefits of a tankless system:

• The units are compact and you can install them in many different areas throughout your home. 
• The simple yet forward-thinking design of a tankless water heater makes it easier to repair and replace any broken components. With proper care and maintenance, your tankless system will last you a lifetime.
• Most units are recyclable, so they won’t end up in landfills.
• The unit will maintain its efficiency for most of its lifespan. With hot water storage tanks, efficiency tends to decrease continually over time. That’s because the minerals contained inside the water tend to bake onto the wall of the tank.

This depends on the size of your household. A single unit for the most part will be enough for a home with four people living there. Most tankless systems can supply enough hot water for two people who are showering at the same time.

This is a question we get a lot from residents of the greater Las Vegas community. With a tankless system, it’s much less likely for minerals to settle inside a water column. However, hard water can still make its way into your home plumbing fixtures. We recommend that you consider installing a water softener if the problem is getting out of hand.

These are smaller water heaters that you install at a single plumbing fixture within your home. They have a single specific application, such as supplying hot water for a faucet in your bathroom or a kitchen sink. You will find most units that are point-of-use at a remote sink in an office setting.

There are two reasons to install a point-of-use water heater. One is to supply hot water to a remote plumbing fixture that your hot water heating system does not reach. The other reason is to eliminate the wait time for hot water at a particular faucet. Point-of-use water heaters essentially offer you a lot more convenience and they allow you to save water instead of letting your faucet run until the hot water arrives. They usually go directly underneath your sink.

Choosing the right model to deliver you enough hot water to sustain your needs will depend ultimately on the size of your household. You should also gauge your water-using habits. How many showers will be running simultaneously in a day? There are several models available to you that will deliver enough hot water for your entire family throughout an average day.

The experts at Las Vegas Water Heater Replacement are always willing to help solve your water heating issues. We possess all the experience and training to provide you with premium repair services and replacements. If you want to learn more about what we can do for you, then go ahead and give us a call. One of our representatives will tell you everything you need to know!