Tankless versus traditional water heaters, which is right for
you?
For
homeowners looking to simultaneously save some of their hard-earned
money and improve upon their living space, finding alternative and
energy-efficient solutions to heating and cooling is often a good
first step to take. In this article, we'll be going over the
differences between tankless and traditional water heaters.
What is a tankless
water heater?
A tankless water heater is exactly what it
sounds like: a water heater, minus the tank. Traditional water
heaters require a large tank full of standing, heated water at all
times to function properly. Tankless water heaters, on the other
hand, draw in and heat the water in their systems on-demand. In
other words, tankless water heaters
eliminate the need to reserve space for storage tanks.
What is a
traditional water heater?
Traditional water heaters use
30-50 gallon storage tanks full of heated water to heat living
spaces. Traditional water heaters typically use either natural gas
or electricity as a fuel, with natural gas being the more efficient
- and more expensive - option of the two.
Tankless
versus traditional water heaters
There are several differences between tankless
and traditional water heaters:
-
Aesthetics. Tankless water heaters will almost always be more aesthetically pleasing than traditional water heaters simply because tankless water heaters don't require homeowners to reserve space for water storage tanks. This also makes tankless water heaters easier to inconspicuously install in a home.
-
Efficiency. Once again, when it comes to energy efficiency, tankless water heaters win. They only use energy when they are turned on, whereas traditional water heaters must constantly use energy to maintain a tank full of hot water in order to work. As a result, tankless water heaters have no ‘standby loss,' and are significantly more efficient - and therefore significantly easier on your water bill - than traditional water heaters.
-
Cost. This category is the first victory for traditional water heaters. They are significantly cheaper up-front than tankless water heaters, making them a good solution for homeowners on a budget that need heat fast. However, the cheaper up-front cost of traditional water heaters should also be caveated with the fact that tankless water heaters can save homeowners up to $1,800 over the life of a heater's system due to their increased long-term energy efficiency.
-
Maintenance. This is yet another win for traditional water heaters, depending on what kind of heater you buy. Low-end traditional water heaters will cost less to maintain than low-end tankless water heaters, while maintenance costs for higher-quality water heaters will remain fairly stagnant whether the heater is tankless or traditional.
In general, most homeowners will probably find
that, despite their higher up-front cost, a tankless water heater
will be a better option than a traditional water heater due to
their increased efficiency, aesthetics and general functionality.
If you're interested in having a new water
heater installed in your living space by efficient, affordable
professionals, then look no further! Here at Delta Mechanical, we've
been supplying our clients with reliable plumbing and heating
installation services for more than 30 years. To learn more about
what we can do for you, click
here.