Have you ever been taking a shower and run out of hot water while your shampoo in your hair is running into your eyes? I am sure it has happened to everyone at least once. You might have a teenager in the house that doesn’t know what a short shower is.
There could be many factors why you are running out of hot water. You could have a small water tank or the unit could be starting to fail. Also, as mentioned above, you could have a hot water hog in your house.
But, it doesn’t matter what the reason is, there is a wonderful solution. It’s a tankless heater. I know the word sounds like an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp, but that’s what it is called. And they are far superior to the traditional electric or gas tank water heaters.
What is the difference?
The traditional water tank, whether it is electric or gas, the hot water is stored in a tank, 40 gallon, 50 gallon or some other size. This is great for keeping a ready supply of hot water for immediate use. But, the problem is that all of that heated water sits around most of the day not being used. After time, the water cools and must be re-heated. Not only is this a waste of energy, but it’s a waste of your money!
With the tankless water heater there is no sizeable tank to speak of, so it isn’t constantly re-heating water. What it does is heat water on an “as needed” basis. You turn on the tap and it heats up the water while the faucet is open. When you turn off the water, it stops heating. What this means is that your child can take a half-an-hour shower and then you can get in the shower and still have plenty of hot water. You never have to worry about running out, because it heats the water immediately. Can you imagine the cost savings by only heating water when you need it?
Another problem with the old-fashioned water heaters is their potential to leak. Just think, all of that water just sitting there. Water, over time can damage the inside of the tank. This can lead to a leak or rupture of the tank, then “water water” everywhere. With a tankless heater, there is no tank to leak. Thus, another benefit is the avoidance of a major leak.
Finally, a great benefit of the tankless is its small size. A typical water heater needs a lot of space to be installed, three feet around and several feet tall. The tankless is just slightly thicker than the size of a standard laptop. All you need is some wall space to install it.
To sum it up, a tankless heater will always keep you in a hot shower. Never again will you need to “schedule” your hot water use in the house. They also save energy, but more importantly, money! And finally, they take up little amount of space.
With all of these benefits, a tankless heater is clearly better than the traditional style. If you are in need of a new hot water heater because of age or deterioration, consider the “new hotness” in tank design and go tankless.