Are Tankless Water Heaters Better?

If you’re in the market for a new water heater or if you’re just trying to make your home as energy-efficient as possible, you may be wondering if tankless water heaters are better than traditional models. Really, there are pros and cons to a tankless unit so the decision is not black and white – it’s more of an individual one.

For starters, let’s analyze the benefits of a tankless water heater:

They will never run out of hot water – nice!
The last 5 to 10 years longer than tank units.
They are more energy-efficient.
They do not involve standby heat loss.
They are smaller than tank models.
They can be installed on a wall.
Because of their design, they don’t have any issues with flooding.
Most of the units can be operated by remote control.
They can be installed outside with an anti-freeze kit.
A small unit can even be installed in a closet or under a cabinet.
They can save you up to 20 percent on your water heating costs.
The electrical units are Earth-friendly because they don’t emit greenhouse gasses.

What Are the Drawbacks?

The drawbacks or cons of a tankless water heater include:

They cost a lot more than a tank unit, up to three times more.
It may be necessary to add a larger natural gas line so the unit can be supplied with enough fuel.
The gas-powered units do emit greenhouse gasses.
The electric models do use a lot of energy.
Due to the lag time, you may need to run the water to get hot water, which can increase the amount of water waste.
The electric units may require an additional circuit.

To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of tankless water heaters, click here to see what energy.gov has to say about them! If you need help repairing or replacing a hot water heater, Contact Excalibur Plumbing today.