If you are replacing your storage tank water heater or are installing a new one in a new construction or commercial building, you may be considering a tankless water heater. These take up much less space for installation and are more efficient than storage water heaters. They also offer a constant supply of hot water, as long as they're sized correctly for your needs. The initial cost may be higher for purchase and installation, but in the long run a tankless unit should last much longer than a storage water heater and save much more in monthly water heating costs, since a tankless unit doesn't need to keep 40-50 gallons of water heated constantly.
Proper Installation
As much as possible, the tankless water heater should be installed near your water outlets – bathrooms, washer, dishwasher, etc. If you have two bathrooms or other major water uses at opposite sides of the home or on different floors, it may be more efficient to install two or more tankless units, a main one and then one or more point-of-use heaters.
Adjusting to a Tankless Water Heater
Since tankless water heating systems heat the water on demand, you and your family will have to adapt to the how the system provides the heated water. With a tankless system, you'll want to avoid turning on the faucets full blast, since the water heater will struggle to heat that much water at once.
Another factor to be aware of – if the tankless unit is a long distance from the water outlet, you'll have to wait a few seconds for the hot water to arrive. The water that's naturally left in the pipes when you shut off a faucet gets cold. When you turn on the hot water, that cold water has to flush out before you get the hot water. A special re-circulation system will prevent this problem.
For more information about water heating and other home-comfort issues, please contact us at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide exceptional HVAC services to the Fort Wayne area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area 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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