The 3 Benefits of a Tankless Water Heater

Without a working water heater, you would not be able to enjoy a hot shower or wash your dishes. Like all the appliances in your Baltimore home, however, your water heater will not last forever. If your unit is less than ten years old, repairs may still be cost effective; however, if your water heater is more than a decade old it’s time to consider replacing it. Many older Baltimore-area homes still use storage tank water heaters, but when it’s time to replace yours, consider the advantages of a tankless model. Read on to find out more about the advantages of a tankless water heater.

How Tankless Water Heaters Work

Standard tank-style water heaters hold a large reservoir of water at a high temperature, and turning on a hot water tap in your home draws water from the tank.
Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, do not store any water. When you turn on a hot water tap, the appliance heats up the water flowing through it as you need it. Depending on your home’s water usage and natural gas availability, you can choose from various electric or gas water heaters in the Baltimore area.

Convenience Advantages

If several members of your household need to take showers in quick succession—on a weekday morning before work or school, for example—a tank-style water heater may not hold enough to allow everyone to have hot water for more than a few minutes. Once the tank is empty, it may take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to fully heat the next supply of water up to a suitable temperature. A tankless heater, on the other hand, provides a constant stream of hot water. You can also install smaller point-of-use models for your washing machine and dishwasher, or use one for each bathroom in the home.

Economic and Environmental Advantages

Tank-style water heaters inevitably waste some energy, since they must keep the reservoir of water hot constantly. This wasted energy is called standby heat loss. Though you can minimize standby heat loss by insulating your pipes and the tank, your water heater will still consume energy overnight and during the day, especially during the wintertime when the ambient temperature is much cooler. Installing a tankless water heater will conserve energy, because when you are not using hot water, a tankless heater is not switched on and thus does not use any gas or electricity. Not only does this conserve natural resources, it also means that your monthly utility bills will be lower.

If you have any more questions about tankless water heaters and live in the Baltimore area, submit these questions to our Ask the Expert page. You can also learn more about your home heating and cooling options when you visit our homepage.