The tankless water heater has been around for more than a century. But not until the last few decades did the technology reach a point where installing one in a house made for a viable alternative to the standard storage-tank water heater. Because many people still know little about tankless water heaters, a number of myths and misconceptions about them have popped up.
We offer tankless water heater installation in Surprise, AZ and the surrounding areas, and we don’t want potential customers to miss out on the tankless benefits because of these misunderstandings, or for them to assume a tankless water heater can do something it can’t. Below we’ve provided the truth about a few of these misconceptions.
“Tankless water heaters deliver instantly hot water to taps”
This confuses two separate types of hot water systems. People who want to have “instant hot” water from their taps should look into a hot water recirculation system, which keeps a supply of hot water moving through the hot water lines at all times. A tankless water heater still has a delay before the water from the tap become hot because the unit heats up the water supply as required.
“Tankless water heaters can’t handle most homes’ needs”
The basic idea of a water heater with no storage capacity makes it seem as if it couldn’t hope to meet demand in a house. But a tankless water heater can heat up enough hot water when called on to meet the requirements of most homes—provided professionals match a unit with proper flow rate and temperature differential to the house. Too much demand from multiple taps can overwhelm a tankless system, but for the majority of homes, a tankless system should have no trouble providing sufficient hot water.
“Tankless water heaters cost too much to be worth it”
Yes, tankless water heaters cost more than the average storage tank water heater. However, the investment pays off over the years thanks to the high energy efficiency of tankless systems. Because tankless water heaters don’t suffer from standby energy loss (as they have no tank of stored water to lose energy), they consume less energy to run. Not only that, but tankless systems have longer lifespans and require fewer repairs. You can expect to have your initial investment paid back many times.
“Tankless water heaters only work with natural gas”
Most tankless water heaters use natural gas to run. The majority of homes use natural gas for heating because of its power, efficiency, and cost. However, tankless water heaters come in different models as well, such as electric and propane options. But for electric homes, we often recommend customers look into a heat pump water heater as an alternative to either tank or tankless systems.
“Any tank water heater can be swapped out for a tankless water heater”
In many cases, a tankless water heater installation requires some change to the gas lines and the venting. Installation isn’t as simple as tearing out one unit and putting in another. This is one of the many reasons to only work with professionals when you want to make the change to tankless.
The Trusted Plumber serves Glendale, AZ and the surrounding communities. Call us for information about our water heater services.
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