When it comes to underappreciated appliances within your home, the water heater is likely pretty high on the list. Although you appreciate a hot shower each morning, and hot water to clean dishes in as well as wash your clothes with, you may be like the hundreds of other homeowners throughout your community who take this appliance for granted—whether intentional or not. As important as it is to care for this system on an annual basis, it’s also vital that you have a system that’s working as efficiently as possible for your home.
Most homeowners have the conventional storage tank water heater installed in their home—and this is a fine choice for many. Today’s models are very efficient and effective. However, storage tank water heaters do have their disadvantages—one of the biggest being the risk of heat loss as warm water sits in the tank without being used. This is where a Wesley Chapel, FL tankless water heater comes in—these systems provide many benefits that you miss with the traditional water heater. But is it right for you?
Why You Should Consider a Tankless Water Heater
According to an estimate from the U.S. Department of Energy, gas-fired tankless water heaters can save you over $100 in energy costs per year over their traditional tank counterparts. That is not the only advantage of these systems, however.
- Tankless Systems save Space: Tankless water heaters have a compact design. Due to this, they can be installed pretty much anywhere, and do not take up the considerable room that a traditional model would. With a traditional model, you’d need to use a closet or have space in your garage for easy access of such a system. On the contrary with a tankless model, you’d have this space available for storage or whatever else you may need room for.
- Tankless Models Last Longer: Most manufacturers provide about a 6-10 year warranty on storage tank water heaters. They can last longer than this, but not quite as long as a tankless system, which usually comes with a 15 year warranty. They work more efficiently, and therefore as long as they are well cared for, they won’t need to be replaced as quickly as the storage tank systems.
- Tankless Systems are More Efficient: Tankless water heaters do not experience the level of heat loss that storage tank water heaters do. This is because they work on-demand. Meaning that instead of providing water from a storage tank, when you turn on your hot water tap the water from your main line is brought it directly, and heated by elements within the system.
What Are the Drawbacks?
Tankless water heaters aren’t for everybody. One factor to keep in mind is cost—although these systems do save you money on a monthly basis, they are more expensive to install due to their high-efficiency. In fact, the installation of a tankless system could cost as much as three times the cost of a storage tank water heater installation.
Tankless water heaters do also have a slight delay in providing hot water—you’ll need to wait longer from the time you turn on the tap for the hot water to arrive than you would with the traditional model. If these two disadvantages are not a big factor for you, however, then a tankless water heater is certainly the way to go!
Whether you are looking to install or service a water heater or need some other type of plumbing service in your home, you can count on IERNA’s Heating & Cooling to do the job right. Get in touch with our team today!