A Tankless water heater heats the water only when there is a demand for hot water. Opening a hot water faucet, ignites the powerful burners and the computer monitors the water temperature and adjusts the burners according to the need. High demand, high heat. Low demand, low heat. With no tank to run out you get an endless supply of hot water. No tank to heat means no standby heat loss.

A storage tank water heater stores 40-75 gallons of hot 140*F water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week though you only use hot water a couple times a day. The tank type heaters constantly lose heat through the flue and tank walls trying to maintain 140*F. The heater cycles on and off to maintain this temperature. This causes cracking of the exterior walls and sediment build up which will eventually cause your storage tank to leak. The storage tank is designed to wear out and be replaced in time. The storage tank water heaters only have a limited amount of hot water and after that water is used you have to wait for the tank to heat the water again.

Utility savings with a Tankless Water Heater

For residential customer who pays $50.00/ month on natural gas for Domestic water heating (DHW) ONLY, we project average savings of 30% based on same usage pattern. (Best way to find DHW energy cost, is to look at Natural gas bill during summer without heating.)

With the usage pattern the same, savings with a tankless unit will be on average 30%. Single person 55%, two people using tank 40%, three people 35%, four people 30%, five people 25%.

Based on: $50.00 a month DHW gas bill, with an average of 30% savings, you would save $15.00 month or $180.00 per year. If a tankless water heater costs $1700.00 installed without any retrofitting, and the alternative tank type water heater costs $800.00 installed, the differential of a tankless water heater is $900.00. Payback is 5 years. The return on your investment is 20%. On average a retrofitted tankless water heater will cost approximately $2500.00 installed. According to Consumer Reports, because tankless water heaters cost much more than storage water heaters, it can take up to 22 years to break even—longer than the 20-year life of many models.

Life Expectancy

Many Tankless Water Heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years. They also have easily replaceable parts that extend their life by many more years. In contrast, storage tank water heaters last on average 8 – 10 years.

Requirements for a Tankless heater

Gas Tankless Heaters There is a higher demand for the amount of gas with tankless water heaters. Our licensed Plano plumber knows how to measure your household needs for gas.  The gas line for your water heater is normally 1/2 inch. But our plumber will determine what size gas line is necessary to run your gas system correctly.

Electric Tankless Heaters* If you plan to purchase an Electric Tankless Water Heater, consider the Voltage, Amperage, and Circuit Breaker.

Voltage Many retailers sell units that will accommodate 110V, 120V, 208V, 220V, 240V, and 277V.

Amperage Different Electric Tankless Water Heaters will have various requirements in amp draw. You will want to ensure that you can support the electrical demands of your Electric Tankless Water Heater.

Circuit Breaker You must ensure that you have a circuit or circuits that will support your Electric Tankless Water Heater. It may be necessary to put your Electric Tankless Water Heater on its own circuit or circuits.

*A licensed electrician will be necessary to determine if your home can properly support an electric tankless water heater.

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