If there is any appliance that homeowners take for granted, we’d safely bet that it’s the water heater. You know, until something goes wrong with it! Water heaters are the most often used appliance in any given home, and when something goes wrong with it you’re typically faced with costly repairs or replacement.
Any water heater should be replaced when it has reached a couple of decades in age, or if it’s showing any signs of corrosion. Another reason to replace your water heater is if it simply isn’t working as efficiently as it used to.
Let’s say you’re considering a replacement, what should you replace it with? Many homeowners are only familiar with storage tank-style water heaters and tend to stick with that model. But going tankless has many benefits depending on your needs. Read on to learn if going tankless would benefit you and your home.
When Should You Stick with a Tank Water Heater?
Tank water heaters are the most commonly seen types of water heater in homes today. One reason for this is because they’re usually pretty affordable to install, and they do the job they’re intended to do.
A storage tank water heater, as the name suggests, involved a tank. This tank can be any number of sizes to meet the needs of the household it’s being installed in.
Once the hot water supply runs out of a tank system, there is a delay in time as it heats up a new batch. By having a larger reserve of water to draw from, you can use the hot water for longer without it needing to refill as often. The bigger the hot water demand in a home, the bigger the tank water heater should be.
Here comes the drawback to using a tank water heater—if the hot water goes unused it cools off. The heating elements will have to heat back up to bring it up to the temperature you need. This means you’re suffering from standby energy loss. So if you were to install a tank that’s too big for your home’s needs, or if you had adult kids moved out and your demand went down, you’d be using and paying for more electricity than necessary to run your water heater.
When You Should Consider Going Tankless
Tankless systems are growing in popularity, and make an excellent alternative to their tank counterparts. The function very differently than tank systems—they don’t use a storage tank of any kind. Instead, they create hot water through electrical resistance, and only when a tap is turned on.
This makes tankless water heaters “on demand” systems, and they work much more efficiently than storage tank water heaters. There’s no standby heat or energy loss, so you’re not paying more than you need to. Additionally, they usually last around 5-10 years longer than the average storage tank system.
It should be noted that a tankless system can be overwhelmed if too many fixtures and appliances are demanding hot water at the same time. For this reason, homeowners often install two, to serve different purposes. The best thing you can do to determine your needs is to speak with a professional plumber.
For expert installation on your tankless water heater in St. Louis,
contact Performance Plumbing!