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Have You Been Thinking About Going Tankless?

Have You Been Thinking About Going Tankless?

Are you tired of running out of hot water in your home? Do you find your family taking showers in shifts so that everyone can enjoy some hot water? If you find it annoying that you can never seem to have enough hot water, then converting to a tankless water heater might be the solution for your household.

On-Demand Hot Water

Tankless water heaters are also sometimes called on-demand water heaters because of the way that they function. Instead of heating water in a holding tank and maintaining it at a specific temperature until it is used, a tankless water heater only makes hot water when needed. This system has no storage tank because the water is instantly heated as it runs through the pipes to a hot water faucet or shower.

Endless Hot Water

The catchphrase for a tankless water heater is that you have an endless supply of hot water. And while that is true in many ways, it is not the entire truth. While a tankless water heater can continue to heat water for as long as the faucet is demanding it, there is a capacity for each size of tankless water heater. As long as your unit is sized correctly by a professional before it is installed, you will be able to leave a faucet running and have an endless supply of hot water.

The Downfall Of Improper Sizing

As we mentioned, a tankless water heater needs to be sized to meet your household’s needs. Each unit has a maximum capacity. This means that some units can provide 15 gallons of hot water per minute. In comparison, a larger one will be able to provide 30 gallons of hot water per minute. Sizing these water heaters is a skill that requires some experience and a somewhat intimidating formula. But that is why you pay a professional plumber to assist you in sizing and installing your new tankless water heater.

Your plumbing pro will need to know how many people live in your home, a rough idea of your routine regarding bathing, using appliances, and general hot water usage. All of this information, along with some boring pipe sizes and plumbing mumbo jumbo, will be used to size your new tankless water heater correctly. If these calculations are not correct, your hot water demand may exceed the unit’s capability and cause it to reset or fail repeatedly. So your best bet is to hire a pro and trust the numbers that he or she provides. Trying to save a few dollars and cutting corners on the size of a tankless water heater is a sure recipe for disaster.

Additional Rewards

Water heaters are the second-largest consumer of power in your home, behind your HVAC system. And because these units consume so much energy, they can also be the most significant offender when wasting energy. Because on-demand water heaters do not keep a large tank of water hot at all times of the day and night, they are far more energy-efficient than their traditional counterparts. It is estimated that a tankless unit will reduce your water heating energy consumption by as much as 34%. That is a significant financial reward for you and also a benefit for the planet.

When Size Matters

When working with a small space, a tankless water heater will be the perfect fit. These units are about the size of a medium suitcase or just a fraction of the size of a tank-style water heater. So you can install the tankless model under a bathroom sink, in a tiny closet, or even in a drop ceiling. This feature is particularly attractive when you add a bathroom to your home and want to avoid a long run from your existing water heater on the other side of the house.

The installation process is a bit more complicated than replacing your old water heater with a similar model. But the job is very routine for the licensed plumbers at Drain Surgeon. Our team has decades of experience and expertise in sizing and installing the perfect unit to meet your needs. Call us at (706) 303-0987 today to learn more about going tankless.