Conventional water heaters are a common fixture in most household basements. Their purpose is simple: to constantly store a tank of hot water “on standby” so that users can receive hot water shortly after turning a hot water valve on in the house. To keep this supply of water hot, however, conventional water heaters consume energy and heat that is lost through the walls of the storage tank. In addition, conventional water heaters often experience a lag time between when the valve is turned on and when the hot water arrives at the faucet, sending unused cold water (and your money) down the drain.
A tankless or “demand” water heater, however, only heats water when a hot water valve is in use, saving 20% to 30% of energy consumption. Tankless water heaters are activated by the flow of a hot water valve and instantly heat the water as it is being used. Other benefits of using a tankless water heater are its easily replaceable parts, variety of sizes for different faucet applications and power source options (propane, natural gas or electricity). Tankless heaters save energy that is typically used to store hot water on standby and they conserve water that goes unused while water is heating up. With both energy and water savings, a tankless water heater will pay back installation costs in one to five years.
Did you know that a tankless water heater can save you $400 to $700 over its lifetime?
A
tankless gas water heater saves an average of $400 over thirteen years as compared to a conventional gas storage heater, and
an electric tankless water heater saves about $700 over thirteen years as compared to a conventional electric storage
heater.
Did you know that you can rely on your tankless water heater for more than 20
years?
While most conventional water heaters only last 10 to 15 years, most tankless water heaters will
last more than 20 years, and their easily replaceable parts make repairs simple and durable.
Did you know that a tankless water heater could save your home up to 86 gallons of water per
day?
Homes that use a lot of hot water can increase energy efficiency by 8% to 14%, saving about 86
gallons of water per day. Homes with typical hot water usage, 41 gallons or less each day, can increase energy efficiency by
24% to 34% by installing a tankless water heater. Installing a tankless heater at every hot water outlet can result in energy
savings of 27% to 50%!
SOURCES :
1.Johnston, David and Kim Master. Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time, pp. 281-283. British Columbia: New Society Publishers, 2004.
