Is it time to replace your old water heater? Instead of having another conventional water heater installed, consider buying a tankless water heater for your home instead. Here are three good reasons to switch to a tankless water heater.
1. You Want to Use Less Energy
A traditional water heater holds a quantity of water in a tank and keeps that water at a set temperature. The electric elements or gas flames in the conventional water heater must turn on intermittently all day and night to keep the water ready to use.
A tankless water heater doesn’t have a holding area for water. Instead, cold water enters the heater, is heated by gas or electric elements, then exits shortly after being heated. Tankless water heaters fire up and raise the water temperature only on demand, so the heaters aren’t running all day and night.
Depending on your water usage, you can save between 8 and 50 percent of your energy costs for hot water by switching to a tankless water heater. Experts claim that a typical family may save at least $100 per year by choosing an ENERGY STAR® rated tankless water heater.
2. You Have Extra Hot Water Needs
If you’ve added a bathroom, outdoor kitchen, or exterior hot tub to your living space, a tankless water heater can provide hot water to these features without having to tap into your existing hot water lines. If your present water heater can’t manage the additional hot water demand, a new tankless water heater can cover the load.
Each tankless water heater requires:
- Correctly sized pipes for water and gas
- Ample room to run vent pipes
Most tankless water heaters require some clearance around the appliances as well. A professional plumber will know the correct codes to follow to install your tankless water heater safely and securely.
3. You Want a Long-Lasting Water Heater
If you like to buy well-made products for the long-term, a tankless water heater is your kind of appliance. Tankless water heaters can last more than 20 years.
Conventional water heaters wear out much faster. They only have a useful life of around 10 to 15 years.
Both conventional and tankless water heaters require some maintenance.
Tankless water heaters using hard water need to have lime and other deposits flushed out once a year. If the tankless water heater is fed with soft water, you may not have to flush as often to remove scale and other deposits inside the unit.
You can flush your tankless water heater yourself using white vinegar, but the job is messy and requires careful skill. Contact your professional plumber annually to flush out your tankless water heater for you. The yearly flush is a good time for your plumber to check out other plumbing issues you may be having.
Contact the experts at Quality Plumbing to schedule installation of your tankless water heater in the Seattle, Washington area. We repair, replace, service, and install tankless water heaters with superior care and customer service.