Without a doubt, tankless water heaters have gradually grown in popularity over the years. While traditional storage tank water heaters are still the more common of the two, there’s a reason why homeowners are consistently inquiring about tankless water heaters. While they do come at a higher initial price tag, they offer several unique benefits, making it worthy of consideration. Since water heaters serve such an integral importance in a home’s plumbing system, we always enjoy analyzing different forms of content surrounding them. Whether that be in regards to maintenance tasks, reliable brands/manufacturers or even just general tidbits of information, it’s definitely the perfect example of a plumbing component you want working at all times!
On this week’s blog, we’re going to be answering one basic question, “Should you consider making the switch from a storage tank water heater to a tankless unit?” While tankless water heaters are great in many ways, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are the right investment for every single homeowner. There are situations where it may make more sense to stick with a regular storage tank water heater. And to be perfectly honest, there’s a reason why storage tank water heaters continue to be so popular in their own right. Simply put, they get the job and have been doing so for years! With that all being said, let’s dive right into talking about tankless water heaters.
Why Might You Want a Tankless?
Before we dive into more of the specifics, we felt a good starting point would be to discuss some of the primary advantages associated with tankless water heaters. What makes them so appealing that homeowners opt to pay a slightly higher price for their water heating needs?
Space Saver – We all know it doesn’t take long for space to get filled up in a home, especially the basement. It’s something that just inevitably seems to happen over time! Well…one major difference you’ll notice between the two water heater types is how much less space a tankless occupies in comparison to a storage tank heater. Tankless water heaters are mounted on the wall and don’t take up near the space of its counterpart. Not to mention, while this doesn’t necessarily offer any direct plumbing advantages, tankless water heaters do have an aesthetically pleasing design in our opinion too!
Lifespan – “Return on investment” is something you’ll want to consider for any home improvement project, right? In terms of your water heater replacement, you’ll definitely want to keep this in mind. On average, you can expect a storage tank heater to last roughly 10-12 years, while a tankless heater can go for 20+ years.
Efficiency – How a tankless water heater works is it only heats up water when it’s needed. That’s why they’re often referred to as “on-demand” water heaters. Compare it with the fact that storage tank water heaters are consistently heating up the water to keep it ready to go and you can see why tankless water heaters offer an efficiency boost as well!
Unlimited Hot Water (if sized correctly) – One major benefit to working with a professional plumber is the advice you’ll receive in the repair or installation process. With a water heater replacement, this comes into play when deciding between different brands and the size of heater. Both are extremely important variables in the purchasing process. If you size the unit correctly for your home’s hot water usage, the tankless water heater is capable of delivering unlimited hot water. No matter if it’s for a storage tank heater or a tankless unit, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 if you have any questions determining which makes most sense for your home or business!
Questions to Ask Yourself
As evidenced above, there are certainly more than a few reasons as to why a homeowner would at the very least want to consider having a tankless water heater installed. Even with the higher up-front cost, they won’t use as much energy, can save you some space in the basement and will last much longer too! All definite advantages, right? However, before you finalize your decision, there are a few questions worth asking yourself.
Do you plan on moving anytime soon? Tankless water heaters are useful in more ways than one, but the initial installation is more expensive than a storage tank heater. Having said that, if you don’t plan on living in this current house for over 10 years, it might not make sense from an investment standpoint, especially if you have plenty of room for a storage tank heater. To account for the higher installation cost, it may take some time to make up for that difference with the monthly utility savings you’ll receive from the tankless water heater.
Where will you install it? Another important question you’ll want to ask yourself revolves around the location in which the tankless heater will be installed. As I mentioned earlier in this blog post, one major benefit to tankless heaters is the added space you’ll receive from having it installed as opposed to a storage tank heater. While it will be mounted to a wall, deciding on how the venting will be run is an important choice that will ultimately dictate the right spot. This is a major reason why (for any tankless water heater installation) our operations manager will come out to take a look at the space. He’ll be able to provide you with suggestions on location and if it makes more sense to stick with a storage tank heater or if a tankless set-up will work seamlessly as well. With that being said, you’ll see the unit’s venting running either through the roof or outside a side wall.
Do you know how to maintain it? One nice part about water heaters is they generally get the job done without the homeowner even having to mess with it. After all, whenever you turn on the shower or faucet, I’m guessing you expect hot water without even thinking about it. This point applies to both storage tank heaters and tankless units. Make sure you know the proper maintenance tasks involved. While I listed some average lifespans above, a key caveat in reaching those is going to be whether or not the proper maintenance was conducted. One of the most important tasks for each water heater type is going to involve flushing out the system. Particularly in areas where hard water is present, this can be very important!
Tankless Water Heater Services in Kansas City
After reading this blog post, you probably know just why tankless water heaters have continued to become more and more popular. They provide a number of advantages and as long as it’s installed and maintained correctly, you can certainly save money in the long run. Despite this, as I’ve alluded to above, there are also instances where it might not make a whole lot of sense to make the switch from storage tank to tankless. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with storage tank water heaters. Even though tankless water heaters have an aesthetically pleasing design and certainly provide some unique efficiency boosts, storage tank heaters have proved time and time again their ability to handle water heater responsibilities, and we continue to install many of them throughout the year.
Here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, our technicians are equipped with the knowledge and experience to install both storage tank and tankless water heaters. If you’re unsure of which might be the right fit for your home or business, don’t hesitate to fill out the form HERE and a member of our team will be in touch.