The Pros and Cons of the Tankless Water Heater
If you’ve visited our blog before—and we certainly hope that you’re taking advantage of this resource—you already know that we are big advocates of using tankless water heaters. Just to make things clear, however, we acknowledge that the tankless water heater is not the right system for every home or for every homeowner. It’s not that we’re an advocate for this single type of system. We an advocate for finding the right system for your needs!
With that in mind, we are going to explore some of the pros of tankless water heaters today. However, we’ll also be taking a look at some of the cons of these systems. And yes, even tankless water heaters, outstanding a resource as they may be, have them. After all, if there were one single water heater that was the right fit for every home, then there wouldn’t be so many options out there to choose from!
You Are Paying a Higher Price Up Front
We want to lead with this point, because we understand that the price of any given system is going to be one of the first factors homeowners take into consideration when shopping for a new system. Tankless water heaters do cost more than tank water heaters. They actually cost a fairly substantial amount more. But that does not mean you should write off a tankless water heater because of the price.
This is an instance where you need to see the big picture. We’re not talking about a price markup because of a brand name. Yes, we’re talking about more expensive technology, but technology that also has a lot of benefits to offer. When you pay that initial price, you are investing in benefits you otherwise wouldn’t have access to. That begs the question of whether or not these types of benefits are, in your opinion, worth investing in.
You Are Paying for Greater Efficiency and Longevity
We want to group these two together, because they go hand in hand when talking about tankless water heater technology. To sum up the benefits of these systems, look at their improved energy efficiency, as well as their improved lifespan, compared to a tank system. Because tankless water heaters don’t use tanks at all, there is no risk of standby energy loss. That means you’ll maximize hot water output relative to the amount of energy used to heat water.
The other part of this equation is the lifespan of these systems. New tankless water heaters simply last much longer than tank water heaters. Up to 20–25 years, in fact, when properly installed and serviced. That’s pretty incredible, and the efficiency spread out over this amount of time can not only offset that initial purchase price, it can save you considerable amounts of money over the years.
They Can Be Overwhelmed
If you have a large family and consistently draw on large amounts of hot water all at once, then an appropriately sized tank water heater may be the better option for you. On-demand systems can be overwhelmed in such instances. You can use more than one unit, if you so desire, but that may be cost-prohibitive for many.
Schedule your water heater services with Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We Do Things the Right Way, Not the Easy Way.
