| Tankless water heaters |
| Written by Henry Johnson | |
Tankless water heaters offer efficiency, savingsTankless water heaters are growing in popularity among homeowners and builders because they save space, are energy efficient and can result in reduced power bills.Tankless water heaters differ from traditional storage water heaters because tankless heaters only provide hot water as needed. Traditional heaters are less energy efficient, in that they are constantly switching on and off to maintain the temperature of water in the tank within about 10 degrees of your thermostat setting. Tankless water heaters produce hot water when needed to the set point temperature plus or minus 2 degrees. Because water heating eats up about 12 percent of the average home energy bill, a tankless water heater have much to contribute in terms of efficiency. In the typical tankless water heater, the appliance uses an electric element for purposes of heating the water. In a gas-fired tankless water heater, the device uses a gas burner to get the water hot. Because of the electric element, tankless water heaters can deliver a steady flow of hot water, eliminating any wait time involved with a storage tank. Typically, tankless water heaters are capable of providing a little less than five gallons of hot water every 60 seconds. Homebuilders have come to favor the tankless water heater for a wide variety of reasons, not the least of which is space efficiency. Because homebuilders charge construction by the square foot for a home, saving space allows homebuilders to offer more competitive rates. A traditional tank type heater installed in garage requires is a space hog, requiring not only a floor stand, but also a pipe to protect against vehicle impact and usually some venting all the way to the roof as well. This means the builder will have to use more framing, drywall and paint to enclose it, running up costs. Most tankless water heaters are wall mounted and can be vented through a sidewall, keeping venting costs low. Many of the more established tankless water heater companies have units that can be installed outdoors. This frees up all of the home's interior space and makes moot the issue of venting costs or combustion air. These units each have their own freeze prevention systems, but in winter you will need to act to keep your water piping from freezing. Another reason behind tankless water heaters increasing popularity among builders is that they are able to supply hot water to modern popular large tubs. An old-fashioned bathtub holds just 35 gallons. A more modern tub can hold anywhere from 45 gallons to over 80 and just filling the tub can deplete the hot water of any home. A tankless water heater can fill up all the tubs of a home, provide back-to-back showers, run the dishwasher, and still have some left over for laundry. When considering the purchase of a tankless water heater, the first thing a customer should do is establish the peak hot water demand for his or her home. In a home this is usually the number of showerheads, X the flow rate X 80 percent. For example: 3 showers @ 2.5GPM each = 75.GPM X 80 percent equals 6GPM peak demand. Or if you're not a math whiz, ask a professional plumber or builder. The average cost of a tankless water heater is about $800 to $1,150, compared with $300 to $480 for the regular storage-tank types, but this cost is often made up by the efficiency these units offer. Tankless water heaters generally last about 20 years on average as Compared to the 12-year average of regular tank heaters. Tankless water heaters can be a good home investment, saving space and money and adding convenience. Savvy homebuilders and buyers should consider it as an option for an easier, more efficient home. |
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