What is a tankless water heater?

A tankless water heater is a major appliance that heats water as it is needed. For this reason, it is often referred to as an "on demand" water heater. The traditional storage tank water heaters keep large quantities of water heated whether or not the water is about to get used. Storage tank water heaters expend energy to heat new water as hot water is used AND storage tank water heaters also reheat water that has not been used but has cooled inside the tank. On the other hand, a tankless water heater only expends energy to heat water as it is used. The energy savings from using a tankless water heater instead of a storage tank water heater are projected to be between 15% and 40% (NOTE: this projection is 15% to 40% of the approximately 20% of your energy bill that goes to heating water, not 15% to 40% of your entire energy bill).  

Should you buy/do you need a tankless water heater?

There are basically three reasons to buy a water heater:

1. You are tired of paying high energy bills, and have determined that a tankless water heater is a good long-term investment.
2. Your current water heater is broken and it cannot be repaired.
3. Your old water heater regularly fails to provide a sufficient supply of hot water.

Any one of these reasons could motivate you to purchase a new tankless water heater. If your reason to want a new water heater is that your existing water heater is broken, then you probably want to have a new water heater installed and functioning as soon as possible. You'll need to make a decision quickly and purchase from a dealer who has the model you want in-stock. You will also need a service professional who has the availability to start your project soon. If you are going to be replacing a storage tank water heater with a tankless water heater, modification of your plumbing will be required which will also take time and may require permits and inspections, depending on your local ordinances.

What's new about tankless water heaters?

• The adoption of tankless water heaters in the United States is the most significant change to have happened to the water heater market in many years. Storage tank water heaters have been popular in Europe for many years, including point-of-use models, but tankless water heaters have become popular the United States only recently.
• Tankless water heaters can replace storage tank water heaters, multiple tankless water heaters can work in tandem in homes that use a high volume of hot water, and tankless water heaters can work with storage tank water heaters.
• Although not yet very common, some homeowners are using solar energy to heat the water in their storage tanks. Tankless water heaters can be used to provide hot water when the hot water in the tank runs out (it takes a long time to reheat the tank with solar energy, and the process cannot even start until the sun comes up).

Selecting a tankless water heater

There are eight factors for you to consider when you are selecting a water heater. We have defined these eight factors and we present the options relating to each. We also have presented six features that are commonly available in water heaters. If any of these features are important to you, you may choose to select only models with your favorite features.

Click here to see our selection of Top Tankless Water Heater Brands