Water Heater Buyers’ Guide – Tankless or Traditional?
Water Heater Buyers’ Guide – Tankless or Traditional?
What’s the Difference between a tankless or traditional water heater?
Traditional Water Heaters heat and store water in a large tank. Each time you shower, wash dishes or run a load of
laundry, you consume pre-heated water from the tank. Your water source refills this tank as hot water is used, and the cycle continues.
Tankless Water Heaters, sometimes called Instantaneous or Demand Water Heaters, heat water only at the time of use, rather than storing heated water in a tank. When you turn on a hot water tap, cool water runs through the Tankless Water Heater. Its heat source – either electric or gas – instantaneously heats the water on demand.
Which is Better?
When shopping for a Water Heater, there are many things to consider, including efficiency, convenience and cost. There is no universally “right” choice, as your decision should be based on your individual needs. We’ve outlined the key differences between Tankless and Traditional varieties to help you determine the best selection for your home.
Efficiency
Traditional Water Heaters devour a lot of energy because a constant supply of heat is needed to keep the stored water hot, even when you are not using any hot water. Tankless Water Heaters only use energy as you use hot water, making them the more energy-efficient option by a landslide.
Convenience
Generally speaking, a Tankless Water Heater is more convenient because it eliminates the dreaded last-one-up-gets-a-cold-shower dilemma. It’s an unfortunate and common situation: When a Traditional Water Heater’s tank is used up in shower no. 1 and shower no. 2, the unlucky recipient of shower no. 3 gets a not-so-relaxing cold shower. Brrr.
Tankless water heaters also can save you space, where as traditional water heaters can require a larger amount of space. These compact units can be mounted on a wall, inside or outside your home and supply hot water on demand.
However, there are some circumstances when a Tankless Water Heater does not win the convenience category. Some Tankless Water Heaters are too small to supply enough hot water for simultaneous use. For example, if you were showering, running a load of laundry in hot water and washing dishes in the dishwasher, you could be demanding more hot water than the Tankless Water Heater can supply. This can be avoided if you avoid certain types of Tankless Water Heaters or choose to install multiple units. If you have a busy lifestyle and consume a lot of hot water, a Service Champions representative can help you select a Water Heater that will meet your needs.
Although energy bills can be somewhat unpredictable, Service Champion’s up-front pricing eliminates the element of surprise so you can plan your budget accordingly. We also offer flexible financing options to make your Water Heater purchase manageable.
An educated purchase is a smart purchase. A call to Service Champions will give you the assistance of one of our friendly and knowledgeable staff to provide you with a wealth of additional knowledge.
We strive to make your Water Heater purchase simple and tailored to your budget and needs. Contact us for more information.