Pros & Cons Of Investing In A Tankless Water Heater For Your Tucson Home
If you are like most homeowners across the country, water heating usually accounts for a good percentage of your monthly energy costs, sometimes reaching as much as about 30% of your home's energy expenses. Because of this trend, tankless water heaters are quickly becoming a highly sought after commodity all over the country in recent years. Because hot water makes up such a large portion of the average homeowner's energy costs, energy saving hot water solutions can wind up delivering you a significant amount of savings on your energy bills at the end of the month. Just like any other home appliance, however, what is right for one homeowner, might not be right for another. Investing in tankless water heaters can be a great move, but there are certain advantages and disadvantages you need to be aware of going into the purchase. To help you make the determination on whether or not a tankless water heater is the right option for your home, our team of Tucson water heater specialists here at Water Heater Heroes have put a short list together to highlight some of these aspects.
Tankless Advantages
To being with, tankless water heaters only operate when there is a demand for hot water in your home. Just because of this simple fact, you can reduce your energy costs by up to 35% in a given year. In addition, these water heaters are incredibly energy efficient as well, with some having a rating as high as 95 according to Energy Star.
When it comes to reliability, if you have a unit that is properly sized for your home, it can deliver a continuous supply of hot water with relative ease. This can even be as much as five to seven gallons a minute. Additionally, because of their smaller size, these units can be set up virtually anywhere in the home.
Safety is another area in which tankless water heaters excel. This is due largely to the fact that they are only ever in operation when hot water is actively required, compared to standard units that heat up water regularly to be stored, leaving them running almost continuously. Newer tankless models also include monitoring systems that can provide details about the water pressure and flow, letting the machine shut itself down in the event of a problem.
Disadvantages Of A Tankless System
One of the biggest disadvantages you will face with a tankless water heating system is the upfront cost of having one installed. This can sometimes run twice what you would pay for a standard unit, and with the specialized installation and the process of ensuring that all of your pipes are set up correctly, and there is proper venting, you could be looking at a fairly pricey project. In addition, if you live in areas with hard water, you might also find it necessary to install a water softener so that your tankless water heater won't be ruined. Also, if you are retrofitting a tankless heater to a home that was designed for a standard unit, it can require a skilled plumber to make modifications.
With that being said, however, investing in a tankless water heater is just that; an investment. While you might pay more for upfront costs, the amount of money you save over the life of your new water heater should more than make up for it, quite possibly even paying itself off over time.
