Whether you are thinking about remodeling or making some changes to improve energy efficiency in your Charlotte home there are some things you should know about instant (or tankless) water heaters.  Whether you are interested in conserving water, saving energy, or you just want to save some money, these water heating devices might fit the bill.

Depending on your needs and the amount of hot water you use in a day, you might want to think about either a whole-house tank-less water heater or about instant water heating units in strategic places in your house.  These units are compact, efficient and affordable.

Here are the main things you should know about these water heating devices:

1.  Tankless water heaters produce hot water by heating an element that then heats the water as it passes across the element on its way to the tap.

2.  The name “tankless” comes from the fact that there is no water storage tank that is part of these systems.

3.  The systems save energy because they don’t keep the water in a storage tank at a constant temperature.  You only heat what you actually use when you use it.

4.  With these systems, you don’t have to worry about leaks because the storage tank or a pipe cracks. Your home and furnishings will be safer.

5.  There are two kinds of instant water heaters – those powered by electricity and those powered by natural gas. Gas-powered units can produce more water flow than electric units.

6.  The cost of a whole-house tank-less unit will range between $199 and $4000.

7.  Tankless systems usually last 20 years or more. Traditional water heaters with storage units generally last only 10 to 15 years.

8.  If you use a lot of hot water in a day, a tankless system will use 8% less energy. If you use very little hot water in a day, they can save as much as 50% in energy use.

9.  The cost of supplying hot water to your home can be reduced by up to 60% by switching to a tankless system.

10.  Instant water heating units heat between two and five gallons of water a minute.

11.  Because of the limited amount (2 – 5 gallons a minute) heated by these units, you will not be able to run two demands for hot water at a time (such as running the dishwasher and taking a shower).  This drawback can be overcome by installing a booster unit or by just installing units in each place you use hot water.

12. Instant units are small and self-contained. They take little space and don’t need two water supply pipes running to the unit.

13.  Instant water heating units are ideal in places where hot water is needed only occasionally, such as a garage sink, a hot tub, an outdoor cooking area or a pet bathing area.

14.  Instant units are also perfect in places where you need hot water only when the areas of the home are in use, such as a pool house or a guest bathroom.

15. Instant units are also perfect in guest houses, vacation homes and exterior showers for beach homes. Because there is no risk of leaking or flooding the property in case of a leak, you can close up the property when it is not in use and not have to worry. Then when the property is reopened, you don’t have to wait for hot water while the whole storage tank heats.

Before you make remodeling decisions about plumbing, think about whether an instant water heater might meet your needs more efficiently.  If you are looking to make your hot water supply more efficient and conserve water, you might want to consider an instant water heater – you won’t even waste water waiting for the hot water to reach the tap!

Have you ever thought about getting a tankless water heater, based off a plumber’s recommendation? Tankless water heaters are definitely something you should be looking into.

Tankless water heaters, sometimes known as instantaneous, continuous flow, inline water heaters, are the perfect alternative to conventional tank heaters.

Tankless water heaters heat water on demand or instantly rather than keeping hot water in reserve like conventional tank heaters. Tankless water heaters use less energy than tank heaters which in turns means lower energy bills for you.

Tankless water heaters can be operated electrically or with natural gas or propane. Gas tankless water heaters can heat more water faster while electric tankless water heaters need access to a lot of electric power to rapidly heat water.

Tankless water heaters are very efficient when it comes to energy conservative. Tankless water heaters have efficiency ratings at nearly 99%.

Most tankless water heaters supply hot water for the whole house including appliances. The tankless water heaters that supply hot water for the whole house are largest of the tankless water heaters. Point-of- use tankless water heaters are smaller units and can be placed under sinks or other easy access areas.

Point-of-use tankless water heater units provide hot water for a specific outlet versus the whole house. Point-of-use tankless water heaters are located right where the water is being used and save more energy than centrally installed tankless water heaters, but are usually used in combination with a central water heater because of their small tank size.

Generally speaking, tankless water heaters are good choices because they don’t take up much space and can be hidden out of site. So, you won’t have to worry about people looking at it.

Here are a few reasons why you should look into tankless water heaters…

• Unlimited hot water- As water is heated while passing through the system an unlimited supply of hot water is available with a tankless water heater however, this can also be a disadvantage as running out of hot water self-limits use while a tankless heater has no such limit.
• Size- Tankless water heaters can be mounted under a sink, in an easy access area, or anywhere else you think would be a good location. Because there is no tank, the places of where it can go are virtually endless.
• Water damage is minimized-Tankless water heaters have no tanks to store water, so there are no chances of water damage do to a leak or hole in the tank. There are still risks of water damage from faulty parts such as improper piping or bad fittings.
• Longevity-Tankless water heaters haven no tanks meaning tankless water heaters will outlast the conventional water heater twice as many years because corrosion is due to standing water in the tank. The corrosion on the tankless water heater will be on the pipes or around the fittings vs. the tank.

• Environmentally Friendly- Tankless heaters are designed to only use gas and water when they are being used.  Therefore, you are not wasting resources to heat the water in a conventional water heater.