Call us for a free consultation:
858-488-1871

What is a Tankless Water Heater?

Tankless Water Heaters, also referred to as Instantaneous or On-Demand Water Heaters, provide hot water as needed rather than the continuous heating of water stored in a standard hot water tank ('standby') system.

Tankless heaters last about five to 10 years longer than a tank heater, take less space and provide an unlimited amount of hot water. After the initial investment, one can save a substantial amount of money each year on monthly utility bills while conserving natural gas. On the downside, a tankless system can cost up to three times as much as a tank heater, may require an expensive venting system and costly upgrades to the natural gas line.

How do Tankless Water Heaters work?

Tankless Water Heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank, therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric Tankless Water Heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired Tankless Water Heater a gas burner heats the water. As a result, Tankless Water Heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water.

Tankless systems come in two main types: point-of-use heaters and whole-house heaters. Point-of-use systems are small and heat water for one or two outlets, e.g. the kitchen sink, and can fit under a cabinet or in a closet. They're beneficial as they can be installed closer to the outlet thus avoiding lag time induced water loss. Lag time is the amount of time it takes for the heated water to reach your faucet from the heat source. In large houses the lag time can be significant, sometimes as long as several minutes. Your water heating bill may be going down as your water consumption increases. Whole-house systems are larger, more expensive and can operate more than one outlet at a time.

With tankless water heaters, one can choose from electric, propane or natural gas models. Point-of-use models are generally electric, while whole-house systems are usually powered by either natural gas or propane.