Tankless Water Heaters vs. Traditional Hot Water Tanks
You probably wake up every morning, and the first things you might do are make a cup of coffee, take a shower, and brush your teeth. What do all these things have in common? You guessed it: They all require water.
Your home continually uses water and, depending on the size of your family, you might be using over a hundred gallons of water a day. So when it comes to heating your water, what type of water heater should you use?
The two most commonly used systems are the traditional tank storage water heaters and tankless water heaters. The main difference is that a storage water heater stores hot water until it is needed while a tankless water heater heats and deliver hot water as required.
However, the differences run far deeper, and depending on the demands of you and your family, one might be a better option than the other. For the best results, be sure to call our experts at Mersey Heating & Air Conditioning for help to find the best option to suit your needs.
Traditional Hot Water Tanks
Let’s start by taking a look at traditional water heaters. Depending on the age of your home, you might already have a tank-style water heater. However, there are a couple of different types of water heater tanks available to the public.
For the most part, the type of fuel source your home has is going to dictate the style of water heater you have. If your home connects to a natural gas line, you will likely have a gas-powered water heater already installed in your home. If you are living in a rural area not connected to a gas line, then you will probably have an electric water heater.
You can change out the type of fuel your heater uses, but this will more than likely end up costing you a lot of money to retrofit a new system into your home. If this is something you are looking at doing for your home, be sure to contact our expert staff about the right water heater for you.
Why Should You Choose a Traditional Water Heater?
Traditional water heaters are the tried and true system most homes depend on for hot water. Because so many homes use this type of water heater, they are generally cheaper to buy and easier to install with the help of an expert.
These tanks generally last up to 10 to 15 years and come in sizes between 20 to 80 gallons to match the water needs of you and your family. If your water heater is running on gas power, it will still work even if your power goes out.
What are the Disadvantages?
Tank water heaters aren’t without their drawbacks. Hot water tanks store gallons of water at all times and require a lot of energy to keep this water hot for immediate use, leading to higher running costs than a tankless water heater.
Having a tank filled with water can also lead to the possibility of expensive repairs if anything breaks. If the tank starts to leak without your knowledge, your home could flood, costing you thousands for tank repairs as well as general home repairs such as fixing or replacing the flooring.
A tank water heater also only holds a finite amount of water, so it is possible to run out of hot water if you require large volumes of hot water all at once. If you have a family member who loves long showers, you will have to wait until your tank refills before you have hot water again.
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters are growing in popularity, particularly with new homes and among new homeowners. Just like tank-style water heaters, tankless heaters can run on different fuel sources, depending on what your home has.
One of the attractions consumers find with tankless water heaters is that they are much smaller, so you can maximize your home’s space for other things. However, if you are looking at switching from a tank-style heater, the installation cost can end up being steeper. In some cases, technicians might need a couple of days to properly install the unit, adding hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on top of the base installation and purchase price.
That being said, the best way to get an idea of what it will cost to install a tankless water heater would be to call our professionals for a quote. We take pride in offering our customers prices with no loopholes or hassles, so be sure to give us a call today.
Why Should You Choose a Tankless Water Heater?
The most attractive feature of tankless water heaters is that they are significantly more energy-efficient than their traditional counterparts. While traditional water heaters require a lot of fuel, a tankless water heater can heat water as soon as you require it, using far less fuel and energy. This can help lower your energy bill.
Because there is no tank filled with water, there is a far less likely chance that a tankless water heater will leak or flood your home. On top of that, tankless water heaters can last almost twice as long as a traditional water heater and often come with longer extended warranties.
What are the Disadvantages?
As we discussed earlier, the biggest drawback to tankless water heaters is their higher upfront costs. A good quality traditional water heater is generally much less expensive to install initially compared to a tankless water heater.
If your home already has a tank-style water heater, then your home will need to be retrofitted to accommodate a tankless system, increasing installation costs. Because of the high up-front costs associated with tankless systems, it could be a while before your lower energy bills make up the difference.
Let Our Experts Help You
Finding and installing a new water heater is a time consuming and expensive process. However, you can be sure you get the best water heater to suit your needs by contacting our professionals at Mersey Heating & Air Conditioning.
