Why to Use Tankless Water Heaters and Well Water at Home?

The tankless water heaters and well water are an essential part of any house, but with the increasing popularity of different types of water heaters, finding out which device and its model is the best choice for installation can be difficult. Most likely, heating costs for water come in second place and account for 14 to 18% of your bills.

Tankless water heaters are becoming increasingly popular because they can save water and energy. As you will learn later from this article, tankless models work differently than the models with the tank.

Based on its name, they have no tanks. Consequently, they do not have a place to store water. This means that they need to heat water only when needed and do not need to use additional energy to keep the water warm.

Cost in advance:

When we talk about the cost of the model with the tank, it is obvious that a model with a tank is much cheaper than its tankless equivalent. Usually tank heater costs between $500 and $700. For some outliers, the price is $1000 or more.

Compare, the price of a tankless model begins at $1,000 and starts from there. Although they are expensive, their high energy-saving capabilities help them easily recoup the initial costs and ultimately offer the best value for the money.

If we talk about electric water heaters, results in a lower price gap as tank models cost between $300 and $500 and tank-less units between $300 and $750.

This is How Tankless Water Heaters and Well Water Works:

As the name of the model suggests, a water heater without a tank does not waste energy in empty water and heats water only when it is needed, at the moment of turning on the tap with cold water.

Only this action includes sensors inside the water heater and begins the process of heating water.

It is also worth considering that models that do not have a reservoir for storing water provide you with a constant supply of water. Since you do not need to turn on the water heater in advance and wait until all 50 gallons of water have warmed up.

In addition to this, the model without a tank provides higher energy efficiency, since water is not used to maintain heat, as is the case with conventional heaters.

Installation of Tankless Water Heaters devices:

You can often find that water heaters are installed even at the time of construction of the house. Usually, such devices are installed in the wall, which significantly saves space.

Regarding the installation, then, of course, you can do it yourself, if you are confident in your abilities. Or seek help from professionals whose services will also need to be allocated an additional budget.

Energy costs:

When buying any device, it is very important to pay attention to its energy costs, so that it doesn’t turn out that its initial price was several times cheaper.

Speaking about the use of energy, it should be mentioned once again that a water heater without a tank does not use energy when the taps are turned off.

Specially installed sensors turn on water heating only when you use water. However, it is worth considering that this type of heating provides an instant result, that is, the heating process itself spends a lot of energy. Although this is still less than what water heaters with a tank consume.

Speaking of a model with a tank, this device always works, which means it consumes energy throughout the day. Plus, after heating a certain amount of water, the device maintains the temperature at a certain level, which also requires energy.

However, it loses heat during the day, and the burner turns on every time the water has to be brought to temperature.

In general, a tankless model can save money on energy bills. However, it depends on how often you use water. Due to the higher upfront costs, it may take some time for these energy savings to pay off.

Water consumption:

As mentioned above, an important factor in choosing a water heater is your volume of water demand.

That is, if you live in a house with a large number of people who like to take a bath for a long time, then it may make sense to turn your attention to a model with a tank.

If you are sure that the model without a tank will satisfy your requirements, then buy it. However, if during your shower one of the family members wants to wash the dishes, wash clothes, or use another bathroom, be prepared for the fact that there isn’t enough hot water for everyone.

Although this problem can be solved by purchasing several similar devices, although this is not the most optimal way.

On the other hand, tank units have a supply of warmed water specifically designed to be taken from multiple sources at a particular time.

It is possible to empty the tank and leave cold water. However, this problem should only occur in some cases when you first buy a suitable tank size.

Maintenance:

According to Consumerreports.org long-term research on water heaters, devices without tanks in the event of a breakdown can have more service than their equivalent.

Consumer Reports researchers spent 334 dollars on specialized parts and professional help in maintaining their unit.

The maintenance of a water heater is easier and less expensive than with a conventional instantaneous water heater. Cleaning a conventional water heater can be cumbersome as there is a full 50-gallon tank for draining and cleaning.

In the current models, there is no tank to deal with. This also means that hardly any lime accumulates. This leads to a simple cleaning time and larger heating power.

However, problems with repairs can be solved quite easily when it comes to a water heater without a tank. If you are ready to carry out repairs yourself, then the parts for the desired device will be available in each store, which significantly reduces your maintenance costs.

Advantages of Electric Water Heaters:

Allows you to save energy:

Basically, this is the primary reason why users turn their attention to water heaters without a tank. If you are also tired of large electricity bills because your water heater with a tank constantly consumes a lot of energy when heating and storing water, then the choice is obvious.

Remember that tankless heaters only consume energy when the taps are turned on when you need it. Moreover, since they do not store water in tanks, it makes no sense to constantly keep it at the same temperature level and spend energy on it.

Hot water anytime you need:

If you had a regular water heater with a tank, then you know that you have to wait an hour to take a shower in hot water. That is how much time it takes conventional models to heat their 50 gallons of water.

A water heater without a tank allows you to get the desired warm water at the same time when you decide to take a shower because the water heats up when it enters the faucet.

Minimal risk of leakage:

If you have decided to purchase a water heater with a tank, then you are probably warned that in 10 years it may have to be replaced. Since these models store water in tanks, the risk of water leakage increases significantly.

They take up little space:

As mentioned earlier, very often models without a tank are installed in walls or in small unused places, for example, under a sink, on shelves, and even in cabinets, which not only save space but also not spoil the design of the bathroom.

Disadvantages of Electric Water Heaters:

whole house electric tankless water heater

They are expensive:

Nevertheless, if you compare water heaters without a tank with conventional models, then the first device will cost you a little more.

Be prepared for additional installation costs:

Unfortunately, a common tendency is that many residents do not have house plans that would suggest the presence of heaters without a tank. That is why it is necessary to think about installing such a model in advance or spend extra money.

Cold Water Sandwich Effect:

This is not a significant drawback, but it is still quite common. Its essence is that if you often turn off the water heater, then be prepared for the fact that cold water will pour in the middle of your bath. This is the result of the fact that cold water from the pipes enters the faucet.

Final Words:

The Tankless Water Heaters and Well Water without a tank are more suitable for people living in small houses or small families.

If you live with a large number of people and you need a lot of warm water, then you should pay attention to the heater with a tank.

As a result, you decide which model is better, it is you who makes the decision to buy any device in your home, but at least now you have data from which you can proceed when making a decision.

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