Tankless hot water heaters are powered usually with two main power sources. Most of these devices are either powered from an electrical outlet or by natural gas. In general the larger devices such as whole house tankless water heaters are powered by natural gas. The smaller point of use tankless water heaters tends to be powered by electricity.

When shopping for electric models is always a good idea to look at what manufactures refer to as temperature rise. Also, it is important to know the temperature of your water coming into your house. It is standard these days to have hot water to be outputted at 120 degrees. So if your incoming water temperature is 40 degrees and the electric tankless water heater has a temperature rise of 60 degrees than your water will not be hot enough at 100 degrees.

Whole house tankless water heaters are very popular option for new construction. These devices are responsible for delivering hot water to the entire home. These on demand water heaters are really quite impressive because of their ability to deliver instant hot water to multiple places within the house all at the same time. Let’s imagine this scenario. Your wife is taking a shower in the master suite upstairs. Your daughter is taking a shower downstairs. You are washing your hands in the utility room. All the while the dishwasher is running and everyone is instantly supplied with hot water without getting the shock of a cold shower. Of course for these whole house tankless water heaters to operate correctly it is very important to calculate how much water could be in use at one given time. You should really evaluate your showers as showerheads can consume a huge amount of water. It’s never a bad idea to look into purchasing a showerhead that is meant to conserve water. If you have a large house with many requirements for hot water at one time it may require that you install multiple whole house tankless water heaters to ensure that everybody gets hot water when they need it. Keep in mind that household tankless water hot heaters are more expensive and can cost upwards of a couple thousand dollars.

If for some reason you do not have access to natural gas then you may need to go with an electric version of the whole house tankless water heater. You may need to make some special accommodations by installing circuit breakers that are meant to handle such a load and beefed up wiring as well. This is because electric versions can draw up to 120 amps of power, which can overload the typical electrical panels.

Point of use tankless water heater is the other main device used today. These on demand water heaters are usually used to heat water for one device. For instance, one might be hooked up to a faucet in a bathroom on one end of the house. These units are almost always powered by electricity and usually have a much smaller capacity for heating water. The great thing about point of use tankless water heaters is that they are small in size they can fit in small places like under sink cabinets. Another great thing is that these devices are only a couple hundred dollars. Keep in mind that the cost can jump quickly if you have to pay a professional to do the install for you.

If you thought that electric tankless hot water heaters were only for new construction than you would be wrong. These high tech water heaters are great for remodels as well, especially since the size of the on demand water heaters is perfect for sticking into nooks and crannies.

It is important to figure out the demands of hot water from your house. If you have a high demand for hot water then perhaps you should consider some plumbing changes or have or install multiple units. If you have lower need for hot water than you want to look at the lower capacity units that can be powered by either gas or electric. It is also important to consider climate you are living in. The job of the tankless water heater is made much easier if the outside water is already at a warm temperature.

You have ruled out electric tankless water heaters because you think that they will not produce the needed amount of hot water. Well, you may want to rethink the use of electric powered on demand water heaters for a backup to a solar power system or perhaps even work in tandem with another source of heated water.

So it’s looking like tankless water heaters are the ultimate answer. Unfortunately they do have their limitations. If you have multiple people taking showers at the same time then this can cause a tankless water heater to not be able to produce enough hot water resulting in the dreaded cold shower. If you are a big bath person then you may have to fill the tube slowly so that you can allow the tankless water heater to catch up.

Maybe whole house tankless water heaters are not a solution for your house project; don’t rule out the smaller point of use tankless water heaters. These can be very helpful at saving water and of course giving you instant access to hot water. These small electric powered units work great when they are attached to remote areas of the house. It is not uncommon for point of use tankless water heaters to be placed on washing machines and bathroom sinks.

Unfortunately it’s not all gravy when it comes to the cost of operating. Be sure and do some research to find out if the company who supplies your electric power charges extra for electric on demand for the electric tankless water heater. A quick call to the power company should be able to clear this up.

It is always a good idea to check what local codes exist for such devices in your area. It is pertinent that you find out if you are required by law to have a pressure/temperature relief valve. This can very state by state and even by city. If you are using a gas powered tankless water heater then it is also a good idea to find out if there are laws about how you vent the gas exhaust.

As you can see both gas and electric tankless water heaters have their place. Utimatly it’s up to you, both are good options.

So what exactly are tankless water heaters? They are small devices that allow you to have hot water instantly without having to heat water constantly in a big tank. As you can imagine this can save you on your energy bill, as you do not have to heat water constantly, just when you need it. When a person wishes to have hot water, they turn the faucet to hot. Meanwhile, the tankless water heater detects that water is flowing and that it is supposed to be hot. The device then quickly heats the water to the desired temperature through the help of a thermostat.

It’s hard not to be environmentally friendly these days. It’s even harder to ignore something that is beneficial to the environment and on your pocketbook. Although these on demand water solutions are more expensive upfront they can certainly save you some green in the long run. Not only do people want to be environmentally friendly but also the rising energy costs are a big motivator for people to cut down on their consumption. This makes the tankless water heater a great solution for saving energy consumption. Since the tankless units do not have to keep a huge volume of water constantly heated it is able to reduce water bills by ten to twenty percent, which can defiantly add up quickly since up to 15 percent of homes energy expense is solely heating water. You can start making vaction plans with all the money you save.

Tankless water heaters come in a wide variety which can make the decision much more difficult. There are ten or so major brands that manufacture these devices with some smaller companies rounding out the bunch. Some of the better-known water heaters include:

Stiebel Eltron USA
Rheem Manufacturing
Sets Systems, Inc.
Eemax, Inc.
Noritz America Corp.
Takagi Industrial Co.
Bosch USA
Bradford White Corp.
Paloma Industries
Chronomite Laboratories Inc.

Tankless water heaters can be used in many different configurations and usually are available in both gas and electric versions. For the most part, you can expect the gas versions to be able to deliver larger amounts of hot water to the household than the electric counterpart. It is important to evaluate the amount of hot water that is required as this will help with the decision between gas and electric. These devices can be used to supple an entire household with hot water or can be installed as standalone units that just heat a singular sink. Another way tankless water heaters are often used is for adding some extra kick to a standard water heating system.

As you can see, Tankless water heaters are becoming very popular options for people looking to save money on their energy bill and wanting to help the environment. Yet another great reason for upgrading your home to one of these on demand water heating systems is that the life of the device can be as much as 25 years. Tankless water heaters can almost double the expected life span of a standard water heater. People are also making the switch because they are less prone to leakage. The last thing you want to deal with is water damage caused by your water heater tank.

If any of you would like more information on tankless water heater, please feel free to let us know. Thanks again for the visit and make sure to check back often to receive additional information on tankless water heaters.