Many people are now abandoning traditional water heaters and procuring tankless models, a shift that is enthusiastically promoted by numerous companies. Understandably, this trend might lead you to believe that tankless is always the optimal choice. However, tankless systems are not suitable for every household, and they may not be the right fit for you.
These systems are excellent solutions for many homeowners, but they’re not right for every situation. If you’re considering installing or replacing a water heater, it’s vital to understand the disadvantages of tankless units to make an informed decision.
What Is a Tankless Water Heater?
The key to the difference in tankless and storage water heaters is in the name. A traditional or storage water heater stores water in a tank. A tankless water heater does not have a tank. Instead, it heats water as it is needed.
This is the source of some of its advantages and disadvantages. A traditional storage water heater is great until you run out of hot water. Then, you have to wait for more to heat. With a tankless water heater, water flows into a heating element and then straight out to you. This means you’ll never have to wait around for a tank of water to heat so that you can take a shower. However, this method of heating and distributing water does create some disadvantages, which are discussed below.
The Disadvantages of a Tankless Water Heater
It might seem like a no-brainer to make your next water heater a tankless one because of their growing popularity and reputation for efficiency. But you need to consider your budget and your overall water usage and needs.
Expensive to Buy and Install
You’ll pay more to purchase a tankless water heater and for the installation. While it’s often pointed out that it can cost less to operate a tankless water heater compared to a traditional one, it can take some time to see that savings balance out in comparison to what you’ve paid. If you’re moving in a few years, you may never see enough savings in your bills to balance the cost of the water heater and its installation. In addition, if you are on a very tight budget for the installation, the additional money to pay for an upgrade simply may not be available to you.
May Require Upgrade to Gas or Electricity Line
There’s a potential additional cost. If you are switching over to a tankless heater, it may need a more robust gas or electric line than your traditional water heater currently has. Therefore, you need to think about the cost and potential disruption of this as well.
Hot Water May Not Immediately Flow to Fixtures
While it’s true that tankless water heaters can provide immediate hot water, there is also an issue with the time it takes for water to travel to distant fixtures. Some people find that there is a delay, and in some cases, it can be longer than the delay that you may sometimes experience with a conventional water heater. This isn’t an issue for things like showering or running a dishwasher, but it may mean washing your hands with cold water instead of warm.
Flow Rate Is Limited
The flow rate refers to how many gallons per minute a tankless water heater can heat up. Flow rates for residential tankless water heaters generally vary from two to 12 gallons per minute. You would choose the flow rate of the tankless water heater for your home based on how many fixtures you tend to use at the same time. However, your needs might sometimes exceed what your tankless heater can provide, and this could mean cold water for one or more fixtures. A limited flow rate could also cause temperature inconsistencies. In general, you’ll pay more for your unit as the flow rate increases.
There’s one more thing to consider if you need a higher flow rate. Usually, tankless water heaters that are gas-fired tend to have higher flow rates. However, if they come with a pilot light instead of an intermittent ignition device, that pilot light could negate the energy savings in comparison to a traditional water heater.
Why You Might Still Want a Tankless Water Heater
After reading all of the above, you might be wondering why tankless water heaters remain so popular given all of those drawbacks. The fact is that any system will have its advantages and disadvantages. Carefully examining your needs and priorities will help you determine what’s right for you. For example, you might have a large budget, so the installation costs don’t deter you. Perhaps you have a small home and minimal water-heating needs. A tankless water heater might suit you perfectly.
One of the disadvantages of a storage water heater is that you pay for the water that it heats whether you’re using it or not. A tankless water heater can be a great choice for a vacation home that isn’t used often. It might even be a good choice if you are frequently on the road for business, and no one else is at your house during that time.
There are other good reasons to install a tankless water heater. For homes where you tend not to use multiple fixtures at the same time, they can be the right choice. If you’re building a new home, you may be able to more easily fold the costs of purchase and installation into the overall construction costs. Another advantage of tankless water heaters is that they take up less space than traditional ones.
In addition, if your number one priority is the energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly option, you may want to go with a tankless water heater. Just make sure that your entire household is on board. If there’s one person whose seemingly endless showers only come to a stop when they run out of hot water, a tankless water heater could make those showers much closer to endless! You’re not likely to get the savings or energy efficiency you hope for if everyone boosts their hot water usage once you have a tankless unit.
Best Water Heater Service in the Bellingham, WA Area
We’re a family-owned business that’s been serving the Bellingham area since 1965 and across three generations of owners. We want a long-term relationship with our customers, and we look for that in our employees too. We hire people that can bring more than just experience to Marr's Heating and Air Conditioning. We want employees who we know will go the extra mile for our customers and one another. Although we’ve been around for decades, we prize innovation along with our other core values of transparency, accountability and professionalism.
This means we stay on top of what’s new in the industry. Our dedication to our customers has earned us an excellent Google review average with more than 1,000 reviews. In addition to water heater repairs and installations, we provide other plumbing services, including being available to address emergencies.
When you need a new water heater installed in your home, talk to the professionals who can help you figure out what type best fits your needs. Contact Marr's Heating and Air Conditioning in Bellingham for your next installation.
