Tankless Water Heater Vs Tank Type

There are two options.

Tankless water heater vs tank type.

One of the first things to consider is whether you should get a tank or tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters can be powered by natural gas or electricity. Both the unit itself and the installation is typically cheaper than a tankless system for a whole house. You don t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

Tankless water heaters heat only the water you need when you need it eliminating the need for a storage tank. However a tankless water heater s output limits the flow rate. Tankless water heater parts are can also be relatively cheaper than their storage tank counterparts. Installation if you are replacing an existing water heater you may not have to perform any piping modifications to install the new one.

They are smaller and more energy efficient than traditional storage tank water heaters but more expensive. The tankless unit activates only when a hot water tap is opened and when there is sufficient water flow. When the water flow sensor is satisfied with the required flow rate the unit activates. Installation is simple and there is less that can go wrong with installation.

Both options of the tanked and tankless water heaters have several types to select from. While storage tank water heaters are by far the most common type tankless water heaters are slowly gaining market share according to technavio a global market research firm. For the tankless water heaters they can operate on gas or electric. On the other hand tankless water heaters are known to last longer than tank type water heaters.

Upfront cost a traditional tank system is less expensive initially. Tankless does not store water as the tank type and since water is heated only when passing through the heat exchanger heat loss is often minimal. Tank type water heaters are generally easier to install. And there are limits to how much hot water can be produced per minute.

Water heaters with tanks. Gas fired tankless water heaters produce higher flow rates than electric ones. Typically tankless water heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2 5 gallons 7 6 15 2 liters per minute. Although they require fewer btu h to operate storage tank water heaters generally have higher operating costs because they heat and reheat water to a preset temperature regardless of a home s hot water demand.