If there is any home comfort system in the modern home that people tend to take for granted–as unintentional as that is–it’s likely the water heater. Even though this is the most often used appliance in the average home, you likely don’t give yours a whole lot of thought, unless something goes wrong with it. Then, when something is amiss with the system, the next question is “do I repair it or replace it?”
The answer to that question is really in its age. If you have a newer water heater and this is the first time it’s needed a repair, then that’s likely the best course of action. If yours is edging on a couple of decades in age though, and it’s needed repairs more and more frequently, it’s time to replace.
Let’s say you’re in the latter camp, what next? You may have always had a traditional, storage tank water heater in your home, but this doesn’t mean it’s what you have to stick with. There are benefits to staying with a tank model, and we’ll talk about that below, but you might do well to consider a tankless water heater installation instead. Read on to learn more!
All About Tank Water Heaters
Storage tank water heaters are the most common, and what you will see in most people’s homes. The primary reason for this is because they’re relatively low-cost to install, and they simply do the job needed of them.
The main feature of a tank water heater is as the name implies, a tank. These tanks come in different sizes in order to meet the demands of different sized households (meaning, number of occupants and demands on the plumbing system, not necessarily the size of your dwelling). The reason for this is that once a tank water heater’s water supply runs out, there will be a delay in time as a new batch of water is heated up. So if you have a 6-person household who all take showers in the morning while you also do a load of laundry or run the dishwasher, you’re going to need a larger water heater than say, a family of 3 who take showers at different times of the day.
Now, there is a pretty big drawback to the tank water heater–and it’s a drawback that was resolved with the tankless water heater. If any hot water goes unused–meaning if you have too large of a tank–then the standing water cools off and the heat exchangers have to come back on to warm it back up. This means your water heater is draining more energy than you actually need. Read on to learn how a tankless system solves this problem.
All About Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heater systems have grown in popularity in recent years. They function much differently than their tank counterparts. They don’t use a storage tank at all. Instead, there is small box that houses the heat exchangers attached to your main water line. When there is a demand for hot water from a tap or appliance, the water flows over the heat exchangers and then into your home.
The only drawback of a tankless system is that it can be overwhelmed. Let’s say you have two people taking a shower at the same time but also have the dishwasher running–too much water could be coming through at once to effectively get heated. To resolve this, homeowners often have two tankless systems installed, or a small tank water heater reserved for a very specific area of the home.
We are happy to go over your options with you!
See what keeps our customers saying “I Love My Design Comfort,” and contact us today to learn more about tankless water heaters in Salt Lake City.
