Should You Go Tankless? Traditional vs. Tankless Hot Water Heaters
If you need responsive plumbing service, want to discuss a project, request a quote or chat about a recent service call, please contact American Plumbing Company.
Contact Information
(903) 592-5508 – Tyler
(903) 212-2140 – Longview
(903) 592-6055 – Fax
(903) 780-1512 – 24-Hour Emergency Service
Customer Service: [email protected]
Human Resources: [email protected]
Business Hours
Monday - Friday: 7:30am - 4:30pm
New Location
We've moved and our new locations is:
1620 North Parkdale
Tyler, TX 75702
At American Plumbing Company, located in Tyler, TX, we are often asked about the differences in traditional and tankless hot water heaters. After all, when designing and building a new home from the ground up, one decision to be made is whether to use a traditional water heater incorporating a storage tank or to use a tankless water heater in the home’s plumbing installation. These are also options worth considering when replacing an existing traditional storage tank style water heater that has already reached or is getting close to the end of its useful life.
There will likely be numerous installation challenges if an existing storage tank water heater is replaced with a tankless system, but the additional upfront cost could easily be offset with energy savings over time. You will need to carefully weigh both the advantages and disadvantages of each type, but it will first help to understand just how each of these essential home appliances is designed and functions.
Traditional Water Heater
A traditional storage tank style water heater basically consists of a storage tank and a heat source. The tank remains full at all times with cold water flowing into the tank to replace any hot water that is leaving the tank. This type of water heater attempts to maintain all of the water that is contained in the storage tank at a constant temperature at all times, whether or not any hot water is needed or is being used. The average service life of a traditional storage tank style water heater ranges from eight to twelve years depending on the design and location of the unit, the quality of the water heater’s construction and installation, and the amount of dissolved minerals in the available water supply.
Tankless Water Heater
As the word ‘tankless’ in the name indicates, a tankless water heater cannot store any hot water, instead monitoring the water flow of water through the water heater to determine when hot water is needed. A tankless water heater operates by heating the water as it is flowing through it without relying on a storage tank to hold the heated water. This type of water heater only heats water passing through it, providing on-demand hot water only when hot water is needed. Since most tankless water heaters have a much lower level of corrosive exposure than do traditional storage tank style water heaters, they can have an expected average service life of up to twenty years.
Gas or Electric Water Heater
The water in any type of water heater, whether a traditional storage tank style water heater or a tankless water heater, can be heated by either electricity or by fuel, with that fuel usually being natural gas or propane. Electric traditional storage tank style water heaters typically rely on two separate heating elements, one located near the bottom of the storage tank and another heating element located near the storage tank’s center. A gas traditional storage tank style water heater normally has a burner beneath the storage tank which heats the entire tank from the bottom up. A tankless water heater operates by using either an electric element or a gas burner to heat the water only as water is flowing through it. If gas heated, a burner turns on, heating the water passing through it. If the unit is an electric tankless water heater, electricity provides the heat by way of one or more heating elements in contact with the water flow.
Advantages of Each Type
Some advantages of a traditional storage tank style water heater include a much lower cost of initial installation or replacement, that no changes are typically required to the home’s natural gas piping or electrical circuitry, and the ability to provide immediately available hot water.
Some advantages of tankless water heaters include their higher energy efficiency which can result in significant energy savings, and therefore a lower gas or electric bill and their compact size compared to a traditional storage tank style water heater, allowing for more options in location and enabling them to be placed closer to the point of use. And when they are installed near the point of use, heat loss from water traveling long distances through home piping is reduced along with less water wasted from running water until hot water reaches the point of use. When operating within the unit’s heating capacity limits, a tankless water heater can provide an unlimited supply of hot water and the expected life of a tankless water heater is five to ten years longer than the expected life of the storage tank style.
Disadvantages of Each
Some disadvantages of a traditional storage tank style water heater include a higher level of energy use and therefore a higher cost of operation, a shorter expected useful life before replacement is required, a larger space required for installation, and a limit on the total volume of hot water available in any short period of time.
Some disadvantages of a tankless water heater include a higher cost of installation, the possibility that some changes may be required to the home’s natural gas piping or electrical circuitry, and that there can be a significant lag time in hot water availability, which is both inconvenient and wasteful of water. Tankless water heaters are often unable to provide enough hot water for multiple concurrent uses like laundry and showers, and water temperatures can possibly fluctuate when the available water pressure varies.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
Be aware of the possibility of dangerous carbon monoxide poisoning. An odorless, colorless, and potentially deadly gas, carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of any carbon-based fuels. According to the CDC, over 400 Americans die each year from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning not directly connected to fires! Any gas powered water heater, whether a traditional tank model or one that is tankless, can leak deadly carbon monoxide if it has been improperly installed or if it vented poorly. All homes using gas as a heat source should contain one or more carbon monoxide detectors in addition to the usual smoke detectors that are required by code. Carbon monoxide detectors all require some form of regular inspection and maintenance to be reliable. Batteries should be changed regularly, and a supply of extra batteries should be maintained to ensure that the carbon monoxide detector is always kept functional.
Should You Go Tankless?
The final decision to go tankless or not will likely come down to a few key considerations such as the available budget, the average amount of hot water commonly used each day, the number of people living and concurrently using hot water daily in the home, and how long you plan to remain in the current residence.
And always remember that in addition to being able to provide any needed plumbing repair, a reputable East Texas licensed plumber such as American Plumbing Company in Tyler can help you weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each type of water heater. APC takes into account your particular circumstances and needs, so you can make the best water heating decision for you, your family, and your home.