Has your water heater recently started leaking or just no longer works effectively enough? The type and size of the new water heater you choose can have a huge impact on how effectively it meets your hot water demand and how high your energy bills are.
For many years you really only had two options when replacing a water heater—installing a gas tank unit or an electric one. This is only partially true since the first gas tankless water heater was invented in 1889 and the first electric tankless unit was then invented in 1929.
Nonetheless, tankless water heaters long suffered from poor energy efficiency. It wasn’t until the 1990s to early 2000s that the technology improved to the point where tankless water heaters were efficient enough to be a viable alternative to tank units. They finally started to catch on in the United States. If you’re struggling to choose between a tank and a tankless unit, this guide will compare the two and help you decide which one is right for your home or business.
Cost of Installation
Let’s start by comparing the two in terms of installation cost since this is one of the first things most people will focus on. If you’re just looking for the cheapest available option, an electric tank unit is the way to go. Installing a gas tank unit will typically cost a few hundred dollars more but still be cheaper overall than going with a gas or electric tankless unit. If you opt for a tankless unit, you’re usually looking at paying at least a few hundred or possibly even a few thousand dollars extra.
In terms of the final cost, you also need to consider the additional work that’s required when switching fuel sources or from one type of water heater to the other. If you already have a tankless water heater, replacing it with the same type may end up costing less despite the new unit being more expensive to purchase.
Hot Water Supply Capabilities
Hot water supply capability is generally considered an area when tankless water heaters win hands down. These units are often referred to as instantaneous or on-demand water heaters since they just instantly start heating when needed. The fact that you don’t have a storage tank full of hot water means you could leave your hot water running 24/7 without ever running out with a tankless unit. With a tank water heater, you can easily run out of hot water if you use too much in an hour.
No matter which unit you choose, you will still only be able to use a certain amount of hot water at the same time. If too many fixtures in the building are in use, only some fixtures may receive hot water or the water temperature at one or more fixtures could continually fluctuate.
Space Requirements
Tankless water heaters have increasingly become the preferred option in certain types of new construction as a result of how small they are and how little space they take up. If you’re willing to have extra work done to retrofit your building’s plumbing, you can install the tankless unit almost anywhere you wish. This includes inside a closet, in a bathroom or right inside a shower. You can then put in storage shelving where your old, bulky tank water heater was or use that extra space for whatever else you want.
Energy Usage
If you’re looking for the cheapest way to meet your water heating needs, a gas tankless unit is undoubtedly the way to go. With an electric tankless unit, on the other hand, you may not save all that much compared to what it would typically cost to run a gas tank unit. That’s just because all electric water heaters have quite high energy demands. If you have a quite high hot water demand and your average daily usage is 80+ gallons, you likely won’t save much more than 10-15% with a tankless water heater. If your demands are much lower, you could easily save 25-30% or more instead.
There are two primary reasons why tankless water heaters are cheaper to run. The first is that their design allows them to heat water more efficiently so that less of the energy they use gets wasted. The other is again the fact that they just heat your water on demand. The main issue with tank water heaters is that the water they store slowly cools down over time due to heat escaping out through the tank.
This is an especially big issue with cheaper units since their tank usually isn’t all that well insulated. This heat loss results in the water heater regularly needing to kick on and bring the water back up to temp. In many cases, the unit will end up having to run for a couple of hours per day just to ensure that the water is always fully hot. This is in addition to the time it runs for whenever you use any hot water and cold water flows into the tank.
Maintenance/Repair Needs
It’s important to note that any water heater will heat better, work more efficiently and usually require fewer repairs and last longer if a plumber services and inspects it yearly. Nonetheless, tank water heaters have quite a few additional maintenance tasks and will often require at least some repairs even when properly maintained.
That’s because components like the anode rod will almost always wear out after five years at the most. If you don’t then have the rod replaced, the tank will start leaking sooner since the rod helps prevent it from rusting and corroding. You also need to make sure to flush the tank once or twice a year so you can get rid of all of the sediment. This will ensure the unit can still heat effectively.
Longevity
Another great thing about installing a tankless water heater is that it can easily last twice as long as a tank unit normally would. Twelve years is generally about the maximum a gas tank unit will last before breaking down or beginning to leak. You can sometimes get up to a few years more out of an electric unit since it typically won’t experience the same amount of wear and tear. With a tankless unit, you’re generally looking at a life expectancy of 20 years at least. If you make sure to have a plumber service and inspect your tankless water heater every year, you could potentially even get up to 30 years of life out of it.
Contact Us Today
When you need trustworthy plumbing, heating and air conditioning services in the Shreveport, LA area, you can rely on the experienced professionals at Bobby L. Greene Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Co.. We’ve been in business since 1959 and have a team of skilled, highly trained HVAC technicians and plumbers that’s ready to help assist you with whatever you need.
Whether it’s installing a new water heater, repairing a leak or fixing an issue with your heating, AC or sewer system, we’ll use our expertise to ensure the project goes smoothly. If you need a water heater inspection or a replacement, give Bobby L. Greene Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Co. a call and let our experts give you the advice and assistance you need.
