You may have heard about the many advantages of tankless water heaters. In fact, you may have heard about them directly from us. We install, repair, and maintain tankless water heating systems, and we’re big proponents of households making the switch from the conventional storage tank water heater to a tankless system.
Or maybe it’s better to say that we’re proponents of households giving serious consideration to making the switch. The truth is that tankless water heaters are not always the ideal installation for hot water in a home. There are situations where sticking with a tank water heater for a replacement or new install is the optimal choice.
Why would I want to stay with a tank water heater?
It’s a good question, especially after you hear water heating professionals talk up the benefits of going tankless: reduced energy costs, longer service life, smaller size, and never running out of hot water.
But tankless systems do have a few drawbacks, and in some homes the drawbacks will be enough to make a storage tank water heater the better pick:
- Expense: A tankless water heater saves money over its service life because it only uses energy when there’s a need for hot water, rather than running regularly to maintain the heat of water in a tank. But tankless water heaters cost more to install than storage tank models—and sometimes this doesn’t fit into a household’s budget.
- “Limitless hot water” does have some limits: A tankless water heater is often advertised as providing unlimited hot water, never running out. It’s true that because there’s no stored supply to be depleted—the tankless system heats water as requires—but the water heater can still be overtaxed if multiple hot water taps are on. Homes with a high volume of hot water use can easily push the tankless system past it limits and will need to have more than one installed. These homes will probably do better with a standard storage tank.
Finding out what type of water heater meets your household needs is as easy as contacting our office!
Ken Neyer Plumbing, Inc. is a full-service plumbing company with the finest plumbers on staff to see to your needs in Cleves, OH and the Greater Cincinnati Area.