tankless hot water heater - what are they and why you need one

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What Is A Tankless Water Heater Anyway?

Tankless Water Heaters, are also known as on demand Water Heaters. The reason for that is that they provide hot water only as it is required. Traditionally, water heaters heated water on standby for when you wished to use it. Of course, that leads to energy losses that cost you money and cause environmental problems. A tankless water heater saves money and energy costs by only heating water when there is a need for hot water.

Tankless Water Heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. This enables them to avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric tankless water heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired tankless water heater a gas burner heats the water. As a result, tankless water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

Usually, tankless water heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2 – 5 gallons (7.6 – 15.2 litres) per minute. Typically, gas-fired tankless water heaters will produce higher flow rates than electric tankless water heaters. Some smaller tankless water heaters, however, cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households.

If you are say taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time this can stretch a tankless hot water unit to its limit. To overcome this problem, you can install a whole house tankless water heater. If you think that you need more supply then you can install two or more units, connected in parallel for simultaneous demands of hot water.

You also have the flexibility to install a number of units for different purposes. You can install separate water heaters for appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwasher that consume a lot of hot water in the home.

Other uses for tankless water heaters include:

Remote BBQ or outdoor sink
Remote bathrooms or hot tubs
To serve as a booster, eliminating long pipe runs, for solar water heating systems, dishwashers and sanitation.
Poolhouse or pool shower