How Does a Tankless Water Heater Really Work?
It is hard to imagine a time when hot water was not supplied to homes.
We become so used to having conveniences that this is a hard thing to conceive.
Technology keeps supplying more options and one that has been in use for longer than most people realize is the tankless water heater.
This is not a new concept.
It is just becoming more popular.
The tankless model does not use a tank like a conventional water heater.
The water is heater using a heat exchanger that comes on when there is a demand for hot water, for instance when a faucet is turned on.
A flow-activated switch senses the water in the pipes and switches on the heat exchanger.
The gas tankless models are said to be more efficient than electric because they heat the water faster.
They are available in many sizes and the size used will determine how much water is heated in the first minute, the ground temperature of the water and the temperature that is desired.
The first water from the faucet is generally warm and gets hotter as it runs.
The point of use tankless water heater is a fairly compact unit and is generally located near the outlet where it will be used the most.
This means less time for the water to reach the temperature for which the unit is set, resulting in less waste.
This type is usually powered by electricity.
Since it is so compact, it can be placed in a small space taking up much less room than a conventional unit.
The second type of tankless type is a whole-house water heater.
This unit can heat water for all the bathrooms in a small, medium or large home as well as other applications such as washers and dishwashers.
Providing hot water for many uses at the same time, the whole-house model is more expensive than the point of use water heaters.
This type normally uses gas for heating the water since it requires a greater amount of hot water than a point of use heater.
Tankless models can be quite energy efficient and may last far longer than a conventional model.
Some units will last 20 years or more allowing much longer between replacing water heaters.
Most have a very good warranty - often 10 or 12 years - on the heat exchanger as well as a five-year warranty on the other parts and one year on labor.
We become so used to having conveniences that this is a hard thing to conceive.
Technology keeps supplying more options and one that has been in use for longer than most people realize is the tankless water heater.
This is not a new concept.
It is just becoming more popular.
The tankless model does not use a tank like a conventional water heater.
The water is heater using a heat exchanger that comes on when there is a demand for hot water, for instance when a faucet is turned on.
A flow-activated switch senses the water in the pipes and switches on the heat exchanger.
The gas tankless models are said to be more efficient than electric because they heat the water faster.
They are available in many sizes and the size used will determine how much water is heated in the first minute, the ground temperature of the water and the temperature that is desired.
The first water from the faucet is generally warm and gets hotter as it runs.
The point of use tankless water heater is a fairly compact unit and is generally located near the outlet where it will be used the most.
This means less time for the water to reach the temperature for which the unit is set, resulting in less waste.
This type is usually powered by electricity.
Since it is so compact, it can be placed in a small space taking up much less room than a conventional unit.
The second type of tankless type is a whole-house water heater.
This unit can heat water for all the bathrooms in a small, medium or large home as well as other applications such as washers and dishwashers.
Providing hot water for many uses at the same time, the whole-house model is more expensive than the point of use water heaters.
This type normally uses gas for heating the water since it requires a greater amount of hot water than a point of use heater.
Tankless models can be quite energy efficient and may last far longer than a conventional model.
Some units will last 20 years or more allowing much longer between replacing water heaters.
Most have a very good warranty - often 10 or 12 years - on the heat exchanger as well as a five-year warranty on the other parts and one year on labor.