Tankless water heating offers a number of benefits, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for every home. Before making the plunge, you’ll want to consider a few key factors that can help you determine how much energy you’ll save, how much water you’ll use, and whether the investment will be worthwhile in the long run.
When weighing the pros and cons of tankless water heating, take the time to consider:
- How much hot water your home goes through in a day.
- What your “peak hour” hot water usage comes to. For example, do multiple family members typically shower simultaneously, or within the same hour of one another? Do you usually run the clothes washer while showering?
- The size of the system in proportion to your home’s hot water needs.
- The initial cost.
- The potential savings over the system’s lifespan (which could be over 20 years, if maintenance is observed).
- The type of fuel the system runs on, along with the fuel’s availability and cost. It’s best to choose a fuel type that’s already fed into your home.
The federal Energy Star program estimates that the average Ohio family can save more than $100 a year by installing an efficient tankless water heater. If your home goes through about 40 gallons of hot water a day, tankless water heating can be 30 percent more efficient than a storage tank. If your home goes through a lot of hot water, about 85 gallons per day, you could improve efficiency by nearly 15 percent.
That’s assuming you only install one tankless system. If your home uses a lot of hot water, you may want to consider installing two or more tankless heaters, especially close to devices that consume many gallons -- such as clothes washers or hot tubs. By installing more than one unit, you won’t have to worry so much about the flow rate of the water being taxed or spread thin, leaving you lukewarm in the shower.
If you have more questions about tankless water heating, call Joe Behr Plumbing & Heating. We’ve been serving mid-Ohio homeowners since 1965, and we’ll be happy to help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Mid-Ohio area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about tankless water heating and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
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