When you're trying to improve your home or office energy efficiency, one strong possibility for many people is changing out a storage tank water heater for a tankless water heater. Though the Pittsburgh plumbing scene has seen many retrofits for this type of energy-efficient water heater, is it the best option for your situation? Here are some things to take into account before you start calling all the plumbers in Pittsburgh for quotes:
The Tankless Water Heater Difference
- It heats the water differently. Unlike storage tank water heaters which heat water to a particular temperature using a thermostat, a tankless water heater raises in incoming water by a certain number of degrees. This means you'll see seasonal variation of how hot the water will be and you'll need to buy a heater with a higher capacity if you have very cold tap water and want very hot water at the tap.
- It may cost more to install. Though you can often simply replace a tank heater with a new one, a tankless water heater has to heat the water more quickly. This often requires a larger gas line to feed it and a higher class of ventilation, requiring additional costs beyond that of the heater itself.
- It heats the water as it goes. Because of this reason, it makes unintentional cold showers a thing of the past. If you've ever been stuck behind a pair of teenagers or that one person in your home that has to run all the hot water out of the tank, a tankless water heater is an excellent choice, as it never runs out of hot water.
- It's a great long-term investment. Because it doesn't store large quantities of water, corrosion is far less of an issue with tankless water heaters than their storage tank counterparts. This means they last much longer, often 20 years or more, compared to the 5- to 10-year lifespan that is more common with storage tank water heaters.
By keeping these factors in mind, you can make a better choice in terms of what type of water heater would work best for your situation. If you are ready to make the change to a tankless water heater, please keep Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in mind, and contact us today to discover why we're the plumbers Pittsburgh locals trust to get the job done right the first time.