Is a tankless water heater more efficient and cheaper to operate than a conventional tank water heater?
Saturday, June 6th, 2009 at
2:17 pm
I am looking into pruchasing a tankless water heater but do not want to pay more to operate it than the tank i have now. I know my tank runs on 1000 btu's and most tankless heaters run at about 10 thousand. Is it worth it to switch over?
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Tagged with: btu • tank • tankless heaters • tankless water heater
Filed under: Water Heating
Your install investment will be high, it will take 4 to 7 years to recoup the investment from operation. If you can afford the tankless system, it is a better option.
The tankless system is less costly to run, as you are not heating up a 50 gallon tank all the time, only the water you are actually using.
Tankless heaters are not "instant" heat; if it takes 15 seconds for the water from your current heater to reach your tap, it will take just as long for the new system (unless you install a circulating pump). Once the water is hot at the tap, it will be hot as long as you have gas available.
The high BTU figure is used, because instead of heating 50 gallons of water all the time and having a tank full of hot water on hand, you are taking 56* street water and heating it to 120* in seconds. Think of it as a blowtorch as compared to a candle. It uses a lot of energy during operation, but when you are not calling for hot water, there is no energy expended.
If your current tank needs replacement, go with the tankless unit. The salesperson will need to know your usage demands; how many showers/tubs you have, washing machine(s), dishwasher(s), etc. I've seen homes with hot water spigots near the garage so the homeowner can wash the car with warm water.
An on demand hot water system is much more efficient and can literally save you ten to twenty percent on your energy costs. I have installed a Rinnai system (www.foreverhotwater.com). I am amazed at the efficiency and savings and also how fast I get hot water when I turn on the tap – it is instant, and never stops. You could take a 2 hour long hot shower. You will not be disappointed by a Rinnai. Good luck to you.
Yes. Operating cost should be lower. The output of a normal water heater is about 40,000 btus. The output for a instant water heater is between 100,000 and 380,000 btus. Noritz is the best brand and carries the widest range of output. One important consideration is the temperature of the water in the winter. If you live in a very cold part of the country where the water dips below 50 degrees in the winter consider getting a water heater with more output.
The savings in a instant water heater is achieved by not constantly heating unused water. The instant water heater will typically have better combustion efficiency so less of your money will be going into the chimney. The wall mounted heater should also last longer and its life can be extended by repairs that prevent replacement.