Lots of people are doing it. Are you? It's seems that it may be time for us to strip away our traditional ideas and go toppless--err, I mean tankless!
This last October 2011, my blog talked of a Texas Home Show that featured Homes of Tomorrow. One of the items mentioned was the growing popularity of tankless water heaters and their anticipated presence in the near future.
Well, as we speak, it is taking place. Just this week a large flyer appeared in the local newspaper offering a $350 instant rebate for installation of this device. Personally, as a home inspector, I've seen more tankless heaters in the past year than in the previous seven. So, what is the attraction and why now?
Understanding what a tankless system entails easily starts with the description "tankless." Most readers of this blog today undoubtedly have a tank type, gas or electric, water heater in their basement, crawlspace, or on the main floor of their residence. Obviously, the purpose of the tank is to capture and hold heated water awaiting consumer demand. Frequently, there may be no demand for heated water, but there is nearly always some demand for heat as the water naturally cools over time. Remember, heat always travels to cold. This act of cooling while waiting to be consumed is referred to as standby heat loss. It's just an accepted part of the process of heating water in tank type appliances.
Eliminating this inherent heat loss was the initial goal of the creation of tankless heaters. Less energy consumption, less water usage, but at the same-or even better-comfort level. The idea in its development was that water would be immediately heated on demand and available at a moment's notice at the water spout at the desired temperature. No more standing at the sink with the tap open and letting a precious resource travel down the drain line while waiting for the 'proper' temperature to be reached.
The next idea in understanding how tankless systems work is the method in which water is heated. When demand is activated, a heat exchanger or coil type device immediately heats, and just as quickly, brings the water to a preset temperature as it passes through the exchanger. Depending on how far the exchanger is from the faucet, hot water is immediately available for use, or at least after very few seconds delay.
A couple of things to know before buying a tankless system (gas, propane or electric). They are more expensive than traditional tank systems, but are manufactured to have an expected useful life (EUL) greater than tank types. They are also manufactured in different 'sizes', so you'll need to determine your particular water usage to determine the one that's right for you. It's possible the sizing of your current gas line may have to be increased.
Tankless systems are designed to be either point-of-use or whole-house. Some houses may have both types. Some may be only electric powered, some may be gas powered, or a combination. Obviously, a professional should be contacted to help decide which one(s) are the most cost effective for your home.
So, there you have it. In this day and age of 'getting it now', being 'green', and saving our precious pennies, a tankless water heater seems like a very practical way to go! Wouldn't you agree?
Doing a little research on the internet, I came across the following article on "How Tankless Water Heaters Work". For a more in depth understanding and some formulas for calculating water usage applicable to your home, you might want to refer to this document.
So are you ready to run through the streets and shout, "I'm going tankless!" ?
Posted By: U.S. Inspect Blog
Comments(9)