The tankless water heater has become more common in modern homes. With fast-rising popularity for good reasons, these installations have become a better and more efficient replacement for the traditional water heaters. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the tankless water heater is that you can call for hot water on-demand, whether after a long run or after a long and hectic workday.

While the tankless water heater seems to be catching on with most people, several others are held back by certain factors and considerations including the rising electricity and natural gas costs. To better understand the chances of the tankless water heater against the traditional water heaters, there is a need to first understand the pros and cons of choosing the tankless water heaters.

The traditional water heater is fitted with a storage tank which keeps water hot till it is needed while on the other hand, the tankless water heater provides on-demand hot water thus saving you more cost in terms of energy use. On average, due to old technology and its design-build, the traditional water heater consumes more energy to keep water hot over a long period. The tankless water heater, on the other hand, allows for an estimated saving of as much as 21 to 43% of water heating energy annually.

If you are seriously considering a shift from the traditional water heater to the tankless water heater, below are some of the most important pros and cons you need to be familiar with to ensure that you make a more informed decision.

The Pros Of Choosing A Tankless Water Heater

The Pros Of Choosing A Tankless Water Heater

  • Energy-Saving Features

One of the biggest considerations for modern-day homeowners is energy cost. With the rising cost of energy and natural gas, an increasing number of homeowners are on the lookout for better ways to cut down their energy cost and a better way to achieve this is by cutting down on your water heating costs. Choosing a tankless water heater is however a great way to achieve this goal as you get to heat only the desired amount of water needed per time as opposed to heating as much as 50 gallons of water which you may not necessarily use up instantly.

  • Long Service Life

A traditional water heater when properly maintained can last anywhere between 10 to 13 years. While 10 to 13 years appears to be a long period, a tankless water heater beats this by extending its shelf life by as much as a decade. The average tankless water heater is expected to last as long as two decades when properly maintained.

  • Saves Space

In the modern-day home design, space is a major consideration and as such, you want features and additions to the home that do not necessarily take up space which may be used for other important things. The tankless water heater is compact and better at saving space compared to the traditional water heater. For starters, the tankless water heater does not come with the tank for water storage thus allowing you more space in your bathroom.

  • Provides On-Demand Hot Water

A tankless water heater is a great addition to the home because it allows you to order for on-demand heated water to meet your needs. With the tankless water heater, you can enjoy as much as 2-3 gallons of hot water per minute.

  • Leak Protection

A major problem of the traditional water heaters is that they are prone to leaking. This is a common problem because of the presence of a water tank, however, in a tankless water heater, you do not have to worry about this major design-build fault.

The Cons Of Choosing A Tankless Water Heater

The Cons Of Choosing A Tankless Water Heater

  • Cost

The tankless water heater does not come cheap especially when compared to the traditional water heater. The cost of the tankless water heater can range anywhere depending on the features you are interested in and the model of the heater.

  • Requires Additional Renovation

When planning on installing a tankless water heater, the chances that you will need to renovate the bathroom is high. As part of making the switch to tankless water heaters, you may be forced to upgrade your homes’ electrical system from scratch to support the latest addition into the home. This also contributes to the cost of installing the unit.

  • Limited Output

As against the traditional water heater with tanks of pre-heated water, the tankless water heater may be limited in its output especially if you need a lot of water in a short time frame.

Conclusion

While tankless water heaters are superior to the traditional counterparts in terms of features and energy saving capabilities, the traditional heaters trump them with regards to cheaper cost and a more accommodating output. When making a choice, it is best to consider your specific needs based on the points discussed.