The traditional hot water heater is often viewed as one of the major energy-wasters in the modern home. The familiar hot water heater has a sizable tank where water is heated and stored. The hot water sits there in the tank ready to be drawn off as required.
The obvious problem with this type of system is that heat is lost from the water through the walls of the tank. That means that the heating system built into the hot water tank must regularly reheat the same water that was already heated before.
Green critics of the traditional hot water system find it particularly objectionable that the system burns away energy even if the hot water in the tank is not used. This is particularly wasteful when there are long intervals of time between uses – for example when you go on vacation or go visiting for a weekend.
One way to reduce this loss of heat is by adding more insulation to the tank walls. This reduces the amount of heat lost through the outer tank walls, so the water in the tank does not require reheating as often.
Another way to save energy is to turn down the temperature setting of the system so that the water in the tank is not heated as much as it otherwise would be. People are often surprised how high their hot water systems are set. Most household uses do not require scalding hot water – especially if you want to save money on water heating.
As a result of the shorcomings of the traditional water heater, the tankless water heater is becoming more popular. As the name implies these systems have no tank. As hot water is needed it is drawn through the tankless system and heated as it passes through.
So with a tankless water heating system there is no tank. This means there is no source of hot water sitting there ready to be used when it is required for showers, washing machines or dishwashers.
The advantages of a tankless water heating system are that you will save some energy over the long term. Since a tankless system does not have a tank its footprint in the house is much smaller. In fact most tankless systems are about the size of an electrical panel and are installed on the wall.
The most important disadvantage is that it is more costly to install than a traditional system. Some users also find that their system is not capable of providing enough hot water for multiple uses at the same time. For example to feed two showers and a washing machine at the same time may result in water that is not as hot as desired.
Depending on the installation, other users also complain of longer wait times than with traditional systems before the water at the tap is hot enough to be used. This is especially the case where taps are located one or two floors above the tankless system. In this kind of situation some of the energy savings will be offset by increased water usage.
The geographic location of your home is another important consideration. A tankless water heater may not work as well in a colder climate like you would find in a place like Calgary or Buffalo as opposed to a warmer climate. If you are in Atlanta, for example, an Atlanta plumber will be the best one to advise you on the best Atlanta water heater for your situation.
As tankless sytems evolve and develop these shortcomings may gradually be overcome. But for the present it is best to have a professional plumbing service assess your requirements and make a hot water system recommendation based on your specific needs.