In our previous post we touched briefly on how tankless water heaters in Phoenix work. In this post we will address some of the advantages and disadvantages of traditional tank water heaters vs newer tankless water heaters.
Tank Water Heater
Advantages:
- Less expensive up front
- Easiest installation and replacement
- Uses a wide variety of available fuels
- Works well with recirculating systems
Disadvantages:
- Standby heat loss
- Can run out of hot water
- Tanks are large and heavy
- Higher life-cycle costs
- Temperature control might not be precise
Tankless Water Heater
Advantages:
- Never run out of hot water
- Longer Life Expectancy (5 to 10 years supposedly)
- More efficient with no standby heat loss.
- Take up less space and can even be installed on walls or outdoors with an anti-freeze kit.
- Smaller units (Point of Use) can be installed under cabinets or in a closet, closer to the “point of use” (like a second shower etc)
- They only need enough power to heat the amount of water necessary at any given moment.
- Typically save between 10% to 25% from your water heating bill.
- Electric models don't produce greenhouse gases.
Disadvantages:
- They cost up to three times as much as a tank water heater.
- Need to consider the flow rate desired and temperature rise needed for your area. (Your hot water output is split among all your household fixtures.)
- You may need to add a larger natural gas line to supply the unit with enough fuel.
- Venting gas and propane units requires expensive stainless steel tubing.
- Electric models may require an additional circuit.
- Gas-powered units produce greenhouse gases.
- Electric models require a lot of energy.
- They need a minimum flow rate of .5 GPM in order to activate the heat exchanger.
