Tankless water heaters, just as the name suggests, have no reservoir tanks. If you’re thinking of purchasing a tankless water heater, you will need to know how they function so you can compare the advantages and disadvantages with a storage tank type water heater.
Normally water is stored in a water tank where it is heated before it flows through the piping system into taps, tubs and showers. Tankless water heating systems do not have such a tank. So instead of the water being heated in a tank it’s usually heated “on-the-go” as it flows through the pipes.
The heating can be accomplished using electricity, propane or natural gas. Of course each option has advantages and disadvantages which you will do well to analyze before making the final decision.
The biggest advantage of tankless water heaters is cost savings. Because water is heated on demand, you avoid the added costs of heating water that you may never even use. So if you want a hot shower, you simply have to set the desired temperature so water that flows to your shower is heated to that temperature. This is different from systems where all the water in a tank is heated. Tankless water heaters use sensors and computer boards to take commands from the user and to control the heating. This way, ONLY the water that is needed is heated.
A slight disadvantage with this type of water heater is their limited capacity. Since there is no reservoir tank, only a limited quantity of water can be heated at a go. If you have a large family or would like to run more than one application simultaneously, it becomes a challenge. You may consider multiple tankless units.
We are always here to help you make the right decisions, including purchasing a tankless water heater. Contact Arpi’s Industries Ltd. today at (403)236-2444 with all your questions and we’ll be glad to help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about tankless water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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