Producing hot water for your home with a standard water heater is responsible for about 25 percent of your energy costs. Tankless water heaters are appliances that produce hot water without incorporating the use of a tank. These types of water heaters conserve energy as they only activate when hot water is needed and because they are fully modulating, meaning that they only use the fuel needed to heat water based on the immediate flow rate.
They are also referred to as point of use water heaters because they can be placed in strategic locations, such as under the kitchen sink, to provide hot water almost instantly. Electricity, propane or natural gas supply the appliance with the energy needed to heat the water.
When converting your home to a tankless water heater, location of the appliance is crucial and depends on your needs. Although a tankless water heater produces hot water almost instantly, you have to consider the lag time when placing the unit. Lag time represents the amount of time it takes the hot water to travel through the pipes between the water heater and the point of use. For example, if you desire hot water instantly at your kitchen sink, then placing the tankless system in the cabinet underneath it would be ideal. Some homeowners choose to install multiple units around the home to reduce or eliminate the lag time.
The best types of tankless water heaters are those models that will produce enough hot water to complete multiple tasks at one time. Typically, a model that produces between 20 to 30 liters per minute in summer and 15-plus liters per minute in the winter is more than adequate to supply the hot water needs of a three-and-a-half bath home.
If you decide to install a tankless water heater, Arpi’s recommends a water softener and regular maintenance because of our region’s hard water and the mineral deposits it leaves.
Homeowners who want to upgrade their traditional water heater to a tankless system can contact Arpi’s Industries. We’ve been providing quality heating, air conditioning and plumbing services in the Calgary and Alberta regions of Canada since 1963.
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, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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