Are Tankless Water Heaters A Good Investment? | San Antonio, TX
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Are you tired of running out of hot water in the middle of the shower? Perhaps you are like many other families who have to time showers and wash clothes to ensure there is enough hot water at any given time. You may be able to fix this problem by installing tankless water heaters. They are designed to provide on-demand hot water to your home whenever you need it out of any tap. Are they a good investment for you? Before you can make that decision, there are a few key things to know.
If you are thinking about tankless water heaters in San Antonio, TX, let our team at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain help you with a formal consultation.
What Are Tankless Water Heaters?
The big question most people have is how these systems work. In a traditional system, your home has one large water heater. This water heater is a big tank that fills up with water as you use it. The tank has a heater that works to keep all of the water in the tank hot. As you drain hot water when using it, such as taking a shower or washing the dishes, the tank refills. However, it takes time to heat the water back up to the desired temperature. That’s why you run out.
However, tankless water heaters can work very well to fix this problem. In these systems, there is a heater near the spigot. There is no tank involved in the process. Rather, the heater works right at the moment you draw water from the hot water spigot. Because they work on demand like this, there is an initial few seconds of cold water. However, once this is done, the water remains hot and continues to flow as long as you are requesting hot water to be available to you.
What Are the Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters?
If you are thinking about investing in these heaters, it is important to consider the differences in them and traditional systems. First, realize they do have a higher cost to installation than replacing an existing hot water heater with a new one. However, they also offer many benefits for most homeowners.
They Are Energy Efficient
One of the key advantages of using a tankless water heater is they are a fraction of the overall cost when it comes to heating up hot water. Because hot water tanks have to continuously operate to keep the water in the tank hot, they do use a lot of energy to do so. Tankless heaters do not do that. They only run for as long as needed when needed. The amount of energy efficiency provided really depends on the make and model and the way you use hot water. However, they tend to save as much as 24 to 34 percent in energy costs.
No Running Out of Hot Water
The key benefit to a tankless water heater is that you never have to run out of hot water. You can take a shower while your kids do. You can wash a load of laundry and still have water to wash your hands with in another area of the home. For many people, the lack of a tank that limits how much water is accessible is the key benefit to installing these tanks.
This is amplified if you have a larger family. Homes that use a lot of hot water on a regular basis tend to find themselves in the best place for using these hot water heaters. Most importantly, they can help keep everyone happy, no matter how busy your day gets.
They Save Space
Again, the lake of a hot water heater means you do not have to worry about having a large tank taking up space in your home. Traditional hot water tanks hold as much as 60 gallons of water. As a result, they tend to be very large. They also require proper venting and must be placed in a secure area to minimize any risk of accidents. The good news is tankless water heaters are much smaller. They take up an area of about 28 inches by 20 inches and only extend about 10 inches from the wall (there are some variances here).
They Are Easy to Maintain
Traditional hot water heaters do have a number of steps required to keep them operating properly. This includes proper cleaning and monitoring them to ensure they are working properly. Traditional tanks may need to be serviced by a plumber every six months. Tankless water heaters do not need this. They work very well and reliably without any specific maintenance steps to take. You do not have to invest much time – or money – into costly repairs. Most will work four to five years without requiring much, if any, maintenance.
Are They Right for Your Home?
The best way to find out if tankless water heaters are a good fit for your home is to schedule a consultation with a licensed plumber specializing in them. There are various makes and models available. It is a good idea to learn about each one to determine which fits your needs the best. It is also worth exploring how well they can work in your home.
Even if you are not sure if these systems are right for your home, your local plumber can offer insight and provide you with guidance on your options. The good news is they are becoming more accessible and affordable all of the time. If you thought you could benefit from one, now is a good time to reach out.
Hire a Team Dedicated to Helping You
Tankless water heaters are a benefit to many property owners. If you are thinking about installing one, it is best to meet with our team at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain to learn more about your options. We provide services throughout San Antonio, TX, and the surrounding area. Call us today for a consultation.
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