Tankless Water Heater Repair: Why You Should Switch To Tankless Water Heaters | San Antonio, TX
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Tankless water heaters or demand-type water heaters provide hot water as it’s needed. Compared to the conventional units, there’s no need to heat the water constantly. It’s beneficial as it doesn’t produce any standby energy loss associated with installing the storage heaters for your home. As a result, you get to save money every month on your utility bill.
In this article, we’ll talk about tankless water heaters, tankless water heater repair, how they work and if it’s suitable for your home, how to select the right tankless water heater and other water heater options for homeowners.
For installation, ensure that you only work with a licensed plumber in San Antonio, TX, to prevent tankless water heater repair down the road. Hiring an unqualified professional for installation leads to other problems — you will have peace of mind when you hire bluefrog Plumbing for the installation of your new water heater. Remember, tankless water heater repair can be expensive. You can avoid this by hiring bluefrog Plumbing.
How Tankless Water Heater Works
As mentioned, tankless water heaters can instantly heat your water without a storage tank. When you turn on the hot water tap, the cold water travels through your unit and is heated by either an electric element or a gas burner. As a result, you get a constant supply of hot water for your home. There’s no need to wait for the storage tank to completely heat the water. However, the output of a tankless water heater is limited to its flow rate.
A standard tankless water heater can provide you with a rate of about 2 to 5 gallons of water per minute. Compared to the electric ones, the gas-powered models have a higher flow rate. The only downside is that it may not supply enough hot water when multiple household members simultaneously use it. To remedy this problem, contact a plumber to help you install more tankless water heaters. You can also install separate tankless water heaters for your appliances, so you never run out of hot water ever again. For installation, only hire a licensed plumber to avoid tankless water heater repair.
Pros and Cons of Tankless Water Heaters
If your home uses about 40 gallons or less hot water daily, you can save up to 34 percent energy when installing tankless water heaters. A bigger family that uses more gallons of hot water per day can also save more money by installing a tankless water heater for their home. Should you decide to install water heaters for each appliance, you get to save up to 50 percent of energy. Call a licensed professional for installation to avoid tankless water heater repair.
If you’re thinking about installing one, please don’t hesitate to talk to us. We can help you make an informed decision on what type of tankless water heater to invest in for your home. We’re also experienced with all types of units — our team in San Antonio, TX, can correctly install your water heater and avoid tankless water heater repair.
One of the disadvantages of installing a tankless unit is the cost. It’s more expensive compared to the tank-type water heater. However, the tankless units last longer and have lower energy costs. The tank-type units only last up to 10 years, while the tankless units can last up to 20 years. That means it could offset the higher purchase price of the water heater.
In addition, less maintenance is needed. With the storage heaters, you need to flush the sediment buildup every year. Failure to do so could lead to more problems. If you decide to install the tankless water heater, do follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for using and maintenance to avoid tankless water heater repair.
How to Choose a Tankless Water Heater
There are four factors to consider in choosing the right tankless water heater for your home. They are the size, energy efficiency, fuel type and availability and cost.
For the installation, we recommend that homeowners only work with licensed plumbers in San Antonio, TX, to avoid tankless water heater repairs. Hiring an unqualified plumber can lead to other problems down the road. A handyman may not have enough experience or lack the tools that he needs to properly install a tankless water heater. Avoid this at all costs, albeit he’s only offering his services at a cheaper price. When it comes to major installations in your plumbing, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Calling for another tankless water heater repair will be more expensive. So ensure that you only hire licensed plumbers for a water heater installation to avoid expensive tankless water heater repair.
Sizing a tankless water heater
Buying the right tankless water heater size will meet your household needs. This is why you need to make sure you have the right size before installation. You may speak with a plumber if you don’t know how to determine the right water heater size. To help you with installation, hire a certified plumber to avoid tankless water heater repair.
To get the right size, list all the hot water devices you expect to use and add up their flow rate in gallons per minute. The sum of the flow rates would be the desired flow rate that you want for your tankless water heater. If the flow rate is too high and you want a smaller one, you can remedy this by installing low flow fixtures for your home.
When you’re ready to buy one, call one of our plumbers so we can help you install your new unit. You can avoid tankless water heater repair when you hire bluefrog Plumbing for installation.
Exploring fuel types
When buying a new water heater, it’s also essential to determine what energy source or fuel type you intend to use. Remember that the fuel or the energy used also affects the unit’s annual operation costs.
Electricity is one of the most commonly used sources in the United States for conventional water heaters and tankless water heaters. Call us if you prefer this so we can help you professionally install the unit and avoid tankless water heater repair in San Antonio, TX.
Other fuel sources include natural gas, fuel oil, geothermal energy and propane. These fuel or energy sources can also be used as combination water and your space heating systems, including indirect water heaters and tankless coil. Contact us for installation to avoid tankless water heater repair.
For geothermal, it’s available in the US for homes that will have or have already installed geothermal heat pump systems for their heating and cooling.
Talk to us so our plumbers in San Antonio, TX, can educate you on what type of fuel or energy source to use for your home. We can also help professionally install your unit to avoid tankless water heater repair.
Energy efficiency
Calculating the energy efficiency of your water heater lets you determine how much you can save for your unit.
Your water heater’s EF or energy factor indicates the unit’s overall energy efficiency based on the amount of hot water produced per unit of energy or fuel used every day. This includes recovery efficiency or how efficiently the heat is transferred to the water; standby losses (this is for the tank-type water heater); and then the cycling losses (also for the storage tank), which is the loss of heat as the water circulates through the tank.
Remember, the higher the EF, the more efficient your water heater tank. One factor that also affects the efficiency is how correctly installed the unit is. This is why we always suggest that homeowners only hire licensed plumbers in San Antonio, TX, to avoid water heater repairs down the road.
Cost
As to the cost, consider speaking to one of our licensed and experienced plumbers. Let us know how much your budget is and what your needs are to help you choose the best tankless water heater for your home. We can also give you the cost of the installation of your water heater. You can rely on us to install your unit as we are experienced with all types of water heaters. Rest assured, your unit will be in top shape. You can avoid calling for a tankless water heater repair when you hire bluefrog Plumbing for professional installation of your unit.
Point of Use Water Heaters
Some of the heat in your water is lost as it travels from the central water heater to the faucet. To reduce the energy lost, consider improving the distribution system of your hot water. For example, try installing low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets. Adding insulation to exposed pipes and fixing leaks also helps.
Another way to reduce heat loss is by installing point-of-use water heaters for your home. By point of use, we mean the water is heated near your shower, bath, sink, or wherever you are using the hot water. If you want to save more energy, call a plumber today to help you install point-of-use water heaters.
Other Water Heater Options for Homeowners
If you don’t want the tankless water heater for your home, check out these other options for you.
Energy Star Certified Electric Storage Water Heater
To improve the efficiency of this water heater, we use a highly efficient heat pump for transferring the heat from the surrounding air to your water. Besides helping the environment, buying this type of water heater can save you a couple of dollars in your energy bills every month. It’s better than buying a conventional water heater for your home.
You also get an incentive when you buy this type of water heater. Energy Star does offer rebates for this, but you’ll need to check with your local utility for the exact details.
Talk to us if this is what you prefer so we can also help you with the installation.
High-Efficient Gas Storage Water Heaters
This type of water heater uses the same technology as the standard gas water heater tank. However, the Energy Star models have better heat traps, insulation and more efficient burners. In addition, compared to the standard gas water heater tank, this model uses 8 percent less gas, making it more efficient. As a result, you get more savings too.
Is the Tankless Water Heater Right for Me?
If you have a storage water heater that’s more than ten years old or no longer that efficient, we suggest that you get a replacement water heater for your home. It would be more cost-effective to get a new one than keep paying for costly repairs. We recommend that you consider installing the tankless water heater for replacement, especially when you have higher energy bills every month. Switching to tankless units can significantly reduce your energy usage and you can save money.
Switch to tankless water heaters, too, if you prefer never to run out of hot water ever again. So long as you buy a tankless water heater with the right flow rate for your home, you never will have to worry about not having hot water ever again.
Talk to us so we can help you decide on what unit to purchase for your home. Our plumbers can also professionally install your unit and avoid tankless water heater repair.
Contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio
Whether you need tankless water heater repair or installation, please contact bluefrog Plumbing. Our team is always available to help and will always make sure you get exceptional plumbing service. We are available 24/7, and our plumbers are highly skilled.
If you haven’t decided what water heater to purchase yet, we can also help. Our team is knowledgeable about water heaters, both for the storage type and the tankless version. We’ll help you determine the best unit suitable for your needs. Contact us today for an appointment.
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