When it was time to replace the household water heater, I decided to look into the alternative of a tankless model.
While the initial purchase price is higher and conversion involves extra costs, this type of water heater is far more energy efficient.
For the needs of our household, making the upgrade was worthwhile. The long-term benefits of a tankless heater has more than compensated for the start up expense. The new model is approximately 34% more efficient than the original tank-style unit. We save more than one hundred dollars per year. A traditional standing water tank is supposed to last around ten to fifteen years with proper maintenance. I have never had one for more than ten years. The tank would always corrode and frequently flooded the basement, causing a great deal of damage. A tankless water heater eliminates that possibility. It doesn’t store water. Because the water isn’t sitting in a tank, getting reheated over and over again, it doesn’t absorb harmful minerals and stays cleaner. There are none of the standby energy losses of constant reheating. We can expect the tankless water heater to last around twenty years. It is quite easy to replace parts, which can extend longevity even further. I like that we no longer need to wait for water to heat up, and we never run out of hot water. Turning a faucet on sends water through a heat exchanger that heats it up instantly and as needed. It’s also helpful that the new water heater frees up space in the basement. Instead of a gigantic and ugly tank, we have a unit that is about the size of a small suitcase mounted on the wall.