Tankless water heaters. If you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or any other social media platform, you’ll probably see plenty of water heater content. Without a doubt, it’s one of the more popular services we offer here at Stine-Nichols and it’s not hard to see why! Water heaters are one of those plumbing elements that we really do need functioning on a daily basis. From a morning shower to washing dishes after dinner, it’s safe to say your morning routine would be impacted with the absence of hot water!
Just as any other technology has advanced over the years, so has the plumbing world. And with that, today’s blog will solely be focused on the advantages behind tankless water heaters. Believe it or not, the first tankless water heater was actually invented way back in the 1920’s by a company known as Stiebel Eltron. While other names have arguably become more popular in the industry, you undoubtedly have to list Stiebel Eltron’s founder, Dr. Theodor Stiebel, as an important figure in the water heating industry. Back to the growth of tankless water heaters, it did take some time for the technology behind them to catch up with the traditional storage tank models and present themselves as a viable alternative. Europe was the first to adopt them in growing numbers and then in the 90’s/2000’s, you started seeing tankless water heaters grow in popularity throughout the United States. And that brings us the current day where you’re gradually starting to see them tick away at the market share previously held by tank-style options.
Again, there’s no doubt that water heaters are a necessity in 2021. While both tankless options and storage tank models definitely get the job done, we’re going to discuss a few of the more noteworthy advantages behind having a tankless installed today.
Hot Water On-Demand
When you think about tankless water heaters, ‘convenience’ should be a buzzword thrown around every time! They are built to provide instant hot water and for this reason, you may hear them referred to as on-demand water heaters or instant hot water heaters. Keep in mind that tankless water heaters are only going to heat water when it’s needed, thus you’re not wasting any unneeded energy as well.
Space Saver
If you have a traditional storage tank water heater, you know that it takes up space. Unless you go with a smaller tank (which probably won’t supply enough hot water for the entire house), a 40-gallon or 50-gallon tank is certainly going to occupy some real estate. There is simply no way getting around that. On the flip side, you’ll notice a major advantage to tankless models is how little space they take up. They’re attached to the wall with piping running out of the unit.
Longer Lifespan
Our next advantage is one that many homeowners absolutely love and that is the fact tankless water heaters will last much longer than their tank-style counterparts. I will preface this by saying tankless water heaters do come at a higher upfront cost, as the initial installation will be more expensive. With the right maintenance in-place though, you can expect to receive north of 20 years on your tankless water heater. We can compare that to storage tank heaters, which typically see 10-12 years of life before showing signs of deterioration.
As a side note, remember that these numbers are estimated lifespans. We’ve even seen storage tank heaters last much longer than that timeframe. A lot of this is based on a few different variables, such as usage, maintenance and installation techniques.
Unlimited Hot Water
Particularly for those with bigger families, have you ever had multiple people getting ready in the morning and the last one to hop in the shower might only get cold water? Well, with storage tank water heaters, this is going to be a possibility, as you are capped by how much hot water can be produced. The logic behind this is fairly straightforward. In these scenarios, the home’s entire hot water supply is stored in that tank. And if you were to use all of that hot water, someone is going to be due to get a cold shower. Simple enough, right?
When discussing tankless water heaters though, a major advantage is having an endless supply of hot water, thus preventing those issues mentioned above. In purchasing a tankless water heater, it’s important to get the correct size capable of meeting your needs. In doing so, you’ll want to observe two main figures: (1) maximum flow rate and (2) required temperature rise. The temperature rise is simply the temperature you would like the heated water at minus the incoming water temperature. Meanwhile, the flow rate is the sum of how many devices/fixtures you expect to be using at one time. Add up all their flow rates (and maybe a little extra to be safe) and that gives you how much hot water you would need from the heater.
With all of that being said, if you keep your total water usage of however many devices under the maximum flow rate, you’ll have unlimited hot water!
Need help getting the perfect size for your individual household? We understand this can be a challenging part of the process. No matter if you’re in the market for a tankless water heater or a traditional storage tank water heater, our experienced plumbing professionals can help you out! Give us a call at (816) 348-3481 to speak with a member of our service team today.
More Efficient
Remember on the first point of this blog where I mentioned tankless water heaters only heat up water when it’s needed? Well, that makes our final point about as simple as you get. Since traditional storage tank water heaters are constantly heating water to keep it ready to go and tankless options only heat water when it’s needed, any guesses as to which one is more efficient? In the end, this is a perfect example how tankless water heaters will save you a few bucks on your monthly utility bills as well!
Water Heater Installation and Repair in Kansas City!
Just as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, water heaters have always encompassed one of our more popular services here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing. While it took tankless water heaters some time to grow in popularity throughout the United States, it’s safe to say they’re here to stay now! Each and every year, we install plenty of them throughout the Kansas City area and feel confident in recommending them to our clients. As I briefly alluded to above, one of the major differences you’ll notice between them and their traditional tank alternatives is the fact that tankless installations will come at a higher price tag. However, it’s hard to argue against some of the awesome benefits behind having a tankless water heater installed at your home!
Are you interested in a tankless water heater, but want more information on the various models we sell, installation techniques and pricing in general? Fill out the form on our contact page and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss further. In addition, as a bonus for checking out our blog post, we would like to offer you a special on any new water heater installation, tankless or traditional storage tank. When scheduling your appointment, mention this water heater special to our operations manager to receive $100 off any new installation. Just make sure you mention this when scheduling to be eligible for the discount. Certain exclusions may apply.