Are Electric Tankless Water Heater Worth It?

What are electric tankless water heaters?

Electric tankless water heaters are water heaters that make use of electric supply. There are water heaters that make use of gas and solar.

The electric tankless water heaters are also called the demand-type or instantaneous water heaters simply because they supply hot water on the spot, that is, as at when needed. In other words, they do not store water.

When you turn on a water tap, cold water runs through an already installed pipe and flows to the point in the system where it is heated by electric power supply in an element.

The electric tankless water heaters save energy and consequently, cost.

Electric tankless water heaters

Vs

traditional water storage heaters

  1. Time saver: It takes quite some time for a storage tank to fill. It even takes an additional time to get the water in it heated. This is no good deal for someone who’s in a hurry to meet up with an appointment! But with an electric tankless water heater, all you need do is turn on the tap and there you have your hot water flowing!

electric tankless water heater cost

  1. Energy and money saver: The water in a water storage tank will definitely cool off after heating. If anyone needs hot water again, they have to heat the water again. The heating and re-heating can go on and on and this is a waste of energy and money. You can save energy and money using an electric tankless water heater. Water is only supplied when it is needed. It is estimated that about $44 is saved each year using an electric tankless water heater.

  2. Space saver: An electric tankless water heater is quite small and doesn’t take space. This is unlike the traditional water storage heaters.

Reasons why electric tankless water heaters are worth it

  1. Efficiency: Electric tankless water heaters are very efficient when we talk in terms of energy. They do not waste energy. For example, for households that use about 156 litres of hot water per day, these heaters have an efficiency as much as about 35%. For households that use a lot of water, say, 325 litres of water daily, the efficiency of these heaters are about 15%. However, you can achieve more energy savings of as much as 50% if you install more of these electric tankless water heaters. These efficiency levels are more than that obtained in the usual water storage tank heaters.

Also, when you compare the electric with the gas-powered or hybrid water heaters, they are still more preferable. Why? Even though the gas-powered ones have higher water flow rates, they allow energy wastage.

are electric tankless water heater worth it

  1. Life span: Electric tankless water heaters have a life span of more than 20 years. When you place this side by side with the common water storage tank heaters, they have more guarantee. The common water storage tank heaters have a life span of about 15 years.

  2. Cost: In the final cost analysis, the electric tankless water heaters save more money than the common water storage tank heaters. This is because it is only at the start that the electric ones cost more. After their installation, they last longer and require less money to operate and maintain. An additional advantage is that it is quite easy to replace any damaged part of the electric tankless water heaters. This even makes it have additional life span!

Into what can these electric tankless water heaters be applied?

They can be applied in the following:

  1. Bathrooms.

  2. Hot tubs.

  3. As an enhancement for clothes washing machines and dish washing machines.

  4. It is also used to enhance solar systems that heat water.

You might want to consider these before going tankless, electrically

  1. How often do you need to use hot water? This is one thing to look at. Do you need the hot water flowing in just the bathroom or you want the entire household ‘powered’?

  2. Proper siting of the heater: Experts say that the siting of an electric tankless water heater should be about 50 feet from a power source.

  3. When compared with gas-powered tankless water heaters, the electric ones have been said to be ninety-nine percent effective! It was also gathered that even the worst electric water heaters are more than ninety percent effective! The gas-powered tankless water heaters are, however, twenty-three percent effective. One plus, however, for the gas-powered heaters is that they enjoy tax rebate.

  4. Professional installation: It is advisable to get the service of a professional personnel to install the heater for you. In most cases, the installation is done freely when you purchase from some dealers.