Well it is time for you to replace your water heater, now you must decide what kind of water heater you would like to have. Gone are the days of only having the option between Gas and electric. Now we also have the option of a Tankless Water heater. These types of water heaters are also called On-demand Water heaters. They are known for never running out of hot water! In this article we will be comparing Traditional water heaters Vs. Tankless water heaters and both their pros and cons to help you decide what the best option for your home and family would be.
Size
Most of us are very familiar with seeing a big tank water heater in a closet somewhere in your home. Traditional insulated tank water heaters are considerably more large than a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters are quite small, they can even be installed on an outside wall if you have extremely limited space. Unfortunately, you don’t have the same options with a large traditional water heater.
Costs
A traditional water heater is significantly less pricey than a tankless water heater. The average cost for a traditional water heater including professional installation is between $500-$800 dollars. However the cost of having a Tankless water heater installed is more along the lines of $2000-$4,500.
Life Of Appliance
Although the tankless water heater costs significantly more for the unit and installation the tankless water heater has a longer life expectancy. A traditional tank water heater life is around 10-15 years, whereas, a tankless water heater could last 20 or even 30 years. This is about twice as long as a traditional water heater. Another Thing to keep in mind is that the tankless water heater is a more complicated appliance and this will cause repairs to be higher. Vice versa with the traditional water heater, because it is more simple the costs for repair is generally lower.
Installation time
If you choose to get a tankless water heater installed keep in mind that there is generally some retrofitting that needs to be done. This is going to take more time and money. A traditional water heater is fairly simple and can be done in just a couple hours.
Energy Costs
Now here is a biggy for most people. We are all striving to use less energy and install more energy efficient appliances. A tankless water heater will be significantly more energy efficient for you on your monthly energy bills. A traditional water heater has to stay on and keep a whole tank of water hot. Whereas, a tankless just heats the water as it passes through thus using significantly less energy to heat.
Usage
If you are someone who would really likes your water to be hot immediately then you might consider a tankless water heater. However if you really don’t mind waiting a few seconds then maybe a traditional water heater is for you. If you are a household that has multiple showers going at once someone is bound to get a cold shower if you get a tankless water heater, it can only output so much water at once. But with that in mind when you have a traditional water heater you definitely don’t want to be the last to shower as you might always get a cold shower!
We hope that this article helped you get some idea on what would work well for your family, whether it be cost, energy efficiency, life expectancy, ect. If you have any questions or you have decided on what you want and would like to move forward with installation give us a call at Linn Benton Plumbing.
