Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – By now, you have probably heard of tankless water heaters, but few people really understand how they work, the benefits they provide, and the major differences between them and tank-type water heaters.

In this article, I aim to answer questions and highlight considerations you may not have considered.

Benefits

No more waiting for a shower: The obvious and most significant benefit of a tankless water heater is that you don’t have to wait for a traditional tank to heat up.

With a tankless water heater, you truly have an endless amount of hot water at your disposal. A highly sensitive flow sensor inside the unit detects when a faucet opens and immediately begins heating the water.

Energy efficiency: With a conventional water heater, you pay to keep 50 gallons of water hot at all times, whereas with a tankless water heater, you heat water only as it is used.

Gas tank-type heaters are usually around 70–80% efficient, whereas tankless water heaters are 90% or more efficient. This means that, on a tank-type heater, as much as 30% of your heat can escape through the flue, versus only 10% on a tankless heater.

Longer lifespan and warranty: You can expect 15+ years from a tankless water heater when it is regularly serviced, and many companies offer a 25-year warranty on the heat exchanger.

The heat exchanger is the largest component of the water heater and bears the heaviest workload inside the unit. It sits above the burner and transfers heat to the water. Conventional water heaters usually come with only a 6-year warranty, and we typically see them last 8–12 years before the tank fails catastrophically.

Peace of mind: If you experience a “catastrophic failure” of a tank-type water heater, it typically creates two major problems.

First, you will deal with an active plumbing leak until you can shut off the water supply. Secondly, you could face up to 50 gallons of water flooding your house, regardless of how quickly you turn off the valve. Even if you shut off the water in a timely fashion, the stored water in a conventional water heater will still leak out of the tank.

Because you aren’t storing massive amounts of water with a tankless water heater, failures are far less likely to be destructive.

Consider This

If you own a tankless water heater, regular service is critical (annually is ideal, but at least every two years). Servicing a tankless water heater involves flushing sediment buildup from the heat exchanger.

Buildup in the heat exchanger limits the unit’s ability to heat water properly and will overwork the system. This will eventually cause the unit to require replacement well before its normal life expectancy and, in most cases, will void the warranty.

For more information on tankless water heaters, or to book an appointment, call Chris West Plumbing at (870) 931-9634, visit us online at ChrisWestPlumbing.com, or email us at customer@chriswestplumbing.com.