Tankless Water Heating - Common Questions

A traditional water heater keeps a big tank of water hot all day long. The upside is you get hot water when you need it, the downside is you're wasting a lot of electricity. By contrast, tankless water heating gives you hot water when you want, but doesn't use electricity when you don't. In many cases a tankless water heating can reduce your electricity consumption and save you money. Of course, you may have questions about these systems and that's what we're here for!

Instant hot water? Sounds too good to be true.

If you grew up with a big family, you know the horror of a cold shower. You might also think a device designed to produce hot water instantaneously is too good to be true. Thanks to the magic science of modern technology, it's not.

We're not exaggerating the least little bit when we tell you a tankless water heater can produce hot water virtually instantaneously. They don't use big storage tanks and they don't keep water heated 24-7. They generate hot water only when you need it, and they really work.

Will I really save money?

That's not as simple an answer as the previous, but you very well could. A traditional tank water heater keeps a lot of water hot all day long, so it's ready when you need it. This is a great convenience. The downside is that it keeps heating water no matter what you need. When everyone's at school or work or the ballgame, the water heater is sucking electricity out of the grid to keep all the water nice and warm.

A tankless water heater doesn't do that. It only pulls power when you need hot water. Depending on your daily consumption, that could save you money. Of course, if you use so much hot water that your tankless water heater would run all the time, you probably won't save anything. The upside there would be that, unlike with a traditional water heater, you would never run out of hot water when the tank empties.

How much could I save on average?

According to an official US Department of Energy study, the average household that invests in a tankless water heater can save up to $100 per year. Of course, you could save more or less dependent on how much hot water you consume on an annual basis.

I have a gas furnace with natural gas. Can I run a tankless water heating unit on natural gas?

Yes. Like many appliances, a tankless water heating unit is designed to use different fuel sources to appeal to a more diverse customer base. For example, a Bosch GWH 345 tankless water heater can use either natural gas or liquid propane, so you can customize it to your current home heating installation. Of course, if you run an all electric home, there are plenty of tankless water heating options designed to operate only on electricity.

But are they really worth it?

If you want instant hot water that can save you money every year, then, yeah, a tankless water heating system is worth it. And we can help you find the right model for your family.