An Overview of the Advantages of Tankless and Traditional Water Heaters

You’ve decided it’s time to replace your old water heater. Now you’re trying to decide whether your new water heater should be tankless or traditional. Both types have their advantages. Here’s what you need to know to make an informed choice about water heaters.

Advantages of Tankless Water Heaters

You may also hear these referred to as on-demand water heaters. Tankless heaters don’t heat the water until you turn on the hot water tap or an appliance that uses hot water.

Lower Operating Costs

Traditional storage water heaters use energy to keep the water stored in the tank hot. Therefore, replacing a traditional water heater with a tankless one may lower your utility costs since you’re only heating water when you need it.

Hot Water Doesn’t Run Out

Once the hot water in a storage heater runs out, you have to wait for the water to heat up again. Tankless water heaters that are the adequate size for the home provide a continuous flow of hot water.

Tankless Heaters Last Longer

Tankless heaters typically last 20 years or more. Conventional storage heaters have a lifespan of 10 to 12 years.

Compact Size

Since there’s no storage tank, tankless heaters are much smaller than storage heaters. This may be a big advantage if your space is limited or you don’t have a basement. Keep in mind new storage heaters tend to be larger than older models due to design changes to improve energy efficiency.

Advantages of Traditional Storage Water Heaters

Your old water heater may be a traditional model that has a large storage tank, which holds approximately 40 to 50 gallons of water.

Lower Upfront Expenses

Generally, the costs for purchasing and installing conventional heaters are lower than those costs are for tankless heaters.

Ease of Installation

Replacing an old storage water heater with a new one is easier than replacing it with a tankless model.

Houston Area Plumbers

If necessary, we can provide more information to help you decide what type of water heater is right for you. Contact us to learn more.