No matter if you are retrofitting your older home or creating a new one, it’s always a good idea to focus on the hot water system that you have within it. Around 30% of the total home energy budget will be spent on water heating so you do need to make sure that everything runs properly. Having an old and rusted water heater doesn’t work nowadays, you want a system that’s fast, efficient and which delivers a very good quality. But are the traditional heaters still the answer or we should replace them?
The answer is actually simple, replacing the older heaters can bring in front a very good value and it can pay off. However, you will see a major difference if you choose to work with a tankless system. This type of system is designed to heat water whenever you need it. As a result, it will not store water for heating and the costs will be a lot lower. Plus, the design is compact which is a plus and you are free to add it on the wall as some models do support this type of thing.
Size
A thing to note here is that you have tankless hot water heaters that are suitable for the entire home and you also have smaller ones that don’t need that much space. You just need to figure out how many fixtures will require hot water and based on that you will be able to get the unit you need.
Fuel
There are some models that operate on fuel, while others are usable with gas or electricity. All of these are ok, you just need to check what you need. Gas models might seem to be dangerous as they have venting issues and they still require electricity to operate. On the other hand, the electric version will need you to check things like amperage and voltage to ensure that everything is running properly.
Location
People that live in the norther region will have to deal with colder water. As a result, the heater will indeed have to work harder as the flow and speed of that water, even its temperature, will affect the heating process.
Flow
It’s always a good idea to calculate the amount of water gallons per minute that you need. Water usage calculations are necessary because you want a unit which can deliver a very good flow to begin with. The kitchen might require more water than the bathroom, so make sure that all your home receives the necessary water flow.
Rebates
There are some models that are delivering incentives and you can enjoy some great state tax credits from them. See which ones offer that, check if they cope with your requirements an dthen you are good to go.
See the return on investment
The tankless water heater will be more expensive as they can be around $800-$1650 or more without installation whereas a regular tank water heater can be $450 or up to $700 (with installation). However, don’t just think that this will automatically mean the traditional tank heaters are better. Try to balance the unit cost with the operational cost. The tankless model can help you save around 34% more so if you want efficiency, this is the type of model you should focus on!
