Tankless water heaters have many advantages over tanked or storage-type units. One primary advantage is their ability to produce a continuous flow of heated water without running out.
Their life span is around three times as long as a storage water heater. And they don't waste energy keeping water heated when you don't need it. Though they are efficient, tankless water heaters have limitations.
Hot water demands
Imagine a Saturday morning when one family member is showering upstairs, another downstairs and the washing machine is running simultaneously. This stretches hot water demands. It can also stretch the flow rate of a single tankless water heater. These units heat water to a set temperature based on a flow rate. If all three activities demand 7 gallons per minute at 120 degrees, and your tankless water heater has a flow rate limit of 5 gallons per minute, the showers will be disappointing. Enough water will flow through but the temperature will be reduced.
Will two be better than one?
Once deciding to use tankless water heaters, many homeowners opt for more than one unit to avoid flow rate and temperature rise problems. Tankless water heaters use either electricity or gas. The gas varieties have a greater flow rate, 5 gallons per minute, than the electric type, 2 gallons per minute.
Faucets and showers farthest away from the water heater can present a problem as well. The water temperature may degrade several degrees before reaching distant outlets. Using several smaller units is often the optimal choice for ensuring peak efficiency, as well as flow rate and temperature rise.
Determining the best options
When deciding to purchase a tankless heater, the homeowner and installer should determine peak demand. Often two or more systems will be needed to meet the demand. You may want to use one for appliances and one for bathrooms. Or, you may choose to locate one nearer to the most distant hot water outlets. Either way, make sure you're set for plenty of hot water during peak usage.
If you want more information about tankless water heaters, contact our staff at Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. Serving the Route 495/128 area, we'll be happy to explain all the details and suggest the best options for your home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
Hot shower image via Shutterstock
Nice people.
Great service.
Since 1928
Read From Over 10000 Happy Customers
-
Both Alex and Patrick were knowledgeable, courteous, and professional. They made a change that might have solved the recent problem and have structured a more complete solution. We agreed to this...
-
Mike was thorough, thoughtful and considerate. Covered their shoes before entering, surveyed my issue and provided an explanation of the services and costs. Great Job!
-
Alex did a great job providing an explanation of the services provided and went out of his way to offer assistance/advice on other issues outside of our scheduled maintenance visit.
-
Brian did an excellent job inspecting our 18-year old boiler and replacing some of the accessory hardware that needed it, he also adjusted the outgoing hot water settings for our radiators and...
-
Rodenhiser is my one stop shop!!! They take care of my HVAC, electrical, and plumbing issues & are always helpful addressing any questions I may have about the systems in my house! Everyone...
-
Chris G. and Nick V. showed up bright and early at 8am to fix my water heater issue. They were on time, polite and were able to fix an issue that has been plaguing my house for a good year. They...
Call Rodenhiser at 1-800-462-9710
When you are looking for plumbing, electrical, heating or air conditioning in the Route 495 / 128 area, you will be delighted that you called Massachusetts' trusted choice since 1928.
With a total dedication to professional workmanship and excellent service, discover why families and businesses continue to trust Rodenhiser after generations of service
