Tankless Water Heaters in Your House: Pros and Cons

If your older storage tank water heater is getting close to retirement age, you may be wondering if it’s worth going tankless. To help you decide, it’s good to learn the pros and cons of this type of water heater. The first pro of switching to a tankless water heater is the range of options it gives you. You can choose between gas-fired and electric models, and select a size ranging from a small unit to serve a single bathroom, or a large, whole-house model that’s capable of supplying three showers simultaneously.

Additional Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters

Making the switch to tankless water heating offers a number of other benefits:

• Energy savings. Because there’s no tank of water that needs to be kept hot and ready for use, you can expect to see a drop in your household energy consumption and utility bills.
• Long-term reliability. Storage tank water heaters typically wear out after 10 –13 years. As they age, the risk of a catastrophic tank failure and significant water damage increases. In contrast, tankless units have an expected service life of roughly 20 years, and there’s no tank that can suddenly fail.
• Greater convenience. In the busy mornings and any other times when hot water is in greater demand, it’s easy to run out when you have a storage tank water heater. When you have on-demand units installed that match your peak household usage, you’ll assured of a continuous supply whenever hot water is needed.
• Placement choices. Tankless units take up little room and are often wall mounted. The only restrictions on where you can place one are access to your gas line and the need for outdoor venting.

Potential Cons of Going Tankless

Tankless water heaters can cost two to three times as much as storage tank units, and the installation can cost more if your gas service needs upgrading. However, the reliability, convenience and energy savings you’ll gain can make the extra expense worthwhile.

For personalized advice about whether a tankless water heater is the ideal choice for your Portland-area home, contact us at Roth Home & Cooling.