Without a doubt, owning a home is one of the best parts of life. That feeling of home, and knowing at the end of a long day a person has a place of their own to relax in, is a hard-earned reward that millions of Americans toil most of their lives for. Unfortunately, the cost it takes to maintain a home in 2016 can be overwhelming, if not impossible for some folks. A decision as seemingly small as which water heater you purchase for your home can end up saving or costing you thousands of dollars after just a few years.
There are two types of water heaters: tank and tankless. We are going to delve into the world of water heaters to help you decide which one is best for you and your household.
Traditional (Tank) Water Heaters
Traditional water heaters store and preheat 30-50 gallons of water inside a long, tall tank. This preheated water is used when someone in the house showers, does laundry or washes dishes. Once the tank is out of the water, it needs to be refilled again. When your 16-year-old daughter takes too long in the shower and there’s no hot water left, this is because your traditional water heater has used all its hot water. Traditional water heaters are relatively inexpensive to purchase upfront and can be replaced easily. The huge downside of traditional water heaters comes with the energy bill every month. Traditional water heaters are designed to heat and reheat water at a pre-set temperature no matter what your water needs are. If you’re away from the house and not using water, you’ll end up paying a considerable amount of money to heat water that you won’t use or need. Water heaters with tanks are also known for having a relatively short life span of 10-15 years, and are infamous for not being able to supply an average-sized household with enough hot water.
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters feature sophisticated technology designed to heat water on demand. They use a heat source of electricity or gas, depending on your household. Tankless water heaters are compact and much smaller compared to traditional water heaters. These powerful heaters are able to deliver two to three gallons of hot water on demand, so you’ll never run out of hot water. With an average life of 20-25 years, tankless water heaters can function nearly twice as long as traditional water heaters. But here’s the big selling point. According to Energy.gov, “For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand (or tankless) water heaters can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters.” This translates into massive savings for most households after just a few years. Tankless water heaters are much more expensive than their traditional counterparts, but they pay themselves off within a few years after the purchase.
Which water heater is the best option for you? It depends. But the good news is Go Green Heating and Air Conditioning can help you decide! Give us a call today: 303-919-9292.