A Tankless Water Heater Is An Upgrade To Consider When You Need To Replace Your Old Tank Heater

If your water heater is old and needs to be replaced, it's a good time to upgrade to a tankless water heater. These are available in both gas and electric models, and they're more efficient since there is no tank full of water that has to be kept hot all the time. Instead, water is heated when you turn on the faucet and water passes through the tankless water heater. Read on to learn important details about tankless water heaters.

Hot Water Doesn't Run Out

When you shower with a traditional water heater, you can run out of water when all the stored water runs out. The heater will heat up a new tank of water, but that takes time. If you're the last person to take a shower in the morning, you might end up with a cool or cold shower if the hot water is gone.

As long as the faucet is on, hot water is being produced in a tankless water heater. As soon as the faucet is turned on, water is immediately heated. However, this fact has led to some confusion. While the water is instantly made hot, only the water that flows through the heater is made hot. Water already in the pipe from the heater to the faucet is still cold, so you won't have instant hot water coming out of the faucet. All the cold water has to run out first, but that doesn't take too long.

Tankless Heaters Can Be Mounted Nearly Anywhere

The length of time it takes for cold water to finish flowing out of the faucet and hot water to start depends on how far away the water heater is located. If you want instant hot water in the kitchen, you might want the heater placed in a pantry so there is a short distance to the faucet.

Tankless water heaters can be mounted inside closets, on interior walls, and even on exterior walls in milder climates. The heaters are fairly small, but the size varies according to the volume of water you want to produce. Rather than sitting on the floor, tankless heaters are mounted on the wall.

Tankless Water Heaters Need Maintenance

A tankless heater needs to be flushed out just like a heater with a tank. You can do this yourself if you feel comfortable, but if you don't, then it's a good idea to hire a plumber to do maintenance on your heater. In addition to flushing out sediment, the plumber can check the heater parts and connections to make sure everything is okay and there is nothing to indicate a breakdown will happen soon.