It is no secret that water heaters are costly investments. It’s important to consider their efficiency, cost and longevity, whether it’s for replacing an old model or equipping your new home.
At Drain Pro, we provide quality and reliable plumbing services for both residential and commercial clients in Victoria and surrounding localities. Our experienced team is specialized in hot water tanks, drain cleaning and other plumbing fixtures.
In this blog, we have put together a comparison of tankless water heaters and hot water tanks to help you determine which style will best suit the needs of you and your family. It’s important to do your research before making any big decision. We hope this makes it a little bit easier for you so you can go back to doing whatever it is you love to do!
What Are Hot Water Tanks and Tank Less Water Heaters?
Most water heaters are insulated storage tanks that hold 20 to 120 gallons with either gas burners or electric heating elements. They segment hot water at the top and cold incoming water at the bottom, enabling you to consistently get hot water.
In tankless water heaters, high-powered burners are used to heat water as it moves through a heat exchanger. The water gets directly delivered to your shower without storage.
Factors to Consider Before Purchase
- Know your fuel source: The three main water heater fuel sources are electric, natural gas and propane gas. As of late, solar has become a popular source of fuel for water heaters as well. Determine the most efficient one for you before purchasing.
- How much hot water your household needs: It’s important to choose a water heater that provides enough for your whole household. An undersized one will need to work more than it needs to, which results in a shorter lifespan. We will dive more into this below.
- The dimensions of your unit: It should have ½’’clearance on the sides, 18’’ off the floor and 12’’ on the front. While replacing, keep in mind that the new one may be larger and require more insulation to meet federal energy standards.
- Get the installation done by professionals: Installation of water heaters can be dangerous and it’s best to let professionals help. They will be equipped with the necessary skills and awareness of safety procedures.
Why Is a Hot Water Tank Right for You?
Since a significant volume of water will be stored on the basis of stratification, hot water tanks can provide hot water for a complete household without needing fuel to heat the water.
Hot water tanks have relatively small burners and where a half-inch-diameter gas line is adequate. This means that the rate of combustion can be fairly modest, saving on fuel expenditure.
Electric tankless heaters large enough to serve a whole house need a huge amount of current. The multiple breakers and wiring required in homes are highly expensive.
Flow Rates
Certain tankless water heaters have a flow rate as high as 6.5 gallon per minute, meaning they won’t function at lower flow rates.
It is important to make sure you have the proper sized tankless water heater for your household. A good way to measure this is using this simple rule of thumb: a 3.2 gallon per minute heater will allow one person to be in the shower, and one person to be using the sink! So add up all the water fixtures in your house, and determine how many fixtures would be used at the same time on average.
For a family of four, a 6-6.5 gallon per minute tankless water heater is recommended.
Simplicity
Hot water tanks are simpler and easier to use than the tankless variety. This simplicity also results in easy and low-cost repairs. Because hot water tanks are far more common than tankless water heaters in most areas, the parts are easier to come by, so you avoid delays waiting for parts to be shipped to you. Also, since tank water heaters have been around for longer there are far more resources online to help you determine if you require the help of a Drain Pro professional, or if it is a simple flip of a switch on the tank.
Let Drain Pro Help
Many things could go wrong with a water heater. It could be a gas leak, water leaking from the tank, a non-functioning pilot light or more. Our experienced staff can aid in all kinds of repairs, replacements and installations for hot water tanks.
One of our specialties is water heater installation and repair. Whether it is tankless electric, or the classic tanked heater we train each of our employees to be able to handle any task thrown at them, so you can rest assured that you are receiving the high quality treatment we are well known for!
We have been servicing the Victoria area for over 40 years, and our results are unmatched. You can go through our client reviews to learn how we help our clients. Call us to know more about our services!