How Tankless Water Heaters Work
Hot water is delivered when it is needed without having to be stored in a water heater tank, when tankless water heaters are in operation. These devices are also known as demand water heaters or instantaneous water heaters, and hot water is provided only when needed.
They save money because you don't have a tank full of water that constantly needs to be heated at a certain temperature all the time. The energy it takes to constantly heat 40 gallons of water in the hot water tank really adds up.
Tankless water heaters work to heat the water directly when the hot water tap is turned to on, cold water travels through the pipe into the heating unit. There is either a gas burner, or an electric element that heats the water, and consequently there is a constant supply of hot water that is delivered. You are not caught waiting for a hot water tank to fill back up and be heated for more hot water. The only drawback, however, is the output of the tankless heater does limit the flow rate of the water.
You can expect a hot water flow rate of about two to five gallons per minute as a flow rate from the device. If it is a gas powered heating device, the flow rate is faster than an electric one. Sometimes it is difficult, however, to supply enough of a flow rate to keep up with multiple simultaneous usage of the hot water, such as running the dishwasher and taking a shower at the same time, even with the biggest gas-fired unit.
This issue can be overcome by the installation of two tankless water heaters that are connected for the purpose of simultaneous usage of hot water, or install a separate unit for the appliances. It can be as flexible as the usage patterns of any home situation.
Studies have shown that in homes that use 41 or less gallons of hot water daily, a demand water heater can save 24 to 34 percent on energy costs. If more devices are installed the savings can be greater.
The installation of demand water heaters are initially more expensive than conventional hot water heaters with the tank, but the demand heaters tend to last longer and will have much lower energy and operating costs. Plus you don't have to wait at all for your hot water to arrive. Make sure you check Hickory, NC unclog toilet website for more information.