Tankless Water Heaters
Why go tankless?
The general premise behind a tankless water heater is to only heat water “on demand” as it is needed. This eliminates the need for a storage tank and dramatically increases energy efficiency.
Almost every major shortcoming of a conventional water heater is addressed by a tankless system.
Conventional storage tank water heaters have been used in commercial and residential applications since the early twentieth century. While most household electronics have taken great strides in terms of new technology and efficiency, the traditional tank water heater has not.
Most consumers do not need a lesson in the inefficiencies and problems associated with traditional water heaters as we have all experienced them at one time or another.With energy costs continuing to rise and interest in household technology and environmental stewardship at an all-time high, the concept of “on demand” or tankless water heating has increase dramatically in popularity during the past decade.
Since there is no tank to fill, there is no end to your supply of hot water. Depending on the model, Tankless water heaters deliver between 200 gallons and 500 gallons of hot water every hour on demand. Tankless systems guarantee that an endless supply of water is available to residences, commercial spaces or anywhere a constant source of hot water is needed.
A standard FLASH water heater, taking up only 2.2 cubic feet of space and 60 pounds, is about the size of a suitcase. This allows for installation in spaces with limited area or even outdoors with no enclosures.
Since a Tankless water heater has neither a storage tank to keep heated all day, nor a pilot light, it burns gas only when you need hot water. This eliminates standby heat loss, which can be as high as 3-4% every hour for storage tank type water heaters. This higher efficiency can allow you to save up to 50% off your utility costs.
The Tankless Water Heater is made using the best quality material for durability and long life, unlike storage tanks which are designed to eventually rust and be thrown away. The Tankless system uses all copper and brass water ways, stainless steel burners, a rust resistant baked polyurethane finish, and even has pipe freezing protection.
How does it work?
- A hot water tap is opened
- The water enters the heater
- A water flow sensor detects the water flow
- The computer automatically ignites the burner
- The water circulates through the heat exchanger (coil)
- The heat exchanger instantly heats the water at the designated temperature
- The heater can provide you with endless hot water continuously. No more running out of hot water in the middle of a shower!
- When the hot water tap is turned off, the unit shuts down automatically
Comparison of Conventional Tank Type Storage Water Heaters to Modern Tankless Water Heaters
| Problem with Conventional Tank-Type Water Heater | The Tankless Water Heater Solution |
| Thermal Heat Loss 20-40% of energy consumed by a traditional tank heater is wasted as heat is slowly lost due to radiant heat loss from the storage tank |
Reduce water heating costs as much as 50%! – Tankless water heaters heat entirely on demand only when hot water is needed. Since there is no hot water storage, thermal heat loss is almost completely eliminated. |
| Limited Supply Conventional water heaters frequently run out of hot water after several back-to-back demands and often after only one shower or demand. The user must then wait for a long period of time for the heater to “refresh” |
Tankless heaters never run out of hot water – they can literally run all day long of necessary and they will never stop producing hot water since they heat water instantly on demand. |
| Overheating To ensure a traditional heater refreshes at a reasonable rate, most heaters are set at very high temperatures (130F+). This wastes energy and increases risk of scalding, especially for children and the elderly. |
Sophisticated tankless heaters allow you to set the ongoing water temperature to a much more reasonable and safer temperature, closer to the actual temperature you will use the water at, thereby reducing risk of scalding. According to the US. Department of Energy, for each 10ºF reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3%–5% in energy costs. |
| Hard Water Minerals Hard water scale forms most readily when water is heated for extended periods. Hard water scale quickly coats the internal components causing a loss of efficiency and shorter life, and often leaks. |
Since hot water is not stored, tankless water heaters generally handle hard water minerals and sediments much better than conventional tanks. This makes them far less likely to leak or rupture, and able to maintain efficiency throughout their whole lifecycle. Accordingly, many have much longer warranties. |
| Short Life / Disposal Conventional water heaters typically last from 6 to 12 years in most residential applications. They are bulky and take up a huge amount of landfill space and are costly to recycle. |
Tankless water heaters can last more than 25 years. |
| Bulky Size Due to their large storage tanks, conventional water heaters are bulky and take up lots of space. |
Tankless water heaters are about the size of a briefcase (electric units) – they save valuable floor space that can be used for storage etc. especially in condos and apartments. |
