According to new reports and advertising claims, one of the best ways to save money and use less energy in your home is to install a tankless water heater. It has been reported that if a homeowner installs an lp tankless water heater, that they can see a reduction of up to 60% on their costs to heat water. Not to mention the fact that these units are easy to install and don't cost very much to purchase.
Here are the facts. Traditional water heater systems using large tanks have to constantly keep water hot. But if the water is not used, that energy is wasted (i.e. the hot water turns cold and has to be re-heated). In comparison, a tankless water heater only heats water when it is needed. In addition, there are many different configurations of tankless water heaters that can be installed in a home so there are options to help the homeowner decide which is the easiest and least expensive for their budget. However, when you begin your search for savings with an lp tankless water heater, you need to take several things into consideration.
WATER SOFTENER COMPARISON
First, you have to decide on the source of power. For example, these heaters can be powered by electricity, gas, or liquid propane (lp). Each power source comes with its own challenges. Take the electric heaters as an example. As compared to lp tankless water heaters, an electric heater is cheaper to purchase, but have a lower capability to produce hot water quickly, which is measured in gallons per minute. You also have to be careful about the size of the circuit that is delivering power to the electric heater. They consume an enormous amount of electricity to heat the water quickly so the power supply has to be able to handle this.
Second, you need to decide how large your tankless water heater needs to be in order to make sure you have the hot water on demand when needed. One option here is what is called a point-of-use unit, which can fit under a sink or near a dishwasher. These units only provide hot water to the device to which they are connected. However, if you want to install one device to serve the entire house, then size becomes very important. If you choose a size that is too small, then if you run too many appliances at the same time it may not provide enough hot water to go around.
For example, if you are using your dishwasher and taking a shower at the same time, a small lp tankless water heater may not be able to keep up with this demand. If you want to use your tankless water heater to serve a large household, then many sure you chose a model that was built with enough capacity to handle the entire supply needs for hot water. Another option to one large lp tankless water heater for the whole house is to install multiple point of use units. And another option is to purchase and install two or more medium size units in a continuous flow arrangement (daisy-chain) in one central location.
Third, you need to keep in mind that operating an lp tankless water heater is not the same as the old tank models. For example, since the water is only being heated when it is called for in the house, it will take a little time before the hot water reaches it's destination. The farther away the unit is from the appliance, the longer it will take. And electric models will take longer. Another very important consideration is where you live. If you live in an area where the ground water is very cold, then tankless water heaters will not operate as efficiently. That's because since there is not a tank involved, the heater has to start heating the water from its normal ground temperature. The lower the ground temperature the longer it will take and more energy will be used.
Once you take all these factors into consideration, you should be able to decide if an lp tankless water heater is the right choice for your home. Many have found that if they chose the right device, tankless heaters are a great way to save energy costs.
Is an LP Tankless Water Heater the Right Choice For Your Home? WATER SOFTENER COMPARISON
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