How to Choose a Tankless Water Heater

Choosing a Tankless Water Heater in Las Vegas, NV

A tankless water heater only heats water when you turn on a tap by passing water through built-in heating elements. Traditional storage water heaters keep an entire tank of water hot at all times, even when you aren’t home or running any water, leading to water and heat wastage on a daily basis.

To learn when to replace your water heater and what to expect from Yes! Air Conditioning & Plumbing during an installation, visit the Water Heaters page.

Significant energy savings with a tankless water heater

By only heating the right amount of water when you need it instead of paying to keep an entire tank warm 24/7, the on-demand design of tankless water heaters can have a huge impact on your energy bill every month.

According to ENERGY STAR®, a leading industry standard for appliance energy efficiency, a typical family living in a single household with one tankless water heater can save over $100 per year without altering their water usage habits or adopting any other energy-saving methods. If you’re interested in how you can save even more, ask the plumbing and HVAC technicians at Yes! Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We offer free in-home consultations throughout the Las Vegas area to help homeowners find missed opportunities for cutting down on the cost and energy used to heat, cool, and light their homes, in addition to reducing water usage and heating costs.

More benefits of a tankless water heater

The extra money in your pocket every month is a big motivator for our customers who choose to replace a traditional storage tank water heater with a tankless version. This makes sense because over time the tankless water heater will start to make up the cost of a new installation in energy savings. Even though a tankless water heater usually costs a bit more than a storage heater to purchase and install, the operating costs per month are lower (especially if you opt for an electric heating element design instead of a gas pilot light). A new tankless water heater and installation can range from around $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the size and style.

We know that’s a big investment to make, but keep in mind that a traditional storage water heater has a total lifespan of about 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile, your investment in a tankless model will last 20 years or more, making the cost per month for some 240 months very low. If paying upfront for 20 years of hot water is too steep, ask us about our Financing options, which include 12-month same-as-cash programs and reduced interest rates for up to 10 years for qualified buyers. Terms and conditions apply, so contact us today for details and eligibility.

Finally, tankless water heaters are much smaller than a full-size storage tank-style heater. There’s no need for a large space to hold a huge amount of hot water and less risk of a major leak or damage to the water tank. If you opt for an electric heating component, you’ll also have the peace of mind knowing there is no gas pilot light clicking on and off to heat water at any point in the process.

Tankless water heater options to consider

To choose between different tankless water heater styles, you’ll need to decide between an electric or gas heating element. Electric heaters are extremely efficient, although gas-powered heaters often qualify for a federal tax rebate. Depending on your home’s layout, you’ll also need to select a heater based on access to proper ventilation for gas models or correct voltage and a circuit breaker for an electric one.

Choosing the best size will vary based on your home size, how many bathrooms you have, and how hot the water needs to be. Tankless water heaters are measured in terms of temperature rise and flow rate. The temperature rise measures the difference between incoming water temperature and the heated output temperature you want (a hot shower is usually around 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit).

Will you need to run two showers at the same time? If so, you’ll have to consider the flow rate, which measures the gallons per minute that you might run through the house at any given time. A sink might run at about .75 gallons per minute while a shower might require 2.5 gallons per minute, for a total of 3.25 gallons per minute when one person is in the shower and the other is washing dishes.

Some homeowners want to work out the exact requirements themselves, but Yes! Air Conditioning & Plumbing is more than capable of quickly calculating the ideal water heater size for you and your family during a free in-home visit. Our team can help you weigh the costs and benefits in your specific situation, so you understand the right choice for your family.

Ask our team for a professional water heater recommendation today!

Citations:

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/water-heating/tankless-or-demand-type-water-heaters
https://learn.compactappliance.com/tankless-water-heater-sizing/
https://www.abacusplumbing.net/2016/12/tankless-water-heaters-worth-investment/