Should A Tankless Water Heater be your Atlanta Water Heater Choice?

The traditional hot water heater is often viewed as one of the major energy-wasters in the modern home. A traditional water heater has a sizable tank that acts as a holding area where water can be heated and then stored in its heated state. The hot water sits there in the tank ready to be used as required.

The most important problem with this type of system is that the hot water in the tank loses some of its heat as it sits there waiting to be used. The result is that the hot water heating system must regularly reheat the same water that was already heated before.

Green critics of the traditional hot water system find it particularly objectionable that the system burns away energy even if the hot water in the tank is not used. The longer between hot water uses, the more energy is wasted – for example when you go on vacation or go visiting for a weekend.

One way to reduce this loss of heat is by adding more insulation to the tank walls. This reduces the amount of heat lost through the outer tank walls, and cuts down on the requirement to reheat the water in the tank.

Another way to save energy is to turn down the temperature setting of the system so that the water in the tank is not as hot as it otherwise would be. People are often surprised how hot their hot water is. Most household uses do not require scalding hot water – especially if you want to be environmentally responsible.

As a result of the shorcomings of the traditional water heater, the tankless water heater is becoming more popular. As the name implies these systems have no tank. When hot water is required the water comes from the regular cold water source. It is drawn through the tankless hot water heating system and is heated “on the fly”.

So with a tankless water heating system there is no tank. This means there is no source of hot water sitting there ready to be used when it is required for showers, washing machines or dishwashers.

In the majority of cases a tankless water heating system will use less energy and will therefore allow you to save on your energy costs. Since a tankless system does not have a tank its footprint in the house is much smaller. In fact most tankless systems are about the size of an electrical panel and are installed on the wall.

The most important disadvantage is that it is more expensive to install than a traditional system. Some users also find that their system is not capable of providing enough hot water for multiple uses at the same time. For example to feed two showers and a washing machine at the same time may result in water that is not as hot as desired.

Depending on the installation, other users also complain of longer wait times than with traditional systems before the water at the tap is hot enough to be used. This is especially the case where taps are located one or two floors above the tankless system. In this kind of situation some of the energy savings will be offset by increased water usage.

The geographic location of your home is another important consideration. A tankless water heater may not work as well in a colder climate like you would find in a place like Calgary or Buffalo as opposed to a warmer climate. If you are in Atlanta, for example, an Atlanta plumber will be the best one to advise you on the best Atlanta water heater for your situation.

As tankless sytems evolve and develop these shortcomings may gradually be overcome. But for the present it is best to have a professional plumbing service assess your requirements and make a hot water system recommendation based on your specific needs.

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