QUESTION:
How do tankless water heaters work, and how long do they last?
ANSWER:
Tankless water heaters work on demand – they only heat water when necessary. When a hot water fixture is opened or hot water is required by an appliance, the water heater will sense the demand and heat water accordingly. Tankless water heaters continuously heat the water through a heat exchanger. Instead of wasting energy and money re-heating and storing water when it is not needed, tankless water heaters provide only as much hot water as needed. Tank type water heaters store and heat water at all times, thus incurring higher operating costs, whereas tankless water heaters only heat water as needed. In addition, tank type water heaters have a limited supply of hot water and will run out of hot water while tankless water heaters provide an unlimited supply of hot water – you will never run out. Also, the size of a residential tankless water heater is about the size of a carry on suitcase and can be installed virtually anywhere inside or outside. This will allow you to reclaim valuable space in your home. The Energy Commission estimates that a tank type water heater uses approximately 25% of all energy consumed by any household. Using a tankless water heater will allow a home to use up to 50% less energy for water heating, which can save hundreds of dollars per year. Tankless water heaters can last 20 or more years, which is 2-3 times longer than a traditional tank type heater. They are extremely reliable as units are manufactured with the highest quality parts and put through very rigorous testing and quality control.
The same principles apply for much larger systems, such as a whole building Boiler Room. There is newer, much more energy efficient systems that can save a vast amount of money in operating costs as well as being much more environmentally friendly. Fortis has very large rebate programs for these conversions. Ask us for details!