Homeowners are constantly looking for ways to cut expenses, especially utility bills.
We can’t exactly turn the A/C off during an Arizona summer but should you consider a tankless hot water heater? Yes, especially since heating water is the second largest expense in the home, accounting for 14-18% of utility bills.
Tankless hot water heaters are energy efficient, long lasting, and space saving.
Seems like a better option to the traditional storage heaters but let’s take a closer look.
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Pro: Save money on utility bills.
The amount of money saved on utility bills is only about $100 per year according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That’s a few dollars a month, not enough to really matter to many homeowners.
Pro: Longer lasting
Tankless hot water heaters last as many as 20 years whereas storage tank models last 10-15 years.
Pro: Saves space
Instead of heating and storing water, the tankless version heats water on-demand eliminating the need for a storage tank, saving space in your home.
Con: Cost of a new model
It might seem like a good choice because a tankless heater lasts almost double the time of the tank storage model but it also costs twice as much. The tankless model runs $800-1,150 and the storage tank model runs $300-480.
Con: Multiple simultaneous users cause low water flow.
If you’ve got a large family with multiple hot water needs throughout the day, you may experience low flow or even a lack of hot water. Tankless users report their system not being able to keep up with demand.
Con: Maintenance frequency and cost
Once a year tankless users have to hire a trained professional to clean and drain the system. If they had a storage tank, they could drain it themselves. In either case, the life of the unit may be shorter due to the build-up of mineral deposits from Phoenix hard water. A water softener is typically recommended to keep deposits minimal.
What’s the right choice?
There is no clear winner in this debate, each decision needs to be made based upon the unique needs of you and your family.
Our team members are trained to help you evaluate whether a tankless water heater makes sense in your house.
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