Signs Your Tank Can't Keep Up
A tank heater can only give you as much hot water as it holds, and then it has to heat a fresh tank. That's fine for a lot of households. It may be time to think about tankless if:
- Someone gets a cold shower most mornings.
- You wait to run the dishwasher or the washer until after everyone has showered.
- Houseguests mean rationing hot water.
- Your tank heater is getting old and you'd like the floor space back.
What a Tankless Heater Does Well
A tankless unit heats water only when a tap is open, so it isn't keeping a full tank hot all day. Hot water keeps coming as long as the unit can keep up with the flow. The units mount on a wall, which frees up the space a tank used to take in a garage or closet. A tankless heater that's looked after can also outlast a typical tank heater.
What to Know Before You Switch
Tankless isn't right for every home, and we'll say so if it isn't right for yours. A tankless unit costs more to buy and install than a tank, and switching can mean a bigger gas line or new electrical work. Each unit also has a limit on how much hot water it can deliver at once, so a large household running several showers and appliances together may need a bigger unit or two of them. Your plumber will look at your gas or electric supply and how your family uses hot water, then give you the price before anything starts.
Service for the Tankless Heater You Already Have
Tankless heaters need some upkeep too. Minerals in the water build up inside the unit over time, and valves wear. We service and repair tankless units as well as install them.