Wondering If You Should Install Tank or Tankless?

When you are posed with the question, “Are you interested in a Traditional or Tankless water heater?” Don’t worry, the answer may be easier than you think. The differences between the two are quite simple, on the surface. A traditional water heater uses a large insulated tank that stores hot water. Heating that tank is either an electrical heater, called an element, that goes directly into the water to heat it up, or a gas burner heating the tank from the bottom.

Traditional Tank Water Heaters

Tank water heaters or storage water heaters are appliances that use combustion or fire to heat the water in a tank before it can be distributed. The tank-type water heater has a storage division where water is stored for it to be heated and can be saved for the next use. This tank also contains a draining faucet wherein the water can be removed from the tank.

This type of water heater can hold 75-400 liters of water. Maintenance and regular inspection is needed for this type of tank since gases may leak and faucets may malfunction if left unattended. The advantage of this type of water heater is that it is affordable and can be installed easily.

Tankless Water Heaters

The tankless system, otherwise known as an on-demand system, uses a heating element in line with your water supply. If size and cost-efficiency are a concern, then maybe you should consider a tankless water heater. Tankless units will sit on a cold water line, idle waiting for a demand to call it into action. Once it senses water flowing through it, the heating element instantly heats the passing water to the desired temperature. Unlike the tank type of water heaters, the tankless water heater does not have any limitation on the amount of water that it can heat.

In this scenario, you are only using energy (gas or electricity) when the water is flowing. The tankless water heater is also well suited for hot water applications that are significantly farther away from the hot water source. If a sink is to be installed that would require one hundred feet of piping from the water heater, that is quite a lot of wasted hot water to make the tap warm. In this scenario, a point-of-use tankless heater may fit the bill. This is the same as the whole home style, just scaled down for use at a single location.

Which Style is Best?

Both styles have their place. It comes down to design, installation, costs and the experience of a good plumber to determine which alternative would work the best for your situation.

Looking into different water heaters for your Burlingame property? Call James Caccia today at (650) 442-1470 for a water heater installation!