Being in hot water might mean that you’re in trouble, but not so when it comes to bathing or washing dishes; “in hot water” is exactly where you want to be!
That might not always be so when you have a conventional storage-tank water heater, which can often run out of hot water when you need it most. With a tankless hot water heater, you’re always in hot water. You get hot water when you need it, as much as you need. No more running out of hot water in the middle of a shower!
You might be thinking: with that much hot water available all the time, is a tankless hot water heater efficient? The short answer is: yes, a propane tankless water heater is extremely efficient, and is one of many great propane uses that include fireplaces, stoves, and grills.
Let’s take a closer look at how a tankless water heater works, why getting one is a smart move, and even the top brands of tankless water heaters on the market today.
How Do Tankless Water Heaters Work?
A tankless water heater system consists of small units and piping. The units can be mounted to a wall; how many units a system has depends on how many locations are being supplied with hot water. To decrease the chance of overloading a unit, multiple units are often installed at each location, such as in each bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, etc.
Tankless water heaters don’t need a storage tank full of hot water like conventional water heaters because their “on-demand” system means cold water is heated by a natural or propane gas burner or electric heat element or coils through a pipe, rather than a tank. When you turn on the hot water faucet, cold water runs through a heat exchanger and is quickly heated up so that by the time it exits your faucet or showerhead, you have the hot water you desire.
Since only cold water runs through a tankless water heater system, you’re never needlessly keeping water hot that you use later. Instant, endless, on-demand hot water flows through each tankless unit, making “running out of hot water” a term of the past.
The Difference Between Tankless Water Heaters and Storage Tanks
The main difference between a tankless hot water heater and a storage-tank water heater is, of course, the storage tank itself. In a conventional water heater, the water is heated and stored in an insulated tank, where it sits and waits to be used. Thus, the water is continually heated even when you’re not using it! In a way, it’s like having to pay for gasoline for your car every day even if you only drive it a couple of times a week. In reality, you could be out of the house for 10-12 hours per day but you’re still paying for the energy exerted to heat the water that’s sitting in your water heater tank.
Another difference is that you can utilize more than one tankless heater unit; you might, for instance, have one installed upstairs and one downstairs, or one for each bathroom, one in the kitchen, and one in the laundry room. It depends on your demand. These small units can be installed in closets or under sinks. With a storage-tank water heater, you have a single large tank, usually, at least a 50-gallon tank that can be up to five feet tall and nearly two feet around. This bulky unit is installed in a closet, garage, or other location, and takes up a lot more space than a few tankless units, which can be wall-mounted and can be as small as 10-in. x 7-in.
Also, a storage tank hot water heater can run out of hot water when a dishwasher or washing machine is running at the same time someone is taking a shower. If a tankless hot water heater unit is installed for each water outlet, there is no danger of running out of hot water for any use.
Benefits of a Tankless Hot Water Heater
If we didn’t have you at “hot water on demand,” there are other benefits of a tankless hot water heater:
- Water is heated more rapidly than water in a storage-tank water heater
- Tankless water heaters can last at least 20-30 years, nearly twice as long as a storage tank unit
- Savings on your gas or electric bill can be as high as 34% when using a tankless water heater
- A tankless water heater requires much less maintenance than a storage unit water heater
- Less space is needed to install a tankless hot water heater
- You might qualify for rebates and tax credits when you replace your old conventional hot water heater with a propane tankless water heater system
Efficiency is a leading benefit of a tankless water heater. This is due to the reduction of standby heat loss, which is a major factor in high energy costs. The U.S. Department of Energy reports a 24%-34% energy efficiency with a tankless water heater for homes using 42 gallons or less per day; this efficiency falls to 8%-14% in homes using 86 gallons of hot water daily, but this is still more efficient than a storage-tank water heater.
Our Brand Premier Brand Partners
Diversified Energy partners with the top tankless hot water heater manufacturers in the U.S. so you get the most high-quality units available when you choose Diversified Energy to purchase and install your tankless system.
With Diversified, you can choose a Navien tankless water heater, Rinnai tankless water heater, or Bradford-White tankless water heater. Each manufacturer offers various models, but with any, you choose you’ll get high efficiency, easy installation, durability, dependability, and, always, hot water on demand.
Each of these manufacturers offers a range of condensing and non-condensing, high- and super-high efficiency tankless water heater models, varying in price.
Diversified Energy’s technicians are trained and knowledgeable in the installation, maintenance, and operation of all models from each of these manufacturers, so there are no worries in whatever type you choose: Diversified is ready to handle all aspects of your tankless hot water heater install and answer any and all questions you might have along the way.
Contact Diversified Energy
When you’re ready to make the leap into endless hot water, you can contact Diversified Energy at one of their eight North Carolina locations or their Mount Joy, PA, office.
Stop by any of these showrooms to learn more and even see an actual tankless hot water system. Our representatives are ready to answer all questions, schedule installations, and more.
If you’re looking for more propane use ideas, these representatives can also discuss propane fireplaces, fireplace inserts, grills, stoves, and even lighting fixtures. You can also learn more about Diversified Energy’s propane storage tank leasing and purchase options, gas line installations, automatic “watchdog” delivery service, 24/7 emergency response, bill payment options, and commercial propane uses.
Stop heating water you’re not using and get as much hot water as you need, when you need it, with any brand of propane tankless water heater.
