| This article is not intended to bash tankless | | | | cold. So first the water must be heated by |
| water heaters, but there are some cons as | | | | the tankless heater and then make it to the |
| well as pros when it comes to tankless water | | | | tap. Not only does it take considerably |
| heaters. | | | | longer to get hot water to the sink, but it |
| | | | warms up much more gradually than with a |
| As is well advertised, tankless water heaters | | | | storage type water heater. This means you |
| save energy. The savings come from the fact | | | | are running more water down the drain while |
| that the tankless water heaters do not have a | | | | you are waiting for the hot water to reach |
| tank full of water slowly leaking out heat | | | | the fixture, and finally stabilize at the |
| all day and all night. Another factor for | | | | desired temperature. |
| gas water heaters is the tankless units don't | | | | |
| having standing pilot lights. Actually some | | | | There is a fix; a demand type hot water pump |
| do, but most don't. Even so, we are not | | | | would solve the wasted water problem. With a |
| talking about a very large amount of energy. | | | | demand hot water system you don't run any |
| | | | water down the drain while you are waiting, |
| One of the advertised benefits is endless hot | | | | and you don't wait as long either. |
| water. Take as long a shower as you like, | | | | |
| you will never run out. However, there is a | | | | The circulating system must be a "demand" |
| price to be paid. Suddenly you are not | | | | type system. A traditional full time hot |
| actually saving energy, but using more energy | | | | water circulating system with a return line |
| with that longer shower. Human nature being | | | | from the last fixture back to the water |
| what it is, many families actually spend more | | | | heater will not work. It would either keep |
| money on heating water after switching to a | | | | the heater on all the time, or it wouldn't |
| tankless water heater. | | | | pump enough water to turn the heater on at |
| | | | all, depending upon the size of the pump. A |
| As for those folks interested in conserving | | | | traditional circulating system will void the |
| water, tankless water heaters are not a | | | | warranty of a tankless unit, or greatly |
| friend. It takes longer to get hot water | | | | reduce it. |
| from a tankless unit than a storage type | | | | |
| water heater because when you turn on the tap | | | | By combining a tankless water heater with a |
| with a storage heater the hot water | | | | demand type hot water circulating system you |
| immediately flows into the pipe and off to | | | | get the best of both worlds. You save energy |
| the tap. But with the tankless unit, there | | | | and you save water. Perhaps best of all you |
| is no hot water ready and waiting to flow off | | | | save time since you don't have to wait as |
| to the tap, all the water in the system is | | | | long for your hot water. |