The conventional water heater is something most people are familiar with. You see it in your laundry room or your basement and it’s usually a large 20 to 80-gallon silo. It’s one of those appliances you rarely notice or worry about as long as it’s providing its service consistently.
The conventional water heater is a pretty simple, no-frills appliance. It heats up a reservoir of water and when another appliance in the house requires hot water, the water exits the top of the tank and travels to that appliance. As hot water exits the top of the tank, cold water enters to continue the heating cycle.
This type of water heater is dependable for hot water when you need it, but it could be overkill. Depending on how much hot water your household requires, it may not be the most efficient option for your home.
If your home requires little enough hot water, a tankless water heater (or multiple) will bring your appliances with hot water on-demand and with greater efficiency. Unlike a conventional water heater, the tankless water heater holds no hot water in reserve so there’s no energy lost in storing water at high temperatures. Instead, water is heated as it passes throught the pipes in the tankless system.
Another benefit of a tankless system is the space you can save. If you’re low on storage, every square foot of space in your home comes at a premium. The low profile wall-mounted tankless systems take up significantly less space while still delivery hot water on demand.