If you think it’s time to replace your current water heater, you may be contemplating a switch to a tankless model. Exchanging your existing unit for a tankless water heater can solve a lot of problems, but you should arm yourself with some knowledge if you want to avoid running into new ones. Installing a tankless water heater is a significant investment that can last you up to 30 years. Therefore, it’s best that you consider the realities of switching to a tankless unit, so you understand all of the benefits as well as how to overcome some drawbacks.
Your Gas Lines May Need Work
Your existing water heater may be a unit with a storage tank. In this case, the process of switching out the storage tank model for one that is tankless is not so straightforward as you may think. Tankless water heaters burn gas for fuel. The installation process for a tankless water heater, therefore, may require work on the gas lines, too, to ensure your unit will receive sufficient gas supply. Also, additional work may even be required to outfit your home with the appropriate vent setup to direct the exhaust gases to the outdoors.
Not Exactly Instant Hot Water
Many folks are under the impression that a tankless water heater equates to instant hot water in your showers or faucets. Well, that’s not exactly the truth in all cases. While it is true that the tankless unit will heat the water when it turns on, the water still needs to travel through your home’s pipes before being delivered to the running faucet. Essentially, it will take approximately the same time for hot water to reach the faucet as it would from a water heater storage tank. If you want to shorten the wait time for you to actually use the hot water, you could look into a circulation system installation in conjunction with your tankless unit to keep hot water constantly available in the pipes for instant availability.
Requires a Professional Installation
You can probably tell by now that a tankless water heater installation can get more complicated than merely trading out of the units. In order for your tankless system to run optimally and be installed safely, you will require a professional installation service. In addition to the actual installation, a plumber can advise you on further questions on your new tankless water heater or handle any necessary permitting or inspection requirements your home needs.
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