The development of the tankless water heater is one of the most significant leaps forward in providing heated water to homes. Tankless systems first appeared in Europe, and are now the most popular option for new homes there. They have since moved to North America, bringing their energy efficiency and convenience to millions of homes.
If you still have an old hot water tank in your home, you should give a tankless system serious consideration as a replacement. Going with a tankless water heater means you will never run out of hot water and you will significantly reduce your energy use. Call the specialists at BZ Dependable Plumbing & Heating, Inc. for more information about installing tankless water heaters in Fair Lawn, NJ. We’ll determine if a tankless system is right for your home.
The operation of tankless water heaters
If you’ve spent most of your life in homes with standard storage water heaters, you may find it strange that a water heater could work without energy applied to a large tank of water. But tankless systems are simpler than you may think.
A tankless water heater attaches to the water main entering your home, and it runs the water through a heat exchanger, a device which transfers heat from one source to another. Tankless water heaters either use natural gas or electricity to generate the heat that they then transfer directly to the water as it passes through the heat exchanger.
However, the heat exchanger only activates when a hot water tap somewhere in the house demands a supply of hot water, and it will only remain on as long as the tap continues to demand hot water. The flow of water toward a hot water tap is what causes the exchanger to turn on and remain on.
This means that 1) you will only use energy to heat the water for a short time, instead of needing constant heat for a storage tank, and 2) you won’t run out of hot water because the heat exchanger will always heat up more whenever you need it.
For professionals to find out the appropriate tankless water heater to meet your needs, they must know the flow rate (the amount of water you’ll need to heat at one time) and the temperature rise (the difference between the temperature of the incoming water and the temperature you need for comfort). Armed with this information, installers will know the ideal sized tankless water heater for your needs.
Tankless water heaters have some other benefits as well: they last 5–10 years longer than storage heaters; they require less space; and you never have to worry about the danger of a burst tank. Although they cost more to install than storage water heaters, their energy savings will soon let them pay for themselves.
If you think that one of the available tankless water heaters in Fair Lawn, NJ might be an excellent choice for your home, give us a call at BZ Dependable Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
