Our water heater is 12 years old and still working, but we are nervous it could start leaking any time now. So, we feel like we should replace it. Has anyone had experience with tankless water heaters and would you recommend them?
~ Rhoda
|
|||||
Tankless Water Heaters2 comments to Tankless Water Heaters |
|||||
|
Copyright © 2013 - All Rights Reserved |
|||||
We are replacing a tankless water heater with a regular one. I was told the tankless heaters are typically
used in the South where the climate is warmer and the water
comes to temp quicker because of that. Ours only lasted about
5 years before it needed repairs. We were told it wasn’t the
right size for our needs also. Two separate plumbers told us
the same story about the tankless, so we decided to go back to
the 40-gallon heater we had originally instead of costly repairs to the tankless in years to come. Also, we don’t feel we were saving any money on heating the water either.
As a home inspector and an energy auditor I get asked about tankless water heaters often.
They are not the end all be all they are made out to be. I also had one when they first came out. They have their place and under the right conditions, circumstances they may the best option. What part of the country you live in doesn’t really have anything to do with it. But many factors do need to be considered. Size of house, location of water heater, quality of water supply, usage patterns, fuel available, and cost. The water heater is one of the biggest energy users in the home, and it is one of the many items that is evaluated during an energy audit.