Are you ready for the cold season? What preparations have you done for you and your family? If you don’t have any idea of what to do, this article is perfect for you.
This article will surely help you about an essential thing you need in your home – the tankless water heater. You’ll learn its benefits and how do these tankless water heaters work.
What is a Tankless Water Heater?
Tankless water heating is quite simple. Tankless systems only heat water whenever it is needed; instead of heating water, then storing it in a tank.
Tankless water heater is powerful that it can handle the demands of a lot of people in a household. Although there are variations in the system, the concept stays the same for all units.
The Mechanism Behind a Tankless Water Heater
The following terms will guide you on what really happens inside the tankless water heater. These basic concepts describe each stage before you totally enjoy your hot water.
Flow Sensor – A flow sensor of the tankless water heater can detect if you turn the hot water faucet on or if you activate the heater. Likewise, it can detect if you turn it off.
Moreover, a flow sensor can measure the water flow rate. You can easily monitor and control each usage of water every time this flow sensor works.
Igniter – The igniter activates once the flow sensor is activated. Then, the gas valve opens to supply the right amount of gas needed inside.
The combustion fan activates to allow oxygen into the burner to ignite the flame. Once an adequate flame is achieved, the igniter stops.
Heat Exchanger – Water is heated through the heat exchanger, a device which transfers heat from one source to another. Tankless water heaters use powerful heat exchanger to raise the temperature.
Then, it exits from the hot water outlet and travels through the pipes until it reaches the faucet where hot water is needed.
Energy Cost
The tankless water heater only runs for a couple of minutes daily. The traditional water heater, on the other hand continuously goes on and off. Thus, you can achieve energy reduction costs that range from 30 to 50%.
Advantages of Tankless Water Heater
It never runs out of hot water, unlike the traditional tank water heaters. It means that you don’t need to overheat the water. This results in additional energy savings.
There are also fewer problems related to sediment and mineral build-up. This is possible because the pressure of the water is maintained throughout the heater.
Moreover, manufacturers provide longer warranties than traditional water heaters. In fact, they really last much longer, so you can enjoy it for a long time.
You can also save space at home because it is small. Its portability makes it easier to store whenever it is not needed.
Variations
All tankless water heaters are based on the same concept of heating water. However, there are still some variations in the technology available.
There are basic on and off models and automatic thermostatic control water heaters. They also have special features that differ from one another. These types of heater differ in performance too.
Types of Tankless Water Heater
There are two types of tankless water heater. These are the electric tankless water heater and the gas tankless water heater.
Both types are used worldwide depending on the needs of the people. Thus, there is no simple answer on which is better between the two.
Comparison between Gas and Electric Tankless Water Heater
The availability of gas supply or electrical supply is one of the factors that influence the choice of consumers in purchasing tankless water heater.
Electric tankless water heater does not need ventilation at all. It makes the installation easier and much cheaper, perfect for family who wants to save more.
On the other hand, gas tankless water heater requires vent installation. It is more expensive than electric tankless water heater and requires more labor.
Moreover, electrical tankless requires no maintenance while gas tankless needs an annual maintenance. Both can supply up to 8 gallons of hot water per minute during warm climate.
I hope this article helps. Now, that you know how tankless water heaters work, you probably have the idea on what to purchase if you’re planning to have one in the future. Feel free to comment below regarding your opinion.