How Does A Tankless Water Heater Work?

Understanding How A Tankless Water Heater
Works In Your Oakland, CA Home

Innovation Your Home Can Benefit From

Are you considering a tankless hot water system for your Oakland, CA, home? If so, you’re probably wondering how it works. Hot water on-demand sounds magical, but what’s really happening with this relatively new technology?

Once you understand how these residential tankless hot water heaters work, switching from a traditional system is a no-brainer. 

We’ve put together a quick guide on how tankless water heaters work. Knowing the ins and outs of your new system can help you feel confident in your decision – and give you more energy efficiency and reliability than ever before.

The Inner Workings Of A Tankless Hot Water Heater

A tankless water heater is relatively tiny compared to traditional water heaters – but don’t let the size fool you. While smaller, a tankless water heater still delivers high-level performance for your home. 

The most critical part of your system is the heat exchanger located inside the unit. The heat exchanger is highly powerful and uses a fuel source to heat the water that passes through. 

Typically, tankless water heaters use electricity, natural gas, solar power, geothermal energy, fuel oil, and propane – depending on your East Bay area home needs.

A tankless water heater is different because the heat exchanger inside the unit only works when you want hot water. You’ll see instant savings in your energy bills because it won’t run in between uses. 

Relying on something you can’t see can be scary. But the heat exchanger is a robust and powerful piece of machinery. You can rest easy knowing it will heat the water as long as it is running – hence you have a never-ending hot water supply.

Once you turn off the hot water, the tankless water heater goes into standby mode and stops heating the water – saving your energy. The unit’s inner workings are relatively simple but innovative nonetheless.

Getting Started With A Tankless Water Heater

While residential tankless water heaters are an innovation that all East Bay area homeowners will benefit from – getting started with a tankless water heater can be a huge decision. After all, you may understand how it heats the water, but what about all the benefits and drawbacks tankless water heaters offer?

The Benefits And Drawbacks Of Tankless Water Heaters

There are several benefits to using tankless water heaters that will benefit your home immensely. These benefits include the following:

• A tankless water heater is more energy efficient than traditional hot water heaters. Studies show they are anywhere from 8 to 34% more efficient.
• Hot water on demand is a massive draw to tankless systems. Imagine no longer waiting on the water to warm up before hopping into the shower.
• Tankless water heaters have a long lifespan – twice the life of a traditional hot water heater. The longer life is thanks to the water not sitting in the tank, which leads to corrosion in conventional water heaters.
• These are small and designed to save space – perfect for those worried about having room in their home. 

As with anything, there are drawbacks to tankless water heaters that you must also consider. These drawbacks include aspects like:

• There is a higher initial cost of having a tankless water heater installed in your home when compared to a traditional hot water heater.
• If you have hard water, you may have to deal with more maintenance with the tankless system since you will have to flush the system more often. 

While there are drawbacks to the installation of tankless water heaters, you will find that the benefits far outweigh anything negative about these units.

FAQs About Tankless Water Heaters

There are several questions that people have when they are considering a tankless water heater installation in their homes. By answering these frequently asked questions, you can make a more informed decision about installing these innovative water heaters in your home.

1. Can a tankless water heater still deliver a reasonable flow rate?

Yes, you can still achieve a high flow rate with a tankless system. Although smaller, they’re only limited by the efficiency of your current plumbing and pipes.

2. Does one tankless water heater handle the entire home?

In most cases, one whole home tankless water heater is all that you will need. However, large houses have found that they need more than one unit to handle appliances. In these cases, a professional plumber can determine what you must do to ensure hot water is accessible on demand.

3. When should you consider a tankless water heater?

Many homeowners only think about going tankless when their current water heater decides to die on them. However, others consider a tankless water heater to ensure they are as energy efficient as possible inside their home.

Are You Ready To Take Your Oakland, CA, Home Tankless?

If you are ready to upgrade to a tankless water heater in your Oakland, CA, home, we are here to help you. We deal with tankless water heaters throughout the area and would be happy to discuss your options.