The tankless water heater is the solution to an energy crisis. A tankless water heater produces hot water only when you need it, and for as long as necessary. When compared with a tank-type heater, this saves up to 20 – 50% of the cost of fuel.
Tankless water heaters are powered either by gas or with electricity. Since there is no tank, there will be no need for any concern about leaks. Also, these tankless water heaters have become quite advanced. Features like wireless connectivity, gives you maintenance prompts– and inbuilt recirculatory systems for instant hot water.
With all this, it is quite apparent that the argument has moved away from Tank-type vs. Tankless water heater; and it’s now firmly about Electric vs. Gas tankless water heater. They both have features that work in their favor and against them.
Gas Tankless Water Heater
Gas tankless units come in two types; non-condensing units and condensing units. Non-condensing units are less expensive when buying but expensive when installing –this is because of the venting requirements. The condensing units on the other hand are the opposite, as they do not require venting.
The homeowner can do most of the general maintenance of these gas units. However, a licensed technician needs to inspect the unit annually to ensure that it is performing right and fuel combustion is going on safely. A pre-filter is needed to prevent sediments from entering into the water system. The filter should be flushed regularly, and the entire unit flushed at least once every 6 to 12 months. This is important to avoid the buildup of scaling. If regular maintenance of these units is not done, the service life can be drastically reduced.
Most people worry about having gas appliances within their homes because of natural disasters and other safety concerns. Gas tankless water heaters are powered by natural gas and sometimes propane. These gas units are a right choice if one is looking to upgrade the energy efficiency of their regular tank-type water heater. Gas units are not eco-friendly. This is because they require the burning of gas and releases of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Their energy efficiency rating is between 80 to 85 percent, which is less than the energy efficiency rating of the electric units.
Pros
- Gas units have models that can produce very high GPMs; this is for homes where there is a higher demand.
- Currently, tankless gas units are less expensive to operate. This is because of the price of fuel.
- Gas tankless units perform better than traditional tank-type heaters in the area of energy efficiency. They usually achieve ratings between 80 to 85 percent.
Cons
- Safety is a real concern when using gas-powered appliances, as a leak can be fatal.
- Because of their more complex systems, gas units are harder to maintain than their electric counterparts.
- The gas units require the burning of fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Electric Tankless Water Heater
Electrical tankless water heaters are powered using electricity, and this is a resource readily available in most of the homes. Because they do not require the burning of fossil fuels, they are also eco-friendly as there is no release of greenhouse gases. They have a simplistic design, and this makes repairs easier. Although the temperature of the incoming water affects the GPM performance of both electric and gas tankless heaters, it is worse for electric ones. It takes more current to increase the water temperature to room temperature and then boiling point.
These electric tankless water heaters require less maintenance. It is also recommended that a pre-filter is used to cut down on sediments. This pre-filter needs to be flushed regularly, and the entire heater system needs flushing annually. These electric units are also quite easy and inexpensive to install. The installation expenses are based mainly on the electrical situation of a home.
Although, the amount of electricity these tankless heaters consume is a significant deterrent for some and sometimes upgrades to the system are needed before these heaters can be accommodated.
Pros
- Electrical tankless heaters occupy about a third of the space a gas tankless heater does.
- Because of a lack of fuel burning and smoke release, electric units do not need to be kept in ventilated areas. This also gives flexibility to placement options.
- The size of an electric unit and the simplicity of its design allows it to be installed anywhere in the house, even in a closet.
- If it is unnecessary to upgrade the electrical system of a home before installation, the installation of an electric unit is almost cost-free.
- Electric units are more eco-friendly because they do not require the burning of fossil fuels and emission of greenhouse gases.
- Electric systems are very energy efficient and frequently achieve efficiency ratings of 98 to 99 percent.
- In the majority of areas, the cost of fuel is more than the cost of electricity and because of this, using an electric unit make more economic sense.
Cons
- Electric tankless units consume a considerable amount of electricity. In a lot of cases, homeowners might need to upgrade the electrical system of their homes to carry the demands of the unit.
