Undoubtedly, a water heater is an essential appliance that can determine the level of efficiency and comfort of your home. The type of water heater you pick can make a significant difference not only on your monthly water bills but also how much hot water you have and when.
Due to the capabilities and components of tankless water heaters people are often confused on what exactly a tankless water is. Commonly people refer to tankless water heaters by calling them On Demand Water Heaters, Instant Water Heaters and in some cases, Electric Water Heaters. These are all referring to tankless water heaters with the exception of an electric water heater, there are many varieties of electric water heaters but we won’t get into to that in todays blog post. Instead, we will talk more about converting that old rusty tank in you garage to a nice sleek tankless water heater.
Can a Tank Water Heater Convert to a Tankless?
Absolutely! In fact, tankless water heaters are becoming the standard for new home construction because of the energy efficiency. Newer tank water heaters have a UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) rating of 0.70 compared to your standard tankless water heater that has a rating of 0.94. Standard tank water heaters have made some improvements in regards to there energy efficiency rating over the last few years but, you can see they still have a ways to go to catch up to the efficiency of a tankless water heater and frankly they never will be as great as the tankless model. This is simply due to the fact that tank water heaters are constantly heating and reheating 40-75 gallons of water while your tankless only operates on demand.
With the help of a professional you can easily convert from a tank water heater to a tankless water heater.
Common Questions and Misconceptions about Tankless Water Heaters:
1. Does a tankless water heater provide instant hot water? This is a good question, many people often confuse the phrase, “on demand water heater,” to mean instant hot water. A tankless water heater, heats up water when the hot water tap is turned on through a heat exchanger. When there is a demand for hot water the tankless water heater instantly heats the water as it’s needed but, it still takes time for the hot water to travel through your pipes to come out the other end nice and hot.
2. Why do they call them On Demand Water Heaters? Unlike tank water heaters that constantly heat 40 to 75 gallons of water in case you need it and then runs out of hot water when the water has been used and has to refill and reheat the water once it runs out, the tankless water heater heats up the water as long as there is a demand for it.
3. Are they expensive? Yes. The initial cost of converting your tank water heater to a tankless is expensive. Tankless water heaters are 3x more expensive than your average tank water heater. However, the energy savings and supply of endless hot water can outweigh the cost for many. MGP Mechanical provides FREE estimates and 0% interest financing which can make installing a tankless water heater affordable for everyone.
4. How long is the installation process? Typically installation can take 4-6 hours.
5. What does UEF mean? UEF stands for- Uniform energy factor. It is a calculation based on how much energy is used a higher UEF equals more energy savings.
Now that we have cleared up some questions you may wonder when is a good time to convert from a tank water heater to a tankless water?
There is no need to get rid of a perfectly good water heater just to upgrade to the tankless. Tank water heaters can last any where from 6 to 13 years. If your water heater is getting older and causing problems it is a good time to switch. With the help of the professionals at MGP Mechanical we can help you make the right decision so you can the biggest bang for your buck. When the time comes to repair or replace your tank water heater remember the benefits do outweigh the initial cost and more and more homes are coming with the tankless water as the standard.
Tankless water Heater Pros:
- Take less space in your home
- More efficient
- Better warranty
- Never run out of hot water
MGP Mechanical is a Navien Service Specialist. We offer top of the line products and are backed by industry leading warranties.
To find out more about Navien Tankless Water Heaters visit https://www.mgpmechanical.com/plumbing
Still have questions on Tankless water heaters and how they work? Check out our blog post, How Does a Tankless Water Heater Work?
