Sep. 20, 2008 - Tankless Water Heaters Make Good Sense

If your current water heater is on its last leg, or you've decided you need a better unit to suit your needs, consider a tankless water heater when you go shopping.

Tankless water heaters can save energy and money and deliver an endless flow of hot water. While a conventional tank-style water heater continuously stores 40 to 80 gallons of water and keeps it hot until it’s needed, a tankless water heater only heats water when it's needed. Obviously, keeping 40 to 80 gallons of water hot 24 hours a day, seven days a week, month after month, wastes considerable energy.

Instead of continuously heating a large tank of water, a tankless water heater circulates incoming water through a series of electric coils or gas burners that heat up automatically when you turn on a hot water tap or appliance. When you turn off the faucet, the elements or burners turn off. In other words, you're only burning energy when you have a demand for hot water.

There are several varieties of tankless water heaters, from small electric point-of-use models (for use at a specific location, such as a kitchen or bathroom sink) to larger gas appliances that supply the entire house. Point of use models start around $150 and larger units capable of supplying more hot water start around $750.