If you are considering replacing your tank water heater for an electric tankless water heater then we are here to inform you.
Tankless water heaters are becoming more and more common in homes and townhomes. There are many reasons for this, for example: it saves space in your house, no need for a bulky tank taking up so much room any more. Also, you won’t have a flooding risk in the event of a tank rupture. Another good reason is savings on your electricity bill. The main reason why tankless heaters help you save on your electric bill is because heating water accounts for 25% of the average household’s energy bill. While a tank water heater is constantly keeping the water in the tank warm, the tankless water heater only works on demand.
One drawback to keep in mind about electric tankless water heaters is that taking a warm shower during a power outage is impossible unless you have a generator. That can be a turn off to a Florida resident during hurricane season. But aside from this drawback they are a very good investment for your home.
The most important part of this investment is how it is installed.
How does the manufacturer recommend a tankless water heater to be installed?
There are many brands of tankless water heaters, and each manufacturer has their own recommendations. This article will focus on the installation of the Titan tankless water heater, just because they are manufactured locally, down in Miami, FL. #SupportLocal
Installing an electric tankless water heater is easy, each tankless water heater comes with an installation manual. However, it is strongly recommended to hire a licensed plumber and licensed electrician to pull the city permits and properly replace the tank water heater with the tankless water heater. This recommendation is an important one for two reasons:
1. A tank water heater works with 110V, while tankless water heaters work with 220V. Therefore the outlet has to be replaced and the breaker in most cases has to be replaced as well, this is why a qualified licensed electrician is essential to this transition. Depending on the electrical load of the house, this means how much electricity your house consume due to appliances, fans, and light fixtures, the electrician might even have to upgrade the main electrical breaker, to ensure the house can handle the greater load now that the tankless water heater is installed.
2. Even though installing a tankless water heater is easy to do, in over 6 years of home inspections and commercial inspections, I have only seen one installed correctly. Here is where the qualified licensed plumber becomes essential to the installation. The most common item that doesn’t get installed is the sediment filter.
The sediment filter is the component that prolongs the life of the water heater. The purpose of the filter is to filter out all the sediments that come in our water, and yes even if your water is city water instead of well water it still carries sediments. The reason why water filters are not used in regular tank water heaters, is because the sediments fall to the bottom of the tank, and the hot water is “pulled” out of the tank from the top. The life expectancy of a tankless water heater according to their manufacturer is 10-20 years, depending on water quality, usage and environment. But this is only on the basis that it is properly installed, when it is not properly installed it can last you 5-7 years. This means you would be replacing water heaters faster than needed, this also means you would be spending more money than you should in the long term.
A tankless water heater is a great investment for your home, but only when it is installed the proper way.