What You Should Know About Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters create instant, on-demand hot water. This means that
water is heated the instant you need it, but only for as long as the hot water
is being used. Conventional tank water heaters, on the other hand, heat water 24
hours a day, 365 days a year - and you pay for the energy it takes to keep the
water hot. Conventional tanks can, and do, run out of hot water when demand is
high. How many baths or loads of laundry does it take in your home before
someone gets stuck with an icy shower?
Most conventional tank heaters have upper and lower heating elements, one of
which is cycling on or off 24 hours per day, even when you're not at home. This
raises your heating bill, even when you aren't using water. Even worse, with a
conventional tank heater, you are heating water to a ridiculously high
temperature in order to maximize the available supply of hot water. When water
reaches the tap, cold water must then be added so that the temperature is
comfortable to the human touch. This process of heating water wastes valuable
energy, not to mention water and money. When a hot water faucet is activated,
the conventional tank heater is replenishing the tank with cold water at the
same time, lowering the overall water temperature in the tank. This triggers the
element to draw more power to reheat the water to the desired set temperature.
Because of this inefficient process, a 60-gallon tank only has 45 gallons of
useable hot water. The other 15 gallons are lost as cold water is added to the
tank during the usage process. In addition, a conventional tank heater is
constantly radiating heat (loss), which also contributes to the re-heating rate
and energy consumption. This type of heat loss is often referred to as
"stand-by" heat loss. By eliminating stand-by heat loss alone, energy
consumption can be reduced from 20 to 30%.
Using energy efficiently and conscientiously also reduces pollution, global
warming, and waste. Water heating accounts for 20-30% of energy use in North
American homes. This energy comes from hydroelectric power generation, the
burning of the following fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and nuclear
power. None are without environmental impacts. All lead to long-term significant
and lasting environmental degradation that may include harmful waste
bi-products, expensive remediation costs, depletion of the natural resource
base, and wildlife habitat loss and biodiversity threats.
Reducing the amount of energy used to heat water will reduce the amount of
fossil fuels consumed and therefore the amount of resulting greenhouse gas
emissions. A 50% reduction in energy consumption could result in a 50% reduction
in the harmful effects, resource depletion, and infrastructure costs of
supplying that power.
If you are looking for a professional plumbing company, please call us today
at 626 791-9007 or (909)657-2345 or complete our online service request form.
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