Looking to
upgrade your home’s energy efficiency? Have you been asking yourself how you
can decrease your water use and utility bills? If you haven’t considered a tankless
water heater,
you should! Many people worry about how much tankless water heater installation
cost can run you but consider not just the initial cost of a tankless water
heater, but how much it will save you over time.
What is a tankless water heater?
The tankless water heater design might be a little difficult for some people to grasp without seeing one. Most of the water heaters we’re familiar with – whether gas or electric – use these heat sources to heat up a large storage tank of water. Water tanks can vary from 50 to 100 gallons, or even larger, depending on the size of your home and what your hot water needs are.
For most people, the tank design is wasteful.
Typically, your water heater has to work hard to keep a large storage of water hot and ready for you to use, which means you pay to heat water over and over.
Tankless
water heaters have more intense heating elements that are able to heat water
directly out of your pipes without having to hold it for an extended period of
time. Some designs are truly tankless, and some function with smaller capacity
tanks. But either way, the energy savings can be huge.
How do tankless water heaters save you money?
Save Energy
Tankless water heaters save you money in two ways: First, they don’t waste energy by reheating water over and over.
Their ability to heat water quickly as it passes through their pipes and stays in motion means that your water actually gets hot faster and stays at the temperature you set it, meaning you spend less time (and waste less water) waiting for the temperature to “get right.”
Help Your Health
Secondly, tankless water heaters save you money because they are less likely to leak, retain moisture, or release chemicals into the air over time. Traditional water heaters are subject to rust, which can cause them to leak, and when that moisture builds up, it can result in a cascade of problems.
Water heater closets are traditionally known for being dank, mildewy, and smelling like metal. This is because the water damage to the water heater’s tank means that your water heater is a huge metal box of problems just waiting to spring open and flood you with them.
Tankless water heaters may require less repair, release less environmental factors into your home (they collect less dust, are easier to clean, and less likely to release minerals than traditional water heaters). And they may overall contribute to a cleaner, healthier home.
In dollars: What does tankless water heater installation cost?
Ok, so here’s a hard
number: AROUND $2,500. You can probably do
some quick shopping and see that traditional water heaters are hundreds of
dollars less. But, consider why:
Removing the
Old Tank
When you replace your
traditional water heater with a tankless water heater, your
plumber may
have to run new pipes or close off unnecessary valves. You will also have to
pay for them to remove the old water heater – although you should ask if they
offer a credit for it as scrap metal. Of course, these are one-time expenses
that you won’t have to incur again when you replace your tankless water heater.
Installing the New Tank
The costs of installing a tankless water heater aren’t much
different from the costs of installing a traditional water heater – it may take
the plumber more time, so if there’s an hourly rate involved, you may expect
that.
The cost of the new tank
is largely the tank itself. Upgraded technology comes with advanced
engineering, and your new tankless water heater is lightyears ahead of the
design of your current, wasteful water heater.
So imagine, cutting your
utility bills by 25%, 35%, even as much as 50%. Knowing that month after month,
you’ll be living a less wasteful life that’s better for the environment and
your wallet. Remember, it’s not about the tankless water heater installation
cost, it’s about how much the tankless water heater will save you over time.
