How To Switch From Tank Water Heater To Tankless

Two days before Christmas, we woke up to a pretty scary leak in our basement. We discovered an active drip coming from our h2o heater tank. Before visions of a flooded basement on Christmas morning could dance in our heads, we chosen our plumber. While replacing a h2o heater isn't something y'all really look forward to, this did provide u.s. with the perfect opportunity to make the switch from a storage tank h2o heater to a tankless unit.

Average Life Span of a Storage Water Heater vs. a Tankless H2o Heater

We considered replacing the h2o tank with a new one, but afterward a bit of inquiry, we started leaning towards a tankless water heater. We establish that both electrical and gas water heater tanks have an average service life of about half dozen to 12 years. Most brands of residential storage water heaters have a six-year tank and parts warranty, but in our experience, ours failed at effectually 7 years. Of grade information technology did. It's about as if information technology's planned that way!

By comparison, multiple sources online (plumbing experts and energy.gov) state that the life expectancy of a tankless unit of measurement is around xx years. Twenty YEARS! And the warranty for a tankless unit is typically one year on labor, 5 years on parts, with the exception of the heat exchangers, which is 12-15 years.

Why Nosotros Switched From A Storage Water Heater To A Tankless Water Heater

While we can't tell you what's right for your dwelling, we practice desire to take yous through our idea process and personal experience as to why we made the switch from a storage h2o heater to a tankless unit of measurement. Our situation is unique in that we were able to experience both a tank water heater and a tankless unit in the aforementioned house, under the aforementioned conditions. Information technology was great to be able to test out both water heaters and compare apples to apples.

We chose the Rheem Operation Platinum 9.5 GPM Gas High Efficiency Tankless Water Heater . It has over 800 four-star reviews on Home Depot and our friends at Rheem recommended this unit of measurement for our 4,000-foursquare foot 3-story dwelling house.

An Infinite Supply Of Hot Water

We had a fifty-gallon h2o heater tank, which was perfectly acceptable for our little family unit of four. We didn't usually run out of hot water while taking showers, merely nosotros did observe that we constantly had to adjust the setting and increase the temperature as our showers progressed. I'd but assumed that this was because our bodies were getting acclimated to the temperature, merely subsequently experiencing showers with the tankless unit of measurement, I now realize information technology was because we were reaching limited adequacy with the tank. The chief drawback to a storage water heater is that there's a finite amount of hot h2o, which is especially noticeable when we take houseguests. Information technology takes a little over an 60 minutes for the tank to heat support.

With a tankless unit, h2o isn't stored in a giant tank. Instead, when the hot water faucet is turned on, cold water flows into the unit and heats up in the oestrus exchanger so you're getting an on-demand, infinite supply of hot water in a more efficient manner.

Consistent Temperature

We found that the tankless water heater took a few seconds longer for the water to go to the desired temperature, only once it did, information technology stayed there. I didn't accept to adjust the temperature at all during my entire shower! As well, with our old tank h2o heater, we didn't cartel plough on whatever other faucets, run the dishwasher, or put in a load of laundry while showering because the hot water in our shower would definitely accept been compromised. Non so with the tankless unit. We're able to run laundry, wash a load of dishes, and plough on other faucets without sacrificing a hot shower!

General Maintenance

In areas with difficult water weather, the tankless water heater tin can develop lime and scale deposits in the heat exchanger, which can restrict the water menses and dethrone the functioning of the water heater. It's a good thought to affluent the water heater periodically. We have difficult water in our surface area, so our plumber recommended that we flush the tank every yr. Rheem provides instructions on how to do this safely and effectively, yet if you're not comfortable with this procedure, seek the help of a plumbing professional.

Cost Comparison and Potential Home Resale Value

The 50-gallon water heater that came with our house when nosotros bought it cost about $1,200. Storage water heaters can run considerably less, typically starting at around $400, depending on the features. I'grand not sure why ours was then much more expensive, but it failed subsequently vii years, then information technology's safe to say it wasn't coin well-spent. When we were shopping around for a tankless replacement, nosotros decided to stay around that same price range. The tankless unit we chose cost $ane,400 so the cost difference between our old storage water heater vs. a new tankless unit of measurement was comparable. Judging from the reviews, I accept high hopes that our new Rheem unit will last united states of america many years longer than our storage water heater did!

As for real estate resale value, a tankless water heater can ofttimes be a selling point. We talked with our realtor and in our area, about buyers aren't enlightened of the differences between a tank vs. a tankless unit, but those who've experienced tankless units usually adopt them.

Infinite-Saving Pattern

Some other benefit to a tankless unit is its space-saving design. The small, wall-mounted design frees upward valuable floor infinite. Information technology'southward much easier to see effectually, nether, and higher up the tankless unit of measurement than it was with the giant storage tank. Our water heater is stored in our basement, which is also where we store seasonal items, so I was glad to regain some of that existent manor due to the smaller, more streamlined footprint of the tankless water heater.

Tankless Water Heater Installation

Information technology took our plumbers nearly 3 hours full to remove our quondam storage water heater and supercede it with the tankless unit. First, they turned off the main water valve and gas line, drained the tank, and disconnected the fittings. We had to add some horizontal blocking to the studs so that they could hang the tankless unit of measurement. Then they reconnected the gas, water, and frazzle lines, and traded out the copper pipes to PEX piping. It seemed similar a pretty simple transition to go from the tank to a tankless water heater.

Closing Thoughts

At present that we've had a couple of months to experience this tankless h2o heater, we're really happy with it. We feel that it was a bully upgrade from our storage water heater. Had our storage water heater failed catastrophically, nosotros could've had l gallons of h2o flooding our basement. I feel much more at ease knowing that if this tankless unit fails, we won't take 50 gallons of water to contend with. It heats water on-need and then nosotros don't worry about running out hot water, nosotros tin can employ multiple faucets simultaneously without compromise, the temperature stays consistent, and the smaller footprint is very much appreciated in our already crowded basement. If you're because switching from a storage water heater to a tankless unit of measurement and are in the market for one, we highly recommend a Rheem tankless water heater.

*This post is in partnership with The Abode Depot.