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Tankless Water Heaters
Unlimited hot water and energy efficiency.
As the name implies, a tankless water heater has no storage tank. Water is heated only as needed, which means there is no standby heat loss—and that saves you energy and money.
Hot water on demand. In a tankless system, when a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. A gas burner or an electric element heats the water. Tankless water heaters provide a constant supply of hot water without waiting for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water. However, a demand water heater's output limits the flow rate.
Typical tankless water heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2–5 gallons (7.6–15.2 liters) per minute. Gas-fired versions produce higher flow rates than electric ones.
Limits of tankless systems. Even the largest, gas-fired tankless water heater cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households. If you are taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time you may push the water heater to its limit. To overcome this problem, you can install two or more tankless water heaters, connected in parallel for simultaneous demands of hot water. You can also install separate demand water heaters for appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwater—that use a lot of hot water in your home.
Higher cost, bigger energy savings. Tankless water heaters cost more than conventional storage water heaters. But for homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, they can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. And you can get of 27%–50% more efficiency if you install a tankless water heater at each hot water outlet.
Contact your local ARS® / Rescue Rooter® plumbing professional today to find out more about tankless water heater options and installation.
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