Are Tankless or Traditional Water Heaters Better?
When you are building a new home or need to replace your existing water heater, there are two common types of water heaters you will find available through plumbing companies in Mississauga: Tankless water heaters and traditional water heaters.
While both provide hot water for your home, there are major differences on how they operate, as well as the benefits they provide.Deciding which water heater is the best solution for your home should be made after reviewing the following information to help you better understand the differences, as well as the benefits of each type of water heater. In addition, you might want to consider scheduling a consultation appointment with an experienced and knowledgeable Mississauga plumber for their recommendations, based upon your needs.
Traditional Water Heaters
Traditional water heaters hold a specified amount of water and use either natural gas or electricity to heat water to a preset temperature. Most water heaters of this type hold between 30 and 50 gallons (around 113 to 189 litres) of water. Whenever you use hot water to bathe, shower, do dishes, or laundry, the preheated water is pumped out and replaced with cold water, where it is reheated to the preset temperature.
Benefits:The two main benefits of traditional water heaters are they tend to cost less and are easier to install in most homes.
Cons: There are several drawbacks you should be aware of with traditional water heaters, including:
- Higher Energy Bills – Water in the entire tank, is reheated whenever it drops below the preset temperature and anytime hot water is used.
- Requires More Space than Tankless Water Heaters
- Potential to Run Out of Hot Water
- Shorter Life Spans – On average, traditional water heaters last around 15 years or less.
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters create hot water as it is needed using either natural gas or electricity, without having to store it in a tank.
Benefits:There are several benefits of tankless water heaters, including:
- Lower Energy Bills – For homes that use less than 40 gallons (about 151 litres) of hot water daily, energy bill savings could be as much as 34% or more for water heating costs.
- Takes Up Less Space – Since they are much smaller, there is more flexibility in where tankless water heaters can be installed.
- Creates Hot Water on Demand – You never have to worry about running out of hot water, which is perfect for large families.
- Longer Life Spans – On average, tankless water heaters lasts 20 to 30 years, sometimes longer.
Cons:There are a few drawbacks to tankless water heaters, which are a higher upfront cost and retrofitting to replace traditional water heaters could increase overall installation costs, in some situations.
To learn more about traditional and tankless water heaters for your home and help selecting the most appropriate solution, call the experts at My Precise Plumbing at 647-878-9293 now.