843.582.0670
Why You Should Consider Having a Plumber Install a Tankless Water Heater | Conway, SC
Photo By FamVeld at istock
If you still have a storage heater, and many still may in Conway, SC, there are plenty of reasons why you should now consider a tankless water heater, either as an update to your home or as part of a managed renovation. It will not only make your life easier but it will make an impact on your bills too and with a little help from a Benjamin Franklin plumber, you could have one installed, relatively quickly.
Tankless water heaters have certainly gained popularity in the country, particularly as the yearning for more energy efficient models of water heating has gained fervour. What’s more, they make hot water more readily available without the intermittent nature of storage water heaters. Not a bad deal when you’re also saving money over time.
Why else you should consider tankless water heaters
They occupy less space and while the space-saving dynamics of your water heater is something you leave for your neighborhood plumber to consider, it’s worth knowing you’d have extra room to play with by doing the swap. The amount of space you’ll save depends on the size of your current water heater – the larger it is the more space you’ll save by installing a tankless one. Tankless water heaters are small and can be fitted onto the wall, using up no floor space whatsoever.
They supply endless hot water, and this is important as a convenience point, particularly if your home is a family household, and particularly if it might be prone to added burden periodically for visiting relatives. Getting a professional to install a tankless water heater instead means you will no longer have to space-out showers or other uses of the water heater, as there’s enough hot water for everyone. Storage heaters would only allow a certain amount of held water to be heated, and even if you have a large storage tank, this amount is finite, having to be filled and heated again, once its hot water is used. Having said that, tankless water heaters have a limit as well in that it might reach capacity to heat the water should hot water be used too frequently.
If you want to install a tankless water heater, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Myrtle Beach can help you with one of its professional team of plumbers that operate in locally as well.
Why you should be weary of getting a tankless water heater
It’s true, installing a tankless water heater has many benefits but it also has some disadvantages. For instance while energy savings are better, the initial cost of installation is higher.
You also should pay attention to the heaters’ relative capacity. Many households would need two tankless water heaters. The other option is to add a point-of-use unit to the bathroom.
You will also need more electricity to operate a tankless water system, particularly in older homes and you may even need to upgrade your power source.
In addition, gas powered units will require expensive venting.
Here are a few more considerations before you hire a plumber to install your water heater.
Considerations for plumber-installed tankless water heater
1. Energy Savings
One of the main advantages of transferring systems to a tankless water system is that it is much more energy efficient. If you have high demands for water remember that the energy saving coefficient will go down as hot water consumption goes up. That’s one thing to bear in mind when you choose a unit, either on your own or with the help of a plumber from Benjamin Franklin.
To rate this energy efficiency, take note of the Energy Factor (EF), which is a rating based on the useful energy coming out of the heater, a figure that is divided by the amount of energy used to heat the water. The EF rating is the amount of hot water produced by a unit of fuel. A higher rating means higher efficiency.
Another consideration is whether you choose an electric or a gas on-demand system, the latter being less expensive because gas units have lower operating costs.
Tankless water heaters are becoming more popular now and in line with federal changes in 2015, which impact us locally as well, and the cost of traditional water heaters has increased.
In turn, plumber installation costs should also go down as well, particularly as technology improves and consumers become more savvy.
2. Warranty selection
Warranty coverage for your tankless water heater usually comes with some conditions. For instance, you usually have to register it and it should be installed by a professional plumber.
You can compare warranties as a way of deciding which tankless water heater to choose. A good warranty will often reflect a good quality product.
3. The right size
The correct size of your water heater should take account of the temperature rise needed for a certain flow rate.
A general rule of thumb however, would be for your tankless water heater to deliver between 2 to 5 gallons of hot water per minute. This will be higher if you have a gas-fuelled unit.
Other than capacity, flow rate is more important to consider with tankless water heaters e.g. 8 gallons per minute, which you need to get right as there’ll be much more room for error if you need more hot water than you’ve accounted for.
A Benjamin Franklin plumber can certainly help you navigate these questions if you live in Conway, SC, or the surrounding area, and if you’re thinking of getting a tankless water heater. Our Myrtle Beach Plumbing Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, that also operates locally, offers professionals for planned work or emergencies, for residential homes or for commercial properties.