Traditional Water Heaters vs. Tankless Water Heaters

Whether you’re in the market for a new water heater, or you are interested in getting an entirely different type of water heater, you have to know what you’re getting into. There are tankless water heaters and traditional water heaters. Each has their own pros and cons.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are so named because there is no storage tank. You don’t need an enormous amount of space to install these. They consist of a large box that attaches to a wall and ingoing and outcoming pipes. Cold water from your home’s water main goes into the tankless water heater, is heated, and then channeled into the outgoing pipes to whatever faucet or appliance is demanding the hot water at the moment. 

The downside to these water heaters is that they are “heat on demand,” meaning that there is no immediate hot water supply on tap. You have to turn on the hot water faucet in a sink or shower/tub and wait. The tankless water heater pulls water from the incoming lines to heat it. It can take a few minutes to get hot water this way. If more than one faucet or tap is opened and hot water is demanded for a sink, a washer, and a shower, the tankless water heater is unable to meet the needs and demands of that much hot water. 

The upside is that these appliances save a ton on energy. They last up to ten years or more before you need to replace them, which exceeds the amount of time a traditional water heater lasts. They are perfect for vacation homes or homes where there aren’t that many occupants. 

Traditional Water Heaters

Traditional water heaters are those big, round vessels that hold several gallons of water and keep the water heated. You have a constant flow of hot water, and it doesn’t matter how many taps, faucets, or washing appliances demand the hot water all at once. You don’t need to wait several minutes with an open tap for hot water to begin pouring out. It’s hot within seconds of opening the tap, turning on the appliance, or turning on the faucet.

The downside to a traditional water heater is that they are enormous. You need a big space to store the water heater out of sight, and most won’t fit in a crawlspace. A lot of homeowners have to have them installed in a utility closet or out in the open in the same room as the laundry machines. They don’t last as long as a tankless either. Most traditional water heaters have a six-year or nine-year limited lifespan and then you have to replace them again. 

Another aspect to consider is the energy or power consumption. Traditional water heaters come in either natural gas or electric models. Natural gas ones are really good at conserving energy, using a very minimal amount of natural gas to heat the water. The electric ones aren’t so good, and in fact, a tankless water heater does better than an electric traditional water heater at utilizing and conserving electricity. The only way to get around the costs of operating an electric water heater is if your entire home runs on solar energy, in which case, you could run either the tankless or the traditional with next to no cost.

Another nuisance with traditional water heaters is that they will rust from the inside out and need more frequent maintenance. Rust-colored water will begin filtering out the taps and faucets when the rust inside the water heater has infiltrated the water in your pipes. When you finally remove a rusted out one, it weighs an absolute ton because there is water trapped inside. That’s not an issue with a tankless.

Traditional water heaters are far less expensive to install than tankless. It’s the biggest reason why so many homeowners opt for these instead of tankless, with the reserve of hot water at the ready being the second biggest reason. If you already have one of these water heaters, it just makes sense to continue with the same type unless you have a good reason for switching to the tankless ones. Either way, your plumber will be able to install your new water heater when you are ready.