Are You Thinking of Replacing Your Water Heater?

Consider Your Options: You Can Choose a Tank or Tankless Model

If your traditional tank-style water heater is inching closer to the decade mark of usage, you should probably begin thinking about its replacement. Signs that it’s time to update your water heater may include higher energy bills and water that just isn’t getting quite as hot.

Truth be told, your water heater works incredibly hard for you. Bathing and showering, washing dishes, laundry, cleaning, and other tasks add up to between 60 and 65 gallons of hot water a day for the typical American family. That nonstop workload takes a toll! It’s why the life expectancy for a conventional water heater with a tank is between eight and 10 years.

So, if you think it’s time to start shopping for a new water heater, you should consider a tankless water heater.

What’s a Tankless Water Heater?

Imagine having virtually unlimited hot water, while seeing lower fuel bills. It’s possible, with a high-efficiency tankless water heater. Also known as on-demand water heaters, tankless propane water heaters instantly heat water when you need it—so “on demand”—rather than keeping a large tank hot all the time.

Rand Wade offers a full selection of tankless water heaters from an industry renown brand, Rinnai, which include whole-house models to smaller versions that can be installed where they are needed to generate hot water for a home addition or for a spa tub, for example.

What are the Benefits of Choosing a Tankless Model?

1. Unlimited hot water: Traditional tank heaters can run out of hot water if you use a lot all at once. Tankless water heaters use an electric pilot and a hot propane flame to heat water instantly on demand. There’s no tank, so it can’t hit empty.
2. Savings: Tankless water heaters save energy by instantly heating water when you need it, rather than keeping a large tank hot all the time. All that efficiency means you’ll also save money by lowering your energy costs by as much as 40%.
3. Flexibility: With no storage tank, a tankless water heater is small—even whole-house sizes take considerably less room than a 55-gallon tank. Most are about the size of a suitcase. It can also be wall-mounted, which means a tankless water heater can be placed just about anywhere in the house, including closets and crawl spaces.
4. Longer equipment life: The primary culprit in the limited lifespan of a conventional water heater is corrosion from water stored in its tank. Because it doesn’t store water, a tankless water heater will last 18 to 20 years~

Are There Any Downsides of Going Tankless?

Although they save you money in the long run, tankless water heaters are typically more expensive to buy and install upfront, even if they’ll recoup that in savings in the long un. In addition, they require a little maintenance, particularly if you have hard water. Deposits and minerals can reduce performance and efficiency if you don’t flush the tank at least once a year and clean the filters.

Sticking with a Tank Style Water Heater

A traditional tank-style water heater is inexpensive to replace but costs a lot more to operate. And it can’t really deliver enough hot water for more than two or three showers in a row, assuming no one is washing dishes or using hot water for anything else.

Additionally, if your home has a basement, space may not be an issue. But if you don’t have a basement, that big tank uses a lot of valuable real estate in your home. Imagine what you could do with that closet space if you could eliminate your water heater tank.

Whether you decide to stick with a traditional tank-style water heater or update with a highly efficient tankless model, don’t wait for your water heater to fail to replace it! Like other essential equipment in your home, such as your refrigerator, you don’t want to go long without it. A lukewarm shower is no way to start your day. Enjoy energy efficiency and all the hot water you need with a new water heater!

If you want to learn more about the benefits of tankless water heaters, talk to the pros at Rand Wade Oil. We can help you choose the best option for your needs—and help you take advantage of valuable rebates from Rinnai. Contact us for details today.