How Does A Tankless Water Heater Work?
If you are someone looking to invest in a tankless water heater, you might be curious as to how a tankless water heater works and heats water without the use of a tank. Read on to learn more about the operation of a tankless water heater.
Known as instantaneous water heaters, tankless water heaters do not rely on a tank to dispense standby pre-heated water but rather dispense hot water on demand. When sized correctly, tankless hot waters have an endless supply, and you will never have to worry about running out of hot water.
The Operation of a Tankless Water Heater
Each time a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe and eventually into the water heater. Regardless of whether you use a heater with an electric or gas burner component, the water is then heated and dispensed.
Although tankless water heaters do not require you to stand around and wait for the water to be heated, a tankless water heater does have a limited flow rate to regulate the heating process. Most tankless water heaters are able to generate approximately 2-5 gallons of hot water every minute. As such, you might want to consider getting a gas tankless water heater as compared to an electric one if you are someone who uses a large amount of water. This is one of the reasons why most large homes use tankless water heaters.
If you somehow find that the tankless water heater is still not adequate enough for your needs, you may choose to install multiple tankless water heaters. Tankless water heaters can be installed either separately or in parallel depending on the type of appliance.
Gas vs. Electric Tankless Water Heaters
Apart from the difference in output as mentioned previously, there are other factors that differentiate the operation of gas and electric tankless water heaters.
Electric heaters, albeit with a smaller output, have an incredible 99% energy efficiency. Apart from that, electric water heaters are extremely easy to install and a more convenient choice if your home has already been wired for electric water. The fairly seamless installation process also means that it would cost less to install. Electric water heaters are also compact and take up less space than gas water heaters.
Gas heaters are less energy-efficient than their electric counterparts, but are capable of producing a much larger output. As such, they are a much better option for homes with large families. Despite this, Water Heating Direct has reinvented conventional gas heaters and introduced the Brigade water heater. This Brigade water heater offers an output level similar to most gas heaters yet is compact in size and much more energy efficient. This is thanks to its increased turndown ratio of 7:1 as compared to 3:1 (commonly found in other gas heaters). The 7:1 turndown ratio makes Brigade extremely energy efficient and helps users to save on their bills.