Make your Home Green

Is a Tankless Water Heater the right choice for your home?

How does a Tankless Water Heater in Walnut Creek work?

Tankless Water Heaters in Walnut Creek are the newest way to heat your water and save money on your energy bills. Unlike a standard tank water heater a tankless doesn’t need the big storage tank to store water. Tankless Water Heaters only heat the water when there is a demand for Hot Water in your home. There is a pipe that runs from your water supply to the tankless unit when you turn on your bathtub, dishwasher or any plumbing fixture to your house that requires hot water, the system pumps water through this pipe into the tankless unit. The tankless unit then turns itself on and heats the water up. Delivering an endless amount of hot water to your fixtures. This alleviates the loss of hot water after filling up the bathtub or after a long shower you will still be able to use the hot water without waiting for the water to reheat.

How does this Save Money on Energy Bills?

On a standard tank water heater the water heater has a pilot light that is lit all of the time and it reheats the water whenever it falls below the desired temperature. In turn when you don’t use your hot water you are heating and reheating the water over and over again wasting energy in the heat loss process. On a Tankless Water Heater it only heats up when there is a demand for it saving you money on reheating your water all of the time. Basically in the middle of the night while you are sleeping your water heater could turn on and off several times without you ever having a need for hot water just in case you might, with a Tankless Water Heater it will only turn on when you turn on a faucet that requires hot water.

There are many different Tankless Water Heater manufacturers and models, most of them have an energy rating up to 98% where your standard tank water heater have an energy of up to about 64%. This is due to the heat loss involved in heating and reheating the water.

What is involved in Installing a Tankless Water Heater?

This is a very important decision so you must be sure that you have the correct plumber and the correct system for your house. A Tankless Water Heater in Walnut Creek can be installed inside or outside your home. You & your plumber can decide which application is best for your home and family. Keep in mind when making this decision that if you choose to mount it inside the unit will need venting and airflow to operate properly. It is also important to see how difficult it may be to run your power source and water lines to the unit. Sometimes they can be put in the same spot your original Standard Water Heater is, but sometimes it is very difficult to update the venting and power source to this location so it may be more beneficial to hang it on an outside wall.

In almost all of the Tankless Water Heater Installations I have seen it is necessary to upgrade your gas line to ensure there are enough BTU’s flowing for the unit to work properly. This determination will need to be made by a qualified plumber with experience installing Tankless Water Heaters to make sure you get the right gas line for the unit you are installing.

Venting the Tankless Water Heater will need to be upgraded also, most tankless units require  a large vent than the standard tank water heaters that they are replacing. This is also something that an experienced plumber should determine.

What are the Tax Credits?

The federal government has instituted a program to encourage people to use greener technologies in their homes. Tankless Water Heaters qualify for this Tax Credit of 30% up to $1500.00 which includes any installation costs associated with the installation of a Tankless Water Heater. This program will run through the end of 2010 and if you are interested in installing a Tankless Water Heater now is the time to do it to help offset some of the upfront costs of installing one.

What are the Reasons a Tankless Water Heater may not work in my home?

There are some applications where a Tankless Water Heater may not be the best solution for your home. This is why I really encourage you to meet with an experienced plumber to determine what Water Heating System is best for you.

Here are some reasons why it may not work:

• Natural Gas is not readily available at your home- Electric Water Heaters can be very costly to install because of the cost to run a new isolated electrical line to the unit.
• Your house may need more water flow than the tankless unit can provide. This can be avoided by installing multiple units but the cost of installation may be quite expensive.
• Worried about wasting water because you have to wait for the water to get to your faucet. This can be avoided by installing a unit like the Navien Tankless Water Heater with a recirculating system built in to avoid the wait time for the water to get hot.
• The Sandwich affect can be eliminated by installing the best water heater for your home by contacting a qualified plumber in your area.

All in all I believe Tankless Water Heater units are better than a standard water heater if designed and installed properly for your home and lifestyle! Gather all of your information and call your local Tankless Water Heater Expert today at 925-300-4660!

About the Author

Elinor Wright is a plumbing contractor in the San Francisco Bay Area. She specializes in Tankless Water Heater Repair & Installation, Water Heater repair & installation, toilet repairs, drain cleaning, fixtures faucets and more!

For more information visit her website at www.awrightplumber.com

Installing – Takagi Tankless Water Heaters

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