How do tankless water heaters work?

I am looking to replace my old water heater and wanted to know some more information about tankless water heaters? How do they work and where can I find them?

The Expert Answer:

Tankless water heaters can save energy because the tank type heater that you have now has a large surface area and the hot water stored in it loses heat over time. Gas tank-type heaters lose even more heat because the chimney going through the middle of the tank allows more “stand-by” heat loss. Tankless heaters have less stand-by heat loss because they only heat water when it is needed – there is no storage. But because tankless heaters heat the water right when you need it, the heating element needs to be much larger than a standard tank-type heater (a tank-type heater has a reserve of stored heat in the tank). When evaluating whether to go “tankless”, get an installed price from a qualified professional. The installation of a tankless unit will cost more than swapping out for a new tank because a larger gas or

February 29, 2008 at 5:57 pm :: Comments to date: 0