Addressing Common Complaints About Tankless Water Heaters - Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical

There’s a lot of buzz about tankless water heating. Of course, there’s also lots of information on the internet that you have to decipher. I want to take some time to address six of the more common complaints that I’ve seen.

 1. Tankless water heating is not worth the cost to put it in.

 This is simply not true. The efficiency is just a small chunk of the payback. Even though it’s much more efficient, the bigger payback comes from the long life of the system. Tankless water heaters last twice as long as tank water heaters.

 If you plan on living in your home for 20 years, for example, you’ll more than likely have to replace the water heater twice during that time if you have a tank system. A tankless system, on the other hand, will only have to be replaced once during this same time period.

 Even if you’re going to sell your home, a tankless system can be attractive to prospective buyers. The return on investment is clearly there. If you have someone knowledgable who can pencil out the return, they’ll be able to take your electric/gas bill, the longevity of your current system, and come up with the exact calculation of your total savings.

 2. Not all homes can have a tankless system.

 This is mostly untrue. Just because you don’t have a tankless system and/or you have a finished area, there are still options available to you. There can definitely be relocation of the system and we can also take different types of plumbing into account. I’ve put tankless systems in homes where people didn’t think they were a candidate.

 The important thing to do is get someone knowledgeable to visit your home and take a look at your system. They’ll be able to tell you if you really are a good candidate to get a tankless system installed.

 3. Electric tankless is as good as gas tankless.

 Electric tankless systems only comprise about 2% of the water heaters we put in. The reason why is because they’re nowhere near as efficient as gas systems. They’re not as dependable, either. You also have to have a significant power source to be able to power electric tankless systems.

 4. I can find the same kind of system for a cheaper price somewhere else.

 Just like anything else that you may purchase, there’s definitely a difference in quality. It could be the way the heater is vented, whether it’s condensing/non-condensing, or whether it has a stainless steel heat exchanger or a copper heat exchanger, the type or warranty, or the unit’s efficiency.

 All these different features and benefits can vary if you buy the system from a cheaper source. It would be wise to first speak with someone knowledgable about the options that available to you.

 5. I’m uncertain about whether a tankless system can meet my hot water needs.

 We’ve put in over 300 tankless water heaters. They will provide endless hot water as long as they receive gas/power. If the right kind of unit is installed and sized properly, a single water heater can run up to three showers simultaneously. In most homes, that’s definitely a practical solution that meets the needs of a family. Everyone can take a shower one right after another without ever having to be concerned about running out of hot water.

 6. I’ve read a lot of bad reviews online.

 As always, there’s a lot of information available online. When someone goes online to do research, they’ll end up seeing many good and bad reviews. Of course, the bad reviews can scare people. However, most of those reviews are due to improper installation or improper sizing. If a professional puts in the water heater, the piping is properly sized, and the heater is properly sized and installed, the system is going to work as advertised. It’s also going to be very dependable.

If you have any questions about installing a tankless water heater in your home, contact us online or give us a call at (540) 483-9382.