Electric tankless water heaters, also known as demand water heaters, only produce hot water when it’s needed. They can save you money on heating and storage costs, and are more energy-efficient than your standard hot water heater. If you’re in the market for an electric, tankless model, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with how they operate so that you can buy the right unit the first time around.
How Electric Tankless Units Work
Electric tankless units don’t have the traditional storage tank you see on most water heaters. When you turn on your hot water, cold water is directed through a pipe that then goes into the tankless unit. The tankless unit heats the water and distributes it to the faucet or tap. You can usually get two to five gallons of hot water per minute with a tankless unit.
Sole or Additional Operation
When buying an electric tankless water heater, you’ll need to consider how often you use hot water in your home, and determine if a tankless unit can produce enough for your household.
Some homeowners buy units for their dishwashers and washing machines and use traditional water heaters for showers and faucets. With this set up, you’ll still save money installing a tankless unit for appliances, and won’t have to worry about taking a cold shower when the hot water runs out.
Size and Demand
You can determine how big of an electric unit you’ll need by understanding the flow rates in gallons per minute from most household items. Common GPMs for homes include:
– Toilet: 0.5 gpm
– Bathtub: 2.0 to 4.0 gpm
– Shower: 1.5 to 3.0 gpm
– Kitchen Sink: 1.0 to 1.5 gpm
– Laundry Sink: 2.5 to 3.0 gpm
– Dishwasher: 1.0 to 3.0 gpm
A larger unit will require more power as well. Thus, you need to ensure the circuits in your home can handle the additional power requirement.
Need Help?
If you need assistance picking the right sized unit or you need a new unit installed, contact TalkLocal today to get in touch with a skilled plumber in your area who knows the ins and outs of water heaters. Talk Local will connect you with to to three professionals in just minutes, for free!
Tags: electric tankless water heaters
