10 Myths Regarding Tankless Water Heaters DEBUNKED

With new technology comes new information and this information is often disproportionately distributed. This leads to the formation of myths around said technology.

Similarly, when tankless water heaters are introduced in a society seemingly accustomed to storage tank type heaters, there will be several queries and myths surrounding it.

Any doubts about price, savings, maintenance and fuel options? Looking to debunk hearsay? Or simply rid yourself of any confusion regarding going tankless? This is the article for you!

10 myths about Tankless Water Heaters DEBUNKED

Myth 1: All tankless water heater models are pretty much the same

Reality: There are several types of tankless models that suit different households in terms of placement (in the house or out of the house as in the case of southern states in the USA), gas requirements (with reference to availability of natural gas and regulations regarding carbon footprint in housing areas) and venting mechanisms (elaborate, simple PVC or none at all if the heater is placed out of the house).

But the truth is out of all these different varieties, it’ll be difficult to choose the heater that has the optimum combination of features for you.

Hence, for this, you may hire a professional.

Myth 2: All tankless heaters require elaborate and space-consuming venting

Reality: A simple PVC pipe leading out of the house is also sufficient to provide venting for the heater. In some cases, the tanks can be installed out of the house that removes the need of venting all together.

If an electric tankless system is used then there isn’t any need to expel combustion gases.

Myth 3: All tankless water heaters run on natural gas

Reality: If you live in a region beyond the natural gas lines or if natural gas is not available as a fuel in your housing facility, no worries!

Tankless water heaters run on propane gas too. There are also tankless heaters that run on electricity and solar power.

Myth 4: There is an instant supply of hot water at the sink

Reality: Tankless water heaters provide hot water as it passes through the heating element but when the heaters have just been turned on but some of the cold water remains in the pipes.

This implies that you might have to let the cold water run out before reaching the hot water in the pipes.

This, however, can be avoided by using circulation tanks that lead to less wastage of water and circulate hot water responsibly.

Myth 5: The water supply is insufficient

Reality: The small size of the tankless water heaters may be deceiving and people often assume that the supply of water would be insufficient for the various uses of hot water in a household, like dishwashers and showers running at the same time.

This is not true as hot water is provided in faucets almost instantly for various functions however the tankless may be stretched to its limit and in such a case different tankless system can be fitted in different parts of the housing facility for your hot water needs.

Myth 6: Tankless water heaters do not provide a steady hot water supply

Reality: It is a widely believed myth that when tankless water heaters heat waters there may be pockets of cold water that inhibit the steady supply.

This seldom happens and usually happens when the heating element is inconsistent in its temperatures.

However, as a general rule of thumb, the entire water supply is heated uniformly between heating elements.

Myth 7: Tankless water heaters provide water at unsafe temperatures

Reality: This is actually a problem with traditional storage tank models when there isn’t enough cold water in the tank to be heated, the existing supply of water gets heated up to scalding hot temperatures.

In tankless heaters, the temperature to which water has to be heated can be controlled using an inbuilt thermostat.

Myth 8: Tankless water heaters provide large immediate savings

Reality: Although it is true that tankless heaters pay for themselves a few years from purchase, the immediate savings on fuel are not significant as propane costs about $225 a year and hence tankless heaters work on about $19 worth of gas per month.

Standard storage tank heaters consume about $315 of gas and that makes it $26.25 per month for fuel.

The amount saved is $7.50 per month and is not immediately significant.

Myth 9: Tankless water heaters require no maintenance

Reality: Although there are models which are self-cleaning, most tankless water heaters come with a maintenance light that informs user WHEN to call the plumber.

When you live in areas with soft water, the frequency of maintenance would drastically decrease compared to hard water because of the possibility of sediment and mineral deposits.

The average number of times the heater needs to be cleaned is annually or bi-annually.

This job can be quite costly if you hire a plumber to flush out the pipes, however, there are several tutorials on online platforms that give one an affordable way to do it at home yourself.

Myth 10: Tankless water heaters are extremely expensive for a first buy

Reality: Although the truth is that tankless water heaters have a very high initial cost most people aren’t aware that there are several ways the cost of this technology can be reduced.

Rebates are the most popular means of doing so and make a tankless water heater a very affordable choice.

Conclusion

With the new technology of tankless water heaters, there come several misunderstandings relating to it.

People are unaware of the different varieties of tankless water heaters available and assume all of them have similar accommodations whereas the different varieties of the water heaters fit various different living conditions and environments.

The expenses and maintenance of these heaters can also be made affordable.