Having hot water at our fingertips is not something to be taken for granted. Long gone are the days of heating buckets of water over fires to warm for a bath. But shouldn’t the days of running out of hot water also be long gone? Tankless hot water heaters may be the answer you didn’t even know you were searching for and here’s why:
Energy Savings
Tankless hot water heaters use 30-50% less energy than standard water heaters. For the average family, that is a savings of $100 per year. Water is heated on demand, when a faucet is turned on, instead of having a tank keep 40-50 gallons constantly heated. Tankless water heaters can be electric or gas powered.
Space Savings
Tankless water heaters are much more compact than a standard water heater and can be mounted onto a wall. There is no large tank needed to store heated water which means no worries of the tank leaking and no tank will end up in a landfill once it needs replacing. While the tankless unit is more compact, it is best to hire a professional for installation to ensure that the plumbing is done correctly for the specific unit bought.
Time Savings
A traditional water heater holds 40-50 gallons of hot water. While a pre-heated water does appear to save time, time is only saved if the tank does not become depleted. Attempting to run laundry and a shower at the same time has the potential for running out of hot water. Tankless water heaters can put out 2-3 gallons of hot water per minute. With an endless supply of water, a tankless water heater can supply you with a constant stream of hot water without fear of running out. No more scheduling showers, laundry, and dishes around your water heater’s schedule.
Longer Warranty
The traditional water heater lasts for 10-15 years with a 6-year warranty. Tankless water heaters last for 20 or more years before they need replacing and have a warranty of 15 years. Even though the upfront cost of a tankless water heater is more than that of a traditional water heater, the savings per year, as well as the extended lifespan, make up for the cost difference quickly. When you consider the extra savings of not having to deal with flood repairs from leaking tanks, a tankless hot water heater is a solid investment.
How a Tankless Water Heater Actually Works
Knowing what’s happening inside the unit makes the trade-offs easier to understand. When someone opens a hot water faucet, a flow sensor inside the tankless unit detects the water moving through. That triggers the burner or heating element to fire and warm the water as it passes over a heat exchanger. The water reaches the set temperature in just a few seconds and continues at that temperature as long as the tap is open. When the tap closes, the unit shuts down completely.
That on-demand operation is what makes the energy savings real. A traditional tank keeps 40 to 80 gallons of water hot 24 hours a day, even when no one is home. A tankless unit only uses energy during the actual minutes someone is using hot water.
Sizing Matters More with Tankless Than with Tank Units
One of the biggest mistakes during a tankless install is undersizing the unit. With a tank, you can run out of hot water but it doesn’t change the temperature, just the supply. With a tankless unit, demand that exceeds the unit’s capacity makes the water run cooler at the tap, sometimes called the “cold water sandwich” effect.
The right size depends on three factors:
- The number of fixtures that might run at the same time, like two showers and a dishwasher
- The flow rate of each fixture, which can be checked with a bucket and a stopwatch
- The temperature rise needed, which is the difference between the incoming cold water temperature and the desired hot output
A plumber sizing the system will calculate the total flow at peak demand and the worst-case temperature rise, then recommend a unit rated to handle both. Households with simultaneous heavy use sometimes need either a high-capacity unit or two smaller ones in parallel.
Gas vs Electric Tankless Units
Tankless heaters come in both gas and electric versions, and the right choice depends on what’s already in the home and how the household uses hot water:
- Gas tankless units handle higher demand than electric and tend to recover faster between calls. They need a vent and either an upgraded gas line or a high-capacity feed
- Electric tankless units are smaller, simpler to install and don’t need venting. The trade-off is that they often need an upgraded electrical service to handle the high amperage they pull during operation
- Whole-home electric units typically require dedicated 240-volt circuits and may push an older panel beyond its capacity
- Point-of-use electric units are smaller and serve a single fixture, useful for an add-on bathroom or a remote sink that’s a long way from the main heater
If your home is already set up for natural gas and has decent gas line capacity, a gas tankless unit is usually the more capable choice. Homes without gas service can absolutely run electric, but the panel and wiring may need upgrades alongside the heater install.
Maintenance Keeps the Savings Real
Tankless units last longer than tank units, but the longer life depends on regular maintenance. Mineral buildup inside the heat exchanger is the main long-term enemy, and hard water along the Mississippi Gulf Coast accelerates it. The maintenance routine includes:
- Annual descaling of the heat exchanger using a vinegar or commercial descaling solution circulated through the unit
- Cleaning or replacing the inlet water filter
- Inspecting the venting on gas units for any obstruction or damage
- Checking the burner assembly on a gas unit for soot or wear
- Verifying the unit is firing at the correct temperature and not cycling unusually
The whole routine takes about an hour. Many homeowners have a plumber handle it during a yearly inspection, often at the same time as the rest of the home’s plumbing maintenance.
When a Tankless Unit Isn’t the Right Choice
Tankless isn’t always the answer. A few situations where a traditional tank still makes more sense:
- Very low budgets where the upfront cost difference matters more than the long-term savings
- Homes with low hot water demand, where the tank is rarely depleted anyway
- Older homes where upgrading the gas line or the electrical service would cost more than the unit itself
- Homes that are likely to be sold within a few years, since the longer payback period may not match your timeline
- Households with very hard water and no plan to install a softener, since maintenance costs can climb
For most other homes, the math works out in favor of going tankless when the existing tank is at the end of its life anyway. A plumber familiar with the Gulfport, Biloxi, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis areas can walk through the numbers based on your specific home and usage and give you a clear answer.
If you are wondering whether a tankless water heater is right for you, or if you are looking for a professional to install one, contact ASAP Plumbing today at 228-865-2727 or visit www.plumbinggulfportms.com and request a free estimate! We can handle all your plumbing needs including installation, repair, and full water heater replacement.