Water Heaters

When considering a new water heater, you might be wondering if you should go with a traditional tank or go tankless. Your decision will depend on budget, space, amount of hot water needed, and your energy efficiency preferences. The crew at Plumbing by Spellman can help you choose, but here are few key differences to keep in mind:

How they work: With a tank water heater, the tank is filled to capacity and water is heated in the reservoir. When the hot water tap is turned on, hot water is released from the top of the tank. Cold water is then filled from the bottom of the tank until it's full, so there is always hot water available. A tankless water heater only heats water when it is needed. Water is heated at an average rate of 4-12 gallons per minute.

Cost: Upfront costs are usually lower with a tank water heater. Tankless water heaters generally have a higher purchase and installation cost due to a more complex setup, but they can help you save money over time because of increased efficiency.

Space Needed: Tank water heaters are large at 4-5 feet tall with diameters up to 28 inches. Tankless heaters are about the size of a small suitcase, making them ideal for tight spaces because they are hung on a wall.

Amount of Hot Water Needed: Traditional tank heaters provide many gallons of hot water consistently through the whole house, until the entire tank runs out of hot water. Tankless heaters also provide consistent hot water, but may struggle with capacity when running more than one hot water tap at the same time. Proper sizing of your unit, whether it's a tank or tankless, can help address hot water needs.

Energy Efficiency:  Tank water heaters can experience stand-by heat loss. New tankless water heaters are more energy efficient since water is heated on demand.