Just like you wouldn’t leave the heating systems on in your home when you’re on vacation, wouldn’t you be much smarter if you were only using the heating systems for your water when you were actually using the hot water? Conventional water heaters heat the water and then store it in a tank and wait for you to use it. This seems quite convenient. After all, when you need the water, it will be ready and available. However, we rarely realize how much electricity would be wasted by keeping hot water at the given temperature. Also there is only a limited supply of hot water, when you finish you have to wait another long time before more water is available. The solution to all this? Tankless water heater.
Tankless water heaters can heat water without the need for any type of storage tank. They do this by being an intermediate step between the cold water line and the hot water faucet. When you need hot water, simply turn on the tap, as the water begins to flow through the pipe, sensors turn on the heater which then heats the water as it travels to the tap. Typically these units have long coiled tubing inside them which allows water to travel a greater distance within the unit allowing for a longer time to heat the water. The heating element can be electric or gas. In the case of an electrical element, heavy-duty coils are wound along the length of the pipe, allowing the pipe to heat up on demand, thereby heating the water as it flows through it. . In the other case, the gas is used in small burners that also do the same, heating the pipe.
Of course, there are limitations to the use of such devices. They do not allow for the rapid flow of water that is possible with storage tank heaters, since they are only emptying the tank. The flow of water may be slow, but it would be constant and indefinite. Since there is no storage system, the hot water will keep flowing as long as you need it. For a home, it would be wise to get multiple units or booster units to ensure a constant supply of water because high requirements can affect this system. The benefits of going through the trouble of installing these systems are immense, they can reduce energy use by 1/3 of a home that uses 41 gallons of hot water in a day.
The tankless water heater you use will depend on your location and your requirements. The locations make a difference because the temperature of the incoming water would play a big part in deciding which heater you need. Also, whether your needed temperature rise can be achieved with a gas or electric heating element is up to you which type you choose. But rest assured, whatever heating system you use, using tankless water heaters will help you save energy.