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Standard vs. Compact Water Heaters: Which to Choose?

admin • October 3, 2016

When you think of a water heater, what image first comes to your mind? Probably a large cylindrical metal tank filled with a supply of water kept at a high temperature. This is a storage water heater, or “tank” water heater, and it’s still the most common type of water heater found in homes today. But it has competition from more compact models, which are better known as tankless water heaters. If you are looking for a new water heater installation, we recommend you take a look at a tankless model as a possibility.

What’s the difference between the two?

Of course, you know from the name that the biggest difference between a tank and a tankless water heater is the presence of a storage tank. But what does this really mean for your hot water supply and your home?

  • Energy use difference: A tankless water heater consumes less energy than a tank system. The reason is that a tankless system doesn’t suffer any stand-by energy loss from a tank. A tank system must regularly re-heat the water to keep it at the same temperature, even at times no one in the house is using hot water. A tankless system, however, only uses energy when there is a demand for hot water from a tap somewhere, and that means much less energy use.
  • Available hot water: When water is stored in a tank for use, it can be depleted, leading to a long lag before the tank can reheat a new supply. A tankless system heats that water as needed, so there’s never a point where it can actually run out of hot water. This is great advantage for busy households.
  • Storage requirements: The tankless water heaters are truly compact, taking up only a fraction of the space of a tank water heater. Many can simply be mounted on the wall.
  • Lifespan: The almost continual use of energy in a tank water heater causes the system to age faster. A tankless water heater will last longer, sometimes as much as 10 years longer.

 

To find out more about new water heaters, contact the Advanced Mechanical Services team . We service Edgewater, NJ and throughout the Northern New Jersey Area.

 

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