Energy Efficient Water Heaters Seattle WA

What makes a tankless water heater so efficient?

Tankless water heaters heat your water directly without the use of a tank. The most obvious benefit is the endless supply of hot water, no chance of running out because there is no tank to bleed dry. The only drawback is the reality that a single unit might not heat your shower in addition to the dishwasher and washing machine. But there are plenty of tank-backed systems that won’t do that either. On the upside, you don’t ever need to worry about one of the kids flushing the toilet in the other bathroom while you’re rinsing the all natural shampoo from your hair.

For homes that use 40 gallons of hot water or less, the average energy efficiency improvement over a standard water heater is 35-45%. Additional efficiency can be attained by installing additional tankless heaters to minimize the distance between the heater and the appliance; it’s also recommended that you run insulated pipes or non-metal pipes to minimize the effect of the water traveling from the unit to the appliance through cold pipes.

Installation

Beyond fuel type — electric or gas — the three biggest concerns are location, size, and demand (flow). Keep in mind that gas tankless water heaters require a vent (not an issue with the electric models), so you will have to factor that into your decision with regard to placement in your home. On the upside, if you’re getting rid of an older tank, you can now convert that corner into a closet because the new tankless water heater takes up little to no space, many can be mounted directly to the wall. You’ll also want to consider how many appliances will be connected to the heater so that you can minimize the distance your hot water travels.

Bosch Aquastar 7.2 GPM Tankless Natural Gas Water Heater

Bosch 1.5 GPM Point-of-Use Tankle...