White’s Plumbing installs both tankless and regular tank water heaters – both electric and gas models here in the Tallahassee area. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating water is typically the third-highest energy expense in your home (clothes dryers and refrigerators use more). In recent years many improvements have made water heaters more efficient, and thus less expensive to operate. In addition there are innovative options like tankless water heaters and continuously-recirculating water systems that can further reduce your energy costs and water bills.

Tankless Water Heater Benefits for Tallahassee Residents

Tankless Water heaters are also called on-demand water heaters. These provide hot water right where you need it, when you need it, without a storage tank. Using electricity, gas, or propane as a heat source, tankless water heaters, in some cases, can cut your water-heating bill by 10 to 20 percent. The savings come by eliminating standby losses – energy wasted by warmed water sitting around unused in a tank.

Units large enough to supply hot water for an entire house can be located centrally. More commonly, tankless water heaters usually sit in a closet or under a sink where its hot water is used.

A tankless water heater can supplement a regular water heater in a distant location, or it can be used for all your hot water needs. But be aware that they aren’t appropriate for all applications, and that sometimes they won’t save that much energy or money.

• Tankless water heaters are compact in size and virtually eliminate standby losses
• By providing warm water immediately where it’s used, tankless water heaters waste less water.
• Equipment life may be longer than tank-type heaters because they are less subject to corrosion.

Electric vs Gas Water Heaters

Your first decision should be whether to buy a gas or electric model. If you’re replacing an existing water heater, check to see what type you have now. Is it gas, electric or even propane? Do you have a natural gas outlet available at the water heater, or only an electric outlet? Many homes are not equipped with natural gas. Obviously, it would not be a good idea to buy a gas water heater if you have an all-electric home.

Which is better – gas or electric?

Natural gas is the most economical way to go. It usually costs three times as much to heat the same amount of water with electricity as it does with gas.

If you have an electric water heater and a gas furnace or stove, you may save money in the long run if you extend the gas line to your water heater.

Today’s efficient hot water heaters can be installed almost anywhere in your home: crawl space, attic, closet or even outside your home (in the case of tankless water heaters). In the old days, gas water heaters were vented up the chimney, but now water heaters are so efficient that their exhaust often lacks enough waste heat to propel the exhaust up and out of a chimney. That means a direct vent through a basement wall or attic roof can be more efficient.