Electric Tankless Hot Water Heaters

Overview: Electric tankless water heaters are becoming more and more common in modern home construction thanks to their efficiency, low maintenance, reliability, and an unending supply of hot water. If you are considering installing an electric tankless water heater in your new home or if you are replacing an existing electrical hot water storage tank heater, consider the positive aspects of an electric tankless hot water heater.

They are very efficient, heat water quickly, and overall cost a lot less to operate. The flowing tips are offered to help you in your choice of installing electric tankless hot water heaters.

Placement of Heaters

Electric tankless water heaters only take a few seconds to bring a flow of water to the desired temperature. The big energy saving is that they don’t waste energy keeping a standing reservoir of water hot when it is not needed. The heater should be located as close as possible to the kitchen, bathroom or other outlets where the hot water is required. Consult with a professional plumber to determine the maximum distance that will give you satisfactory performance of your electric tankless hot water heater. If the distance is too far from the user point, install smaller point of use heaters at the desired locations. I would recommend that a single unit be installed to support each bathroom, unless they are close together, and the kitchen.

Power Requirements

This is the single biggest consideration, especially if you're replacing an existing water heater in an older home. Electric tankless heaters are much more efficient than their traditional counterparts over time, but all electrical hot water heaters use a considerable amount of electricity when heating water. A conventional electrical hot water can cost more than a $100 a month to supply hot water to a family of four living in a three bedroom home.

The electrical circuit for a tankless hot water heater is critical to its efficient operation. A tankless electric water heater will actually draw less power than what the circuit is fused for (what the rating of the fuse or circuit breaker).  For example, if the circuit breaker is a 100 amp circuit breaker it doesn’t mean that the hot water heater is going to draw that much current. A typical tankless electrical water heater may only draw less than 50 amps although the circuit may be fuse for a 100 amps.

Do not try to get by with an underrated circuit breaker for your hot water heater or a smaller size heater than what is required. The size of you tankless heater should be adequate to keep up with the hot water demand. You'll only end up being frustrated if it is not able to keep up with the hot water demand. A professional electrician can assist you in determining if your home's current electrical system can support a suitable tankless electric water heater to meet your needs. Additional circuits may be required but in the long run you will save a lot of money in hot water heating cost.

Point of use tankless electrical hot water heaters can save you money in this error of high energy cost. There are numerous models to choose from so consult your home improvement supply center for the best model to suit your needs.

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