Maintenance Hints Westinghouse Electric Corp

The conventional way of heating water is to store it in a tank, and keep it at a continuous temperature by way of either electrodes or a gas flame. However, keeping water heated even when you’re not using it may seem wasteful. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, only heat water when there is a demand for it. Manufacturers assert that these new heaters may mainly save on energy costs. But, are they for everyone? Let’s take a look at both the masters and the cons.

These new units use high-powered burners to heat the water as it goes through. Independent tests have shown that they do without doubt cut energy costs. They’re also more compact, and don’t take up as much space as the conventional tank units. In fact, a good deal of may be mounted on a wall, so that no floor space is employed at all.

A potpourri of sizes is available, for whole house, point of service, and swimming pools. Another suggested use is as a supplement to solar systems, for times when the sun isn’t shining.

Previously, the cost of these new units was substantially more than that of tank-type units. That would have made the new units a questionable value, since it would have taken too long to make up for the extra cost in energy savings. (One test showed that it would take 22 years to recover the savings, even though the unit had a projected life of 20 years.)

However, in recent years, that price differential seems to have been narrowing. Some brands are still rather expensive, but a heap of others are priced at not too much more than the tank-types.

When pricing these units, a buyer will want to consider installation costs. With the new high-powered burners, they will need to use energy at a higher rate while they’re in truth running. So, for the electric models, you may need to install heavier-duty wiring. For the gas models, you may need to install a more spectacular gas line. Also, for the gas models, you may need to look at either installing a new vent or upgrading the old one.

Also, a great deal of studies have suggested that the new units may need more maintenance than the old ones, in order to prevent scale build-up. Anyone giving careful consideration to one of these may also want to consider installing a water softener scheme to support counter that.

So, are these new tankless water heaters for you? A search on the web may find the info that may support you decide.