When most people hear the words “water heater,” they typically think of the big, cylindrical appliance that resides in basements or closets. These days, though, homeowners have the option of installing a tankless water heater. It may seem a little wacky that you can have hot water from a device that doesn’t hold any heated water, but the process is actually fairly simple when explained. However, the installation of a tankless water heater in your home can be complex and should be left to a trained expert. This is where Saddleback Plumbing comes in. The experts at Saddleback Plumbing have been helping customers install, repair and replace hot water heaters in the Orange County area since 1981, and they bring this experience to every job they do. Have a water heater issue? Call us today!
Direct Heating
Tankless water heaters, also known as on-demand water heaters, can provide almost instantaneous heating because they heat the water directly when it is needed. There are two ways in which a tankless water heater is fueled: electricity or natural gas. Both fuel types use a key component to heat the water immediately: a heat exchanger. The way a tankless system works is that the hot water process is triggered when you open a hot water tap. Two things happen simultaneously: first, the heat exchanger is heater, either by gas or electricity, and second, the cold water intake opens and the water starts to flow to the heat exchanger. Once in the exchanger, the cold water absorbs the heat from the heat exchanger, becomes hot, and flows into your home as needed.
Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters
There are several benefits to installing a tankless water heater that makes them worth considering for your home:
- Energy efficiency – there is no standby heat loss with a tankless system; standby heat loss can account for up to 25% of a storage tank water heater’s energy use, which can be significant.
- Endless hot water – with a tankless system, you won’t have to worry about running out of hot water.
- Longer lifespan – tank water heaters have an average lifespan of 8-12 years while a tankless water heater has an average lifespan of 12-15 years.
Interested in what a tankless water heater can do for you? Call the experts at Saddleback Plumbing today!