Home Improvement Lists: Best Tankless Water Heaters & How They Work
Purchasing a tankless water heater is a solid idea for many homeowners wanting to improve their green footprint. Instead of keeping the gas or electricity running to keep a large tank of water hot, which you probably won’t need in the middle of the night or in the middle of a work day when you aren’t even at home, this on-demand technology is far more sensible.
Thus, when the time comes to replace an aging or non-functioning water heater, this is a step worth considering. We have already written about how to clean a tankless hot water heater, but here are the basics about how they work.
How tankless water heaters work
The basic idea behind a non-tank system is incredibly simple: It heats water on demand, or when you want it. How practical this concept sounds, instead of continually heating water that’s stored in a tank and paying the bill to keep the water hot.
According to How Things Work, tankless heaters have been the norm for some time in parts of Europe and Japan. They haven’t gained popularity until recently in the United States — largely due to the green movement.
Ecosmart ECO 27 Electric Tankless Water heater
This video from Heritage Plumbing & Heating provides a short and sweet example of a gas-fired system.
This video from trutankless shows how an electric system works.
The September list of top tankless water heaters, according to Best Reviews:
- Stiebel Eltron Tempra 24 Plus Electric (Best of the Best)
- Rinnai RL75iN Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater
- Takagi T-KJr2-IN-NG Indoor Tankless Water Heater
- Ecosmart ECO 27 Electric Tankless Water Heater (Best Bang for your Buck)
- Ecotemp FVI-12-NG High Capacity Gas Tankless Water Heater
There is plenty more on this site about leading energy efficient water heaters. Keep in mind most of these manufacturers recommend having these water heating units installed by professionals.
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