Tankless water heaters, also known as demand-type or instantaneous water heaters, provide hot water only as needed. Without a storage tank, tankless water heaters eliminate the wait time that conventional tank water heater take to fill up with hot water. When the hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe to heat up. As a result, tankless water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water, and save money and natural gas because they don’t create energy losses associated with storage water heaters.
While the initial cost of a tankless gas water heater is higher than a conventional storage gas water heater, tankless water heaters typically last longer, have lower operating and energy costs. Most tankless water heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years and have easily replaceable parts that can extend their life even further. In contrast, storage water heaters last 10 to 15 years. These savings alone could offset the higher price of a tankless unit, and Energy Trust offers cash incentives to further offset costs.
Energy Trust offers incentives for both tankless and conventional gas water heaters. Click here for details on incentives for gas water heaters.
[table “56” not found /]For additional information, contact Alex Snook, trade ally coordinator at 503.407.7286.