Tankless Water Heaters: How They Function

Higher standby loss, wastage of energy, high energy bills and necessity of large space are major problems that have always existed in conventional tank-type water heaters. Manufacturers realized these potential problems and brought in tankless water heaters to satisfy consumer needs. Since many households have been running on conventional tank-type water heaters, they are still common even now. One reason might be unawareness about how tankless water heaters function. We will skim through its functionality briefly in this short yet informative article.

The main concept behind these heaters is provision of hot water on demand only. There exist multiple kinds and they're capable of using different kinds of energy sources to warm water up: from electricity to gas. Because these types of hot water heater do not use a tank, they only warm water as it is needed. The main component is a heat exchanger that gets switched on whenever the connected faucet or shower is opened. For this purpose, a flow-activated switch is used that detects the flow of water inside the pipeline. Two types of heat exchangers are used usually: gas-powered burner and electric coils. Gas-fired ones, however, are able to heat faster and more efficiently.

Tankless hot water heaters come in different sizes; the size is dependent on several things: the amount of water that has to be heated in one minute; the temperature of water when it goes into the heater; and lastly, its preferable temperature that you want at the outlet. Unlike tank-type storage heaters that keep water at the desired temperature using a thermostat, tankless heaters heat water on demand; thus the first water that comes out of the spigot after turning it on warms gradually. In this way, you'll have to waste water before the hot water is ready. How long it takes for hot water to come out after turning on the spigot is called 'lag time'. Two types of tankless systems are available. The 1st is the 'point of use' water heater. It's usually compact and supplies one output site, such as a bath. Since it is installed in close proximity to the water outlet, a point-of-use heater typically has a lower lag time and less water is wasted. Since it is used to supply hot water at a single outlet, electric-powered fire exchangers can do the job quite well. Therefore, most 'point of use' system use electricity and, thanks to their compactness, can be stored inside a small area.

The second type, whole-house tankless water heater, is able to heat a significantly greater amount of water per minute and can cater hot water at various outlets simultaneously. Because they require additional energy to warm great amounts of water, they commonly are powered by gas. With bigger homes, it's possible that you'll require more than a single water heating system. Showers typically necessitate addition of another whole-house tankless system because they usually need more hot water than ordinary taps. Due to their extra capabilities, whole-house heaters cost a lot more than point-of-use systems.