A tankless water heater is just what it sounds like, a water heater without a storage tank. A typical traditional water heater will use either natural gas or electric power to heat the water to a higher temperature and then store the warm water in a large tank, often 80-100 gallons in volume. A tankless water heater works instead by heating the water instantly as it flows through the unit, removing the need for the tank.
A traditional water heater is constantly heating the water in the tank throughout the day to maintain the higher temperature, even when you’re not using the hot water. A tankless water heater only heats the water when you need it and since the water is heated instantly, there isn’t any extra delay in getting the hot water to your faucet. This also means that a tankless water heater delivers unlimited hot water without any wait where a traditional water heater will only provide a limited amount of hot water before you have to wait for the tank to heat up again. This will result in a lower energy bill since the tankless water heater only uses energy when you need it.
Other benefits of a tankless water heater include saving space, reduced water damage risk, and additional hot water safety and consistency. The bulk of a traditional water heater’s size is due to the large storage tank, so a tankless water heater is therefore much smaller and often mounted to a wall, saving a substantial amount of space. Risks of a leaking 100-gallon water tank flooding your garage, basement, or part of your home are no longer a factor with a tankless water heater. A tankless water heater will also regulate the temperature of the water much more consistently, reducing temperature “spikes” and allowing you to more accurately set the maximum temperature of your hot water for any safety concerns.