What to know when upgrading to a tankless water heater
There are many considerations when deciding on upgrading to a tankless water heater from a standard model.
1. You May Need A Bigger Water Line
The first thing your installer will probably want to look at will be the size of the water line that currently supplies your water heater. For tank-style heaters, smaller lines aren’t that much of a concern. Because that water line only needs to fill the tank, it can do it at a somewhat slower pace and you probably won’t be able to really tell the difference. Therefore, a smaller line will simply mean that it might take just a little bit longer for the tank to refill and reheat. With a tankless water heater, however, a constant supply of a certain amount of water is crucial.
That means you may have to install a larger water line to your water heater location in order to install a tankless water heater. This will add to the time it takes to complete your project and could mean a little bit more downtime where you don’t have access to your water. However, this upgrade is vital for optimizing your new water heating system.
However, solving this problem is fairly simple: insulate the line.
2.Your Hot Water Capacity May Drop
Tank-style water heaters have always been able to provide a high capacity of hot water.
Ensure The Unit Is The Right Size
As you may have guessed, our team of professional plumbers serves as a quality resource here.
3.Measure Your Home’s Flow Rate
This number will vary from home to home, and comes down to three main variables:
Again, our team will be closely looking at the flow rate while installing your system.
4.Insulate Water Pipes
Near the tankless system, you’ll want to use just a pipe covering.
Bonus: Drain Water Heater Often!
If you’ve drained a traditional tank water heater, you know just how cumbersome the process can be.
Short and sweet but crucial information on best practices for upgrading from standard to tankless water heaters!
