Electric Tankless Water Heater Vs Tankless Gas Water Heater

Tankless water heaters also known as instantaneous or demand water heaters provide hot water only when the hot water faucet is opened, unlike traditional water heaters, which require a tank to store the water that is heated. This results in a direct saving of energy, as no extra storage tank is required to store the hot water or maintain the temperature of the water. The energy saved turns directly into dollar savings for you and also reduces harmful impact on the environment. Also, as there is no requirement of a tank, the space required to install the tankless heaters is very less.

In the electric tankless water heaters , the mechanism is so designed such that when the hot water tap is turned on, cold water passes into the heater unit, which contains an electric element that heats the water using the principle of resistance and hence the heater delivers a constant stream of hot water.

An average sized electric tankless water heater can produce hot water at the rate of 2 - 5 gallons per minute. While purchasing an electric version of the heater, the following factors have to be kept in mind:

• Voltage
• Amperage
• Circuit Breaker

The different varieties available are:

• Single Point Application: is one where only a single fixture will be providing the hot water supply and is suitable in a house with a small family.
• Flow Controlled: are suitable when hot water supply is required at two points usually within close proximity to each other.
• Thermostatic: is used as a booster for temperature loss from long pipe runs and dishwashers.
• Whole House Indoor Use: are designed in a way to serve an entire house, apartment, condo, etc. It works in a way so that hot water is available at multiple points.

Electric tankless water heaters are very small in size and hence can be installed almost anywhere, even under a sink! The cost ranges between $700 - $800 and increases with an increase in size. Also, their installation is comparatively cheaper than the gas heaters as the only input required is an electrical inlet and a water source. If you are comfortable with a toolkit around the house, then you will not need the services of a plumber either. Further, these tanks require very little maintenance with only periodic inspections for rust and water leak.

In the case of tankless gas water heater, instead of an electric heater, a gas burner is used to heat the water. In these types of heaters, the type of gas used may be either propane or natural gas and hence one should always verify the supply available before purchasing the heater. As the rate at which hot water provided by gas heaters is more than that produced by electric heaters, these heaters are more suitable in larger homes or commercial industries where the hot water is needed at multiple locations.

Venting is a very important aspect of tankless gas water heaters and one must ensure that the venting required by the gas heater is acceptable and available in the building or the area where the heater will be installed. Also ensure that necessary clearances and sufficient access to air for combustion is available.

The tankless gas water heater has a very complex venting and combustion requirements along with a pipe for inlet of the gas and obviously, a water source. Hence, installation is a very expensive process, especially when the tank has to retrofit in an existing building. The space required to fit gas heaters is more as one has to consider space for venting and combustion. The most basic type of the tank costs about $1000. Further, these tanks have to be inspected frequently to ensure that there is no gas leak and performance is good.

Manufacturers of electric tankless water heater are:

• Eemax
• Noritz
• Chronomite

Manufacturers of Gas Tankless Water Heater are:

• Rheem
• Stiebel
• Bosch
• Monitor Products
• Bradford White

To conclude, both the electric and the gas tankless heaters have their advantages and disadvantages. One has to carefully evaluate their need and usage along with the cost factor before purchasing them considering that this is one time investment as both the tankless varieties of heaters have a life expectancy of about 20 years. In case of minor damages, the spare parts are easily available. However if it is for your house or business use I would rather suggest go for the best as nobody likes to compromise...and the best is...well that's for you to decide.