If you are like me, then you have had this happen to you: you are in the shower, water temperature is nice and hot, you're maybe 50-75% of the way done with your shower routine and the water goes from hot, to luke warm, to cold. Making your shower instantly unpleasant and you start to scramble to finish up so you can get out and warm up. You go out and look at your water heater to see what the deal is and you find out that the temperature dial is turned all the way up, or almost all the way up. Then you begin to go through all the worries of, "oh no, is my water heater going out?" "Maybe I should call someone out to have them take a look." "What if they try and sell me on some big fancy tank that is just going to do this all over again?" This is where you call around and ask questions to see if there is something you can fix yourself, only to find out that your water heater is in fact failing. And not because of anything terrible. It is just starting to show its age.

Maybe at this point you have started to research the different options available to you and you come across this new water heater. A Tankless Water Heater. Now, I wont bore you with all the details on how a tankless water heater works but I will explain to you the benefits of having one and why, if you're in a position where you need a new water heater, you may want to consider switching to the tankless water heater option.

Here are 7 benefits of a tankless water heater and why you should consider upgrading your home with one.

1.Extended Life Span: In most cases, a tank water heater will last anywhere from 10-15 years with the average being about 12 in most areas. While there are definitely many cases of water heaters lasting as long as 40 years, this is extremely rare and its not often we see water heaters older than 2005 or so. On average, tankless water heater can last anywhere from 5-10 years longer than a standard tank water heater. The main reason for this is because the water heater only runs when you use water, rather than every time the water drops below a certain temperature and it needs to be reheated whether you are home or not. With proper maintenance, a tankless water heater can last over 20 years on average.

2. Lower Utility Bills: Tankless water heaters on average save home owners anywhere from 27-50% of their energy usage on their utility bills. This can save most homeowners hundreds of dollars per year in energy costs. As mentioned above, tank water heaters have to reheat water every time the water inside the tank drops below a certain temperature. This means that your water heater can cycle anywhere from 20-50 times a day to keep your water up to your desired temperature. A tankless water heater only heats water when you need it. It does this by having an internal flow sensor that tells the water heater to fire when it senses water moving internally. So you only pay to heat water when you need it.

3. Energy Efficiency: Tankless water heaters are very energy efficient. They only heat water when a hot water fixture in the home is turned on and calling for hot water. They only heat as much water as you need and then once the fixture is turned off, the tankless water heater turns off. If several people in your home need to take a shower in a row, a tank water heater usually cant keep up and you will find that your water heater is struggling to heat the water as it enters the unit. Thus, sending out luke warm, or even cold, water out to your shower and other fixtures.

4. Space Savers: Tank water heaters are basically big storage tanks and on average, hold anywhere from 30-60 gallons of water. The tanks are pretty big and their sole purpose is to hold water. So when you don't need the water, you just have a big 50 gallon tank sitting in your home taking up valuable space. Tankless water heaters mount to the wall and are very low profile. The standard size for a tankless water heater is 28 inches tall by 20 inches wide and 10 inches deep.

5. Require Less Maintenance: Tank water heaters require that they be serviced every 12 months, and in some cases, some manufactures require that you service them every 6 months. While almost no homeowner we have ever met does this, it is necessary to maintain the warranty on the unit. Tankless water heaters however, can get away with no servicing being done for a few years at a time. Now, we still recommend you service your tankless water heater to ensure no mineral deposits build up internally. If you are in our area(Reno/Sparks Nevada) our water is very clean but full of minerals and when those minerals get hot, they want to cling to the inside of the pipes in the unit. So still consider servicing your tankless annually but you can definitely get away with going longer due to less use being put on the unit.

6. Endless Hot Water: While I mentioned this before, it is worth mentioning it again even though it is obvious. With a traditional hot water heater, your household’s entire supply of hot water is stored in the tank. When the water runs out, it takes a while to heat more water. Another beautiful thing about tankless water heaters is that they can serve multiple bathrooms/fixtures simultaneously. Meaning, you can run the dishwasher, someone else can take a shower, and another can be doing laundry all without affecting the amount of hot water going to any of the fixtures or faucets. Now this is only possible if you get a unit that is capable of doing this however, no tank water heater is capable of servicing multiple fixtures, or at least for very long. The reason for this is because once that tank runs out of hot water, you have to shut off the hot water and wait for the tank to heat the water back up sometimes taking upwards of hours to do so.

7. Increased Home Value: While this one may be up for debate depending on who you ask, a tankless water heater will often increase the value of your home. The reason for this is because if you decided to sell your home, potential home buyers will see that you have a tankless water heater and that will be one less item on their checklist of work they may want to do to the home once they buy it. As a seller, it is also a big selling point to show potential buyers that your home has endless hot water and they wont have to worry about their family running out of hot water when getting ready in the morning.

So there you have it! The 7 benefits of having a tankless water heater installed in your home. Tankless water heaters have come a long way since their creation and have been reducing stress for homeowners everywhere. Tankless water heaters and their endless hot water are amazing for anyone looking to enjoy showers longer, do laundry and bathe at the same time, or even just not have to worry about heating water they aren't using over and over again.

If you or someone you know is interested in upgrading their home with a tankless water heater and are located in the Northern Nevada, Reno/Sparks/Incline Village areas, our experts at Paramount Craftsman Services are here to serve you and ensure you never have to worry about running out of hot water again. Visit our website by clicking here to learn more about tankless water heaters and to request a consultation from our team!