When it comes time to replace your water heater, you might think about upgrading to a tankless, or on-demand, water heating system. Tankless water heaters are more compact and can help you save a lot of energy, but there are some negatives, including high upfront expenses and the chance that they won’t provide enough hot water for your home.
Before switching to tankless water heating, take this into consideration.
Advantages of Tankless Water Heaters in Kenya
1. Energy Savings
Improved energy savings are a tankless water heater’s main benefit. Since they only heat water when you need it, tankless water heaters use around 30 to 50 percent less energy than conventional tank models. Tankless water heaters are sometimes referred to as “on-demand” systems for this reason.
The typical family should expect to save more on energy bills each year because the water heater uses roughly half as much electricity as a conventional water heater (primarily because standby heat loss is prevented).
2. Longer Lifespan
The majority of tankless units last more over 20 years, as opposed to typical tank systems, which have a lifespan of about 10-15 years. Remember that tankless units need adequate annual maintenance just like conventional units do.
3. Continuous Flow of Hot Water
You won’t have to wait for the water to warm up in a storage tank because tankless units heat the water as it goes through the device. A large hot tub or whirlpool may be filled with water easily thanks to the continuous hot water flow.
Keep in mind that if there are several demands, tankless systems might not be able to provide adequate hot water. For instance, there might not be enough hot water if the dishwashing machine is running while a bath is being filled with hot water.
You might require a larger, more expensive unit for larger families, or you might need to connect two or more tankless water heaters in simultaneously. Even separate tankless water heaters can be used for some equipment, like dish washers and cloth washers.
4. Small Size
Tankless units are far more compact and smaller because they don’t need to store water in a tank. The smallest tankless units can be wall-mounted and take up very little space.
5. Lower Chance of Water Damage
Water damage from leaking or burst water heater tanks can cost thousands of shillings in property damage. Tankless water heaters can also leak, but unlike traditional water heaters, they won’t flood your house with 40–60 litres of water.
Disadvantages of Tankless Water Heaters in Kenya
1. Not Enough Hot Water for Larger Households
Tankless water heaters supply hot water continuously, but frequently are unable to supply enough for several applications. If you want to run the dishwasher and take a shower at the same time, this could be an issue.
2. During a power outage, there is no access to hot water
Your home’s hot water is also lost when a storm takes out the electricity.
Therefore, in the event of a power outage, you won’t have access to hot water regardless of the type of tankless water heater you have.
Tank-style water heaters have a considerable advantage over tankless in this area. The water in their tank will stay hot for several hours no matter the power source.
3. Unsteady Water Temperature When Using Several Taps, Showers, or Appliances
In that case, a tankless water heater has the advantage of allowing your entire family to take consecutive showers without having to worry about running out of hot water.
The drawback is that tankless water heaters can’t keep up if you have several showers running at once.
This isn’t simply an issue with showers; depending on the size of your water heater, running the dishwasher and a shower simultaneously can cause problems.
The first factor you should consider while looking for tankless water heaters is flow rate.
The volume of water that a tankless unit can heat at any given time is known as the flow rate. Gallons Per Minute, or GPM, is the unit of measurement, the higher the GPG the more water can be heated at the same time.