Use
The first thing to decide when choosing your electric tankless water heater is whether you desire a whole house or a point-of-use heater. Point-of-use heaters are great for large houses with long plumbing lines, remodels or additions, appliance applications or remote sink locations. Whole house heaters provide all of your hot water needs from a central location.
Capacity
In order to determine what size tankless water heater you need, calculating a few details about your family’s hot water needs must be done. Beyond how many people are in the home, the maximum normal flow rate and temperature rise needs must be determined. Temperature rise is the difference in degrees between the inlet water and the outlet water. Local climate plays a large role in this.
These tankless water heater size calculations will determine how many kilowatts of heating capacity your tankless electric heater needs to provide. The electrical capacity of your home may limit the size of heater that you can operate. These calculations can be accurately done by a homeowner, but your retailer or installer will have more experience with the process.
Max GPM
When it comes to water or any type of liquid measurement, GPM refers to the gallons per minute. It measures exactly how much water moves through your appliance and may also be referred to as the flow rate. Certain appliances, like showers and washing machines, for example, require more water. But for the average household, the water heater should have a flow rate of about 9 gallons per minute.
Price
They can save on energy bills in the long run, but the initial cost of a tankless water heater and its installation tends to be quite a bit higher than tank-style water heaters. Saving money on DIY installation is possible but not recommended in most cases. If upfront prices are a concern, considering a point-of-use heater as an alternative to a whole house heater, may be a viable solution.
Efficiency
Just how efficient are tankless water heaters? Incredibly so. This variety uses less energy than its counterparts because it only heats water when necessary. This change is great for sustainability, and it can reduce the price of the average homeowner’s utility bills as well.
Installation
Electric water heaters installation isn’t usually complicated. In comparison to gas models, these units are small and easy to maneuver. Plus, they can go nearly anywhere as they don’t need to have space for air gaps or need to be vented. Though it’s possible for an extremely handy homeowner to install a smaller electric tankless water heater, it may be best to call in a professional for this job to avoid any error.
