Sitting water, which needs to be continually heated to maintain a constant level of hot water, is how traditional hot water tanks function. The continuous energy needed to maintain this temperature, even when it’s not in use, is known as “standby heat loss.” Tankless water heater units, or “on demand” water heaters, avoids this by heating the water as you need it. Naturally, this is a concept that can save a lot of wasteful energy, which has the potential to save a lot of money on a monthly and yearly basis.

Tankless water heaters not only save and conserve natural gas, but last about ten years longer than traditional hot water tank heaters, and also don’t take up as much space. Other benefits include:

• They’re more efficient, have no standby heat loss, last longer and never run out of water.
• They can be installed almost anywhere, including outdoors.
• No flood worries due to a ruptured water tank.
• Hot water heater repair and maintenance is easier and less costly.
• Many systems are operated by remote control and come with optional settings.

Flow capacity rate varies, but typical tankless hot water heater rates range from about four to ten gallons per minute (GPM). Studio apartments or small single homes would generally use a four to six GPM unit, whereas a residence of at least two or more bathrooms would require a six to eight GPM to service multiple applications at once. Of course, demand is always a factor, and in some residences, more than one unit might be required for optimal sufficiency.