Tankless water heaters, also called instant and on-demand water heaters, are among the hottest trends in home improvement. While they cost more to install, they can save a significant amount of money over the system’s life. When sized well, they also deliver a virtually unlimited supply of hot water. Let’s explore some of the notable features to consider.

Flow Rate

Tankless water heaters provide a maximum flow rate at a particular temperature rise. Rise is the difference between your water supply’s temperature and your target hot water temperature. Flow rate is the gallons per minute (GPM) that the system can deliver. A typical on-demand water heater provides 5 GPM. There are now systems that provide 10 GPM and even higher.

It’s important to at least size your water heater to meet your household’s peak demand. That includes the total GPM of all the fixtures and water-heating appliances you will run concurrently. A notable advantage of a tankless water heater is that you can size it above your peak demand without paying for it unnecessarily daily. Doing so allows you to have the added capacity for hosting large gatherings and guests staying over.

Recirculation Pump

There are some potential downsides to an on-demand water heater. One is that the delay for hot water to get to your fixtures can be longer than with a traditional water heater. The other is the notorious cold-water sandwich effect. That’s where you get hot water only for a stream of cold water to interrupt it.

A recirculation pump eliminates these problems. It’s a small device that keeps the hot water moving through the plumbing loop. There’s nearly no hot water delay at all. You’ll never deal with the cold-water sandwich effect. It also eliminates the need for point-of-use instant water heaters in larger homes.

Anti-Scale Device

If your home has hard water, you should consider a whole-house water softener. It may not be worthwhile in a home with moderately hard water, but limescale buildup is still a very big concern. It can lower efficiency, increase operating costs, and reduce the system’s lifespan. An anti-scale device is the solution. The cold water coming into the system will go through that device first. It will change the molecular structure of the calcium and magnesium so that it can’t accumulate as scale.

Smart Features

Smart tankless water heaters can connect to your home network and even the internet. That lets you access and control them remotely. It also lets the system send notifications to you. Your water heater could, for instance, alert you that energy consumption has spiked or that it’s detected a performance issue that requires professional attention.

If you’d like to learn more about upgrading to a tankless water heater in Adairsville, GA, call Bearden Plumbing Solutions today, or contact us online.