Tank heaters
- Store hot water, ready to use
- Simpler venting in many homes
- Can run out with heavy use
Tankless heaters
- Heat on demand
- Do not run out
- Need adequate gas supply and venting
- Need regular descaling in hard water
Questions to ask
- How many bathrooms and people?
- Is the gas line big enough?
- Where can it vent?
- Will you maintain it?
What changes in the mechanical room
An on-demand heater mounts to the wall, giving back floor space. It needs its own venting, usually PVC through the wall, and a gas line sized for its full load. A condensate drain is often required. A tank needs only a level floor, a chimney or power vent and a drain pan. We look at both before you decide.
Isolation valves installed with a tankless heater make annual descaling simple; we fit them as standard.
Think about how you use water at peak times. A family running two showers, a dishwasher and a washing machine at once can outpace a small tankless unit, while a single person may never notice a tank run short. We size either option to your busiest half hour, not your average day.
Related
See tankless installation, tank replacement and water heater lifespan.
Keep-handy checklist
- Keep fat in a tin, not down the kitchen sink
- Check the toilet for a silent leak with a few drops of food colouring
- Note where the main cleanout cap is and keep boxes off it
- Turn the main shut-off a quarter each way once a year so it never seizes
Your questions, answered plainly
Is tankless always cheaper to run?
Often more efficient, but it depends on usage and maintenance.