Choosing an instant water heater, also known as a tankless or on-demand water heater, is an important decision for any homeowner.
These innovative heaters have become increasingly popular with the promise of hot water delivered instantly, lower energy bills, less wasted water and space savings.
However, selecting the right one for your home can be daunting. Whether you’re building a new home or upgrading your current water heating system, it’s essential to consider factors like fuel type, size, energy efficiency, and installation requirements. In this article, we’ll walk you through the critical considerations and provide practical tips to help you make an informed choice.
10 Considerations for Choosing the Perfect Instant Water Heater for Your Home
Installation Location
Tankless water heaters come in a variety of types. For example, you can choose a high-capacity unit that serves your entire house, or you can opt to install point-of-use tankless water heaters
at the fixtures where hot water is needed.
While one unit that services your entire home may seem to make the most sense because it is a one-and-done solution, it will only provide some of the benefits of instant hot water. When you have a whole-house unit in your basement, that hot water still has to travel through the piping system to get to the appliance, meaning it could take a bit of time until you have hot water coming out of the shower on the second floor, thus lowering the overall water savings.
Alternatively, a point-of-use tankless water heater can be installed right under the sink in the bathroom (VELPAX point-of-use tankless water heaters are just about the size of a dictionary!), providing hot water to your sink and shower at the snap of your fingers.
VELPAX instant hot water heater installed under sink in bathroom
A point-of-use tankless water heater can fit right under your bathroom sink delivering instant hot water to your sink and shower.
Fuel Type
Instant water heaters can be powered by natural gas, propane, or electricity. Consider the availability and cost of these fuels in your area when choosing a heater.
VELPAX point-of-use tankless water heaters are powered by electricity, an environmentally friendly option as more and more power grids are switching to renewable energy. However, that doesn’t mean you can just plug them into a wall outlet. VELPAX Tankless Water Heaters are U.L. listed and require that the heater be “hardwired” to a dedicated breaker.
Size and Flow Rate
To determine the proper size of your point-of-use water heater, you need to know the flow rate of the fixtures the heater will be servicing. Flow rate is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). You could purchase a flow meter, but all you really need is a gallon jug and a stopwatch.
Turn on the faucet.
Using your stopwatch, time how long it takes to fill the jug.
Divide 60 (the number of seconds in a minute) by the number of seconds it took to fill your container. (for example, if it took 20 seconds to fill the container, then 60 divided by 20 equals = 3 gallons per minute.)
The flow rate and temperature rise are crucial in sizing the heater correctly.
Installation Requirements
Consider the requirements for installation, including necessary venting (for gas models), electrical requirements (for electric models), and space needed for installation. You may need to hire a professional for installation.
VELPAX R Series point-of-use water heaters run on electricity, and their compact design means you can install them wherever you need them. While a Chronomite water heater is easy to install, they do require a dedicated breaker.
