How a tankless system works

 

Tankless water heaters deliver an endless flow of hot water; if you’ve ever tried to fill a large bathtub and run out of hot water, your existing tank-type water heater isn’t designed to keep up with that demand.  

 

On the other hand, a single gas tankless water heater can deliver as much as 12 gallons per minute (GPM) of continuous hot water; you'll never run out of hot water again. A typical shower uses 1.8 to 2.2 gallons of water per minute. 

 

The best way I like to explain how a tankless water heater works is to go back in time to 1897. See, the first water heater was instantaneous (a gas tankless model). Yes, the old potbelly stove that was used to warm up the home and cook the family's dinner had an exhaust vent pipe going up through the roof; this pipe was very hot and, at the time, was called a "standpipe," a soft copper pipe was wrapped around this stand-pipe which then transferred the heat to the copper coiled pipe, cool healthy water would then run through this copper pipe. As the water ran around and around inside the copper-coiled pipe, it became very hot, supplying the need for hot water. Thus, a tankless water heater (one that does not require a storage tank) was invented.

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The same concept still exists today; in a modern gas tankless water heater, a copper coiled pipe is in a box called a heat exchanger, and beneath this heat exchanger is a powerful gas flame that's called a burner, as demand for hot water is made, (someone opens a faucet) the tankless senses this flow and in a split second fire the burner, as the water travels around and around inside the coiled pipe inside the heat exchanger, it becomes very hot and then enters your homes hot water piping system, and right to the faucet you have opened, hot water is then supplied, and it’s unlimited hot water until you close the tap. The gas to the burner flame will shut off, and no more hot water will be produced until the faucet or shower is turned on again.

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Tankless water heaters only operate on demand when hot water is needed (when a faucet is opened); if no hot water is used for a week, the tankless water heater never turns on, saving you energy and money. A traditional 50-gallon tank-type water heater must maintain a constant temperature of 125˚-130˚ degrees 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, wasting energy when you don't need hot water.

 

Now that you know how a gas tankless water heater works, call us and ask for Sid Baysinger (Master Plumber) at (916) 633-6620 for free advice and helpful hints. Sid will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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“Enjoy Hot Water Tonight”