On Demand Water Heaters — Repair, Maintenance, and Installation

An on demand water, also known as an instantaneous water heater, delivers hot water on demand.

How do on demand water heaters work?

Before on demand water heaters, plumbers and home builders had to figure out a way to deliver hot water quickly to the faucets, showers, and sinks of a home. What they came up with is known as a tank water heater. Here’s how it works: a storage container of water is kept close to the heating source, and also kept hot. When you require hot water by turning a faucet lever, hot water from this tank comes pouring in.

Alas, this kind of water heating system has drawbacks. First, there’s only a certain volume of water that you can heat at a time, depending on the tank’s capacity. Second, the system tends to lose energy because it must keep the water hot beyond the time frame that the hot water needed.

To address these problems and others, on demand water heaters were invented. Unlike a tank system, on demand heaters don’t have a storage container for water; instead, a plumber installs a heating unit near the hot water use area, such as a faucet or both.

According to Energy.gov,

“For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%–14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water — around 86 gallons per day. You can achieve even greater energy savings of 27%–50% if you install a demand water heater at each hot water outlet. “

To learn more about how hot water heaters work, check out this great hot water heater infographic.

Free On Demand Water Heater Consultation

One challenge with demand water heaters is installing them and picking the right one. Installation of an instantaneous water heater depends on local building codes, fuel type for the heater, safety issues, and more.

A Katy Plumbing Service licensed plumber can you help you with the installation and maintenance of an on demand heater.

Call (832) 225-8086 today for your free hot water heater consultation!