When it comes to upgrading your home’s water heating system, energy efficiency, cost savings, and convenience are likely top priorities. That’s why more homeowners are considering tankless water heaters as a modern solution. But is a tankless water heater right for your home? Let’s explore the pros, cons, and key considerations to help you decide.

What Is a Tankless Water Heater?

Unlike traditional models that store hot water in a tank, tankless water heaters heat water on demand. That means you get hot water instantly—without waiting for a tank to fill up or reheat. These systems are compact, typically wall-mounted, and ideal for homeowners looking to save space and reduce energy bills.

Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters

• Energy Efficiency: Tankless systems only heat water when needed, which can significantly reduce your energy consumption—especially in smaller households.
• Endless Hot Water: With a properly sized system, you’ll never run out of hot water during showers or while doing laundry and dishes at the same time.
• Long-Term Savings: Though the upfront cost may be higher, many homeowners see savings over time through lower utility bills and fewer repairs.
• Space-Saving Design: Without the need for a bulky tank, these systems are great for homes with limited utility space.
• Longer Lifespan: Tankless units often last up to 20 years, compared to 10–15 years for conventional heaters.

Things to Consider Before Switching

While tankless water heaters offer many advantages, they’re not the perfect fit for every household.

• Upfront Costs: Installation can be more expensive due to the need for upgraded gas lines or electrical work.
• Flow Rate Limits: If multiple taps or appliances are using hot water simultaneously, a single unit may struggle to keep up. You might need more than one system for larger homes.
• Maintenance Requirements: Hard water can cause buildup in tankless systems, so regular descaling may be necessary—especially in areas with mineral-rich water.

Is It Right for You?

The best way to determine if a tankless water heater is right for your home is to consider your household size, water usage habits, and budget. If your family uses a moderate amount of hot water and you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, this could be an excellent upgrade. Homeowners exploring tankless water heaters in Edmonton, AB should also think about local climate and water quality, both of which can influence system performance and maintenance needs.

At the end of the day, investing in a tankless water heater is not just about instant hot water—it’s about long-term comfort, efficiency, and value. Whether you’re building a new home or upgrading your current system, getting professional advice is crucial.

Contact WeatherMakers Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. Ensuring Your Comfort… For Life!

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So, aside from the instant hot water that tankless water heaters provide, what are the advantages?

Overall efficiency–no water is stored, so no water needs to be kept warm, as you would see in a typical hot water heater.
Smaller size–again, since they don’t store water, they are smaller units that can sit flush against a wall or support. They can free up a lot of space in your home, and small, or secondary point-of-use units, can even be placed under sinks or near thirsty appliances.
Long lifespans–these units tend to last longer than storage hot water heaters. Tankless water heaters may be warrantied for 10 years and last for 20 to 25 years if bought from a reputable manufacturer and installed by a professional.
Replaceable parts–most parts in a tankless water heater are easily replaceable.
Near-endless supply–depending on the flow rating of the unit, an entire home can enjoy an endless supply of hot water.

That all sounds great, so why doesn’t every home come with one of these? To understand that, let’s take a look at the math and the requirements.

Efficiency Savings vs. Total Overall Cost

The heating efficiency of tankless water heaters needs to be balanced with the higher front-end costs that come with them–both for purchase and installation. Tankless heaters are more expensive to purchase than a conventional water heater, and they can be more expensive to install. If your home is large, you might find that you need more than one unit to meet water use needs, which can more than double your costs right from the get go.

Another factor to consider is the energy source that your tankless water heater will use. If it’s electricity, in Alberta, that could get expensive, especially if the utility becomes unregulated. A tankless water heater running on natural gas is a better overall idea, as the resource is affordable and plentiful in our area. One point to note is that gas heaters require venting, which will add to installation costs. A clever option for a large home is to run your main unit on gas and any small, auxiliary units on electricity.

Making the Call

So, when making the decision of whether to go with storage or tankless water heaters, you’ll have to consider how much water you need, how much hot water you will need at your highest consumption point any given day, and from that you’ll determine what size unit or units you will need.

From there, the math is cost of purchase, cost of installation, cost to run over its lifespan. Add those estimates up and compare against the figures for a new hot water heater.

If the math doesn’t convince you, consider your home’s layout. What makes more sense, a smaller tankless unit, or do you have plenty of space to spare?

If You Have Questions, We Have Answers

There’s a lot to consider when choosing whether to switch to a tankless water heater. But you don’t have to decide on your own. WeatherMakers plumbers have experience designing plumbing systems for homes, businesses and some industrial set-ups. Call WeatherMakers today and we’ll explore your options with you. We’re happy to provide an upfront, transparent estimate to help you make your decisions.

Learn more about WeatherMakers’ master plumbers and plumbing services.

The post What Is a Tankless Water Heater? first appeared on WeatherMakers Heating, Cooling & Plumbing.