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Instantaneous Water Heaters: Supply Heated Water to Your Remote Bathroom

Whether you need to provide hot water to a remote bathroom for a pool house, service station, office, or job site, an instantaneous water heater might be the right solution. These work great for small, secluded areas where hot water is needed, but where it is often used for only a short amount a time per visit.

Instantaneous water heaters are also called tankless or demand water heaters. They provide heating "on demand" by either electrical means or using a gas burner with a pilot light. Heated water is not stored for future use such as with a water heater tank system. When the tap is turned on, cold water flows to the instantaneous system to be heated at that moment.

A Downside to Instant Water Heating

These are said to save on energy costs because energy is not used to store the water as with water heater tanks; however, a demand water heater also limits the flow rate of water. The output rate of water for instantaneous water heaters is two to five gallons per minute. Gas-powered tankless systems do usually produce a higher flow rate than electric-powered ones. Another thing to be aware of is gas-powered tankless heaters use energy when the pilot light is left on continually so this can defeat the purpose of energy savings with some tankless water heaters.

Also, keep in mind that an instantaneous water heater limits the amount of hot water that can be supplied in a household at once. For instance, it would be difficult to take a shower and operate a dishwasher simultaneously with some systems. This could exhaust the system's capacity and cause it to shut off. That's why these are more useful for remote bathrooms and businesses. They are also convenient for apartment complexes and hotels to heat water for small apartments or rooms.

If you want to install an instantaneous system at your home, you might need two tankless systems for a large family. This could well defeat the purpose in cost-efficiency, but it can also be a space-saver since there's no tank to install.

Instantaneous water heaters can be installed as backup for appliances that use a lot of hot water in the home, such as dishwashers and washing machines. They can be installed specifically for tub and shower faucets, but are not recommended if you want to benefit from a high pressure shower head. Instant heaters work great for hot tubs or to boost solar water heating systems.

Buying and Installing an Instantaneous Water Heater System

No matter how or where you plan to use an instantaneous hot water heater, be sure to choose the correct size for your needs and determine whether a gas-powered or electric system would work best. Consult with a plumber and an electrician to determine if this is the right choice and to get installation price estimates. How and where your tankless water heater is installed can determine its rate of energy efficiency. If you plan to install the water heater yourself, check with the manufacturer and your local building code agency to ensure proper installation.

After weighing the pros and cons, you can determine if an instantaneous water heater is the right choice for savings and convenience.

by Candice Pardue

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