By JOSHUA KEY

SuperGreen Solutions

ONE of my clients recently told me he takes cold showers most of the year. He is from the islands, and that makes him used to it, he said. But with winter here, he called me to his home to check out water heating options. The one thing foremost on his mind? Tankless water heating.

Perhaps you have had the same thoughts? Or perhaps you have a regular water heater and just want to reduce your bill? Today we will talk about the pros and cons of using tankless water heating to save money.

How does tankless water heating work? Since we provide many different kinds of water heating solutions, I have found that answering this question has been helpful to my clients. Whereas a regular heater heats water regardless of whether you need it, a tankless water heater uniquely heats water “on demand”. Here’s how:

• You turn on the hot water tap, making water flow

• Cold water enters the tankless heater, triggering the flow sensor

• This activates the heat exchanger in the tankless unit

• The water is instantly heated and continues to your hot water tap.

• You enjoy hot water

This means that you do not need to wait for any storage tank to fill with hot water before the water at the tap is sufficiently hot. It also means you get endless hot water because there is no ‘tank’ that gets emptied.

On the other hand, a tankless heater only produces so much hot water at once, so it is important to get a system correctly sized to supply your home or business. Alternatively, you many only require a point-of-use tankless unit right next to the sink or shower where you will need hot water. A professional can help you get the correct size and number of heaters for your living space.

How does a tankless heater save money? Compare them with regular water heaters, which are simply inefficient because they must heat water over and over again. Imagine you want a hot breakfast tomorrow. Would you heat the food 10 or 15 times today? It does not make sense, but that essentially is how a traditional water heater works. The energy used to keep the water hot, even when it is not being used, is called ‘standby heat loss’. Tankless water heaters save you money by eliminating that waste.

How much money will a tankless water heater save you? Energy Star estimates that a typical family can save $100 or more per year with an Energy Star qualified tankless water heater in the US. With our more expensive electricity in the Bahamas, that is $300-400 saved annually, or up to about 20 per cent of the water heating bill. Alternatively, you can get a gas tankless water heater. These cost more upfront, but are somewhat less expensive to run.

When you compare the tankless unit’s 20 per cent savings with the 80-90 per cent savings of a hybrid heater, or the up to 100 per cent savings of a solar heating system, you can see that the tankless saves you less. However, a tankless heater also costs less upfront.

Another important point of comparison is the installation and maintenance. Be sure to ask about installation costs. For example, does the tankless heater’s venting require expensive steel pipes, or is the system venting compatible with PVC? This can drastically alter the material costs. Also ask your provider if they can conduct the required maintenance; the last thing you want is to invest in a new tankless heater (which can last five to 10 years longer than a regular heater) just for it to go bad in a few years because no one properly serviced it.

Of course, there are situations in which a tankless heater works excellently. Perhaps one of the strongest advantages of the tankless system is the convenience factor. Imagine: This holiday season, your happy home is overflowing with house guests. You need a nice, hot shower to soothe your nerves, but you are in line behind everyone else. In times like these, you will be glad you installed that tankless water heater. Similarly, picture a person who lives by themselves, and who uses hot water once per day. That person does not need a traditional water heater. A tankless unit can serve them better.

Deciding whether to upgrade to ‘tankless’ is not a no-brainer. There are several solutions to lower your water heating bill, and tankless is just one of them, with its unique set of pros and cons. Be sure to consult a professional to determine how to make your upgrade, so that you can go green in a way that really saves you.

NB: Joshua Key is general manager for SuperGreen Solutions Bahamas, located on Wulff Road next to FYP. SuperGreen Solutions is one of the premier advisors, suppliers and installers of domestic and commercial energy efficient solutions.