• Tankless hot water heaters protect our natural resources.hot tap image by pncphotos from Fotolia.com
  
  Tankless hot water heaters are becoming more and more popular as they are very energy efficient and protect the environment as well as save people money in the long run. However, there are also some downsides to this new technology which you should take into account before purchasing a tankless hot water heater.
  
  

Cost Pros and Cons

• Tankless hot water heaters are more expensive to install and operate on a year to year basis than standard hot water heaters, ranging from $230 to $285 compared with $165 to $170 for a standard hot water heater, according to builderonline.com. This near one hundred dollar difference in cost seems to have dissuaded a number of customers in America. However, as more and more people buy these heaters, they are noticing their overall energy expenditures are down nearly 25 percent every year, saving them money in the long run. This means the tankless hot water heater is cheaper over time for people who use a large amount of energy.
  
  

Reliability Pros and Cons

• Reliability of these tankless hot water heaters also have their pros and cons. On one hand, this is a new technology in the water heating world which is being learned by new technicians and sized to fit plumbing which was originally sized for conventional water heaters. This could possibly pose a problem and lead to unreliability due to improper installation. However, if this tankless hot water heater is installed properly, it is known as one of the more reliable hot water heaters on the market. A gas tankless heater can deliver a continuous supply of water at a rate of 2 to 5 gallons per minute within a degree of the preset temperature. The unit never runs out of hot water, though the flow may be reduced slightly when everyone is using it in the house which is not unlike some conventional water heaters.
  
  

Performance Pros and Cons

• Right now, tankless hot water heaters are not considered as high performance as conventional hot water heaters, but that is mostly due to the fact that the old technology is better understood than the new technology. If a tankless hot water heater is not energy starred, it will not only under perform but also cost even more money in electricity bills. Yet technology is getting better and tankless hot water heaters will one day surpass the conventional hot water heater. Energy Star tankless heaters are already considered as good as conventional water heaters in smaller homes, where less energy is already used and less water must be heated.