Tank vs Tankless Water Heaters
When a water heater needs replacing, many homeowners wonder whether to switch to tankless. Both work well; the right choice depends on your household, your space and your budget.
Tank water heaters
- Lower upfront cost and simpler installation
- Store a set volume of hot water
- Can run out during heavy use
- Standby heat loss from the stored water
- Widely available as rentals in Ontario
Tankless water heaters
- Heat water on demand, so hot water doesn't run out in normal use
- Compact and wall-mounted
- Higher upfront cost; may need gas line and venting upgrades
- Require periodic descaling, especially with hard water
- Output limits when several fixtures run at once
Questions to decide
- How many bathrooms and people use hot water at the same time?
- Is your gas line sized for a tankless unit?
- Where can the unit vent?
- Will you rent, lease-to-own or buy?
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