When you are thinking about replacing your hot water heater, or are doing a new construction, think of using a natural gas tankless water heater first. Hot water heaters that use a tank have one major flaw, the tank itself. No matter what kind if power source for it, the unit has to heat the whole thing to temperature, and keep it that way all the time. If you use water, it is still going to have to heat the whole tank back up, and if you use to much it runs out.

With a tankless water heater, you have hot water on demand. While a tankless heater doesn’t have what you would consider an actual holding tank, a coil inside the unit can hold up to 5 gallons or more. What happens is, when water flows through the coil, a second heating coil heats the water as it passes through. Once the initial cold water flows out, usually only a gallon or two, you have hot water. Depending on what the water temperature rise is, and how many applications it can handle at once, you will have an endless supply of hot running water.

Some people may be concerned about not having an emergency supply of water. Don’t ever look to you water heater tank for emergency water. Not only do they have corrosion eating metallic rods, any sediment floats to the bottom. Now, a natural gas tankless water heater is way better than an electric one of the same type, mainly because the heat source is different. Electric heating elements take longer to heat to temperature, and the heat rise ratio is much lower. A direct burning fuel source heats up faster, and keeps the water hotter.

Natural gas tankless water heaters use far less energy, and they burn much cleaner than other fuel sources, and are equal in quality as propane. If you live in an area that has natural gas service, it may be a good idea to switch over. Many times they will hook up all the lines and everything for free to new customers, and you should always take advantage of this. As far as pricing goes, they are quite comparable to tank style water heaters, in some cases even cheaper. Many people who are building a new home, will get even better use out of their units by installing low flow faucets, shower heads, and aerators for dishwasher, and laundry applications.

You can find many natural gas water heaters online, with many different companies selling products, with Bosch at the top of the list for quality and pricing. It is a good idea to look over many different brands, to get an overall picture. It would also be smart to go to one of your local home improvement retailers, to get a broad range of products. Not only can you see these models in real life, but if you have any questions they can be answered right there.

There are many price comparison shopping sites, and these can be helpful in saving time and money. You will still have to check with each site, to see if there are any other charges, like shipping or taxes. Get the best warranty you can, since the difference in prices between a good warranty and a cheap one are very small.