For anyone starting a new home, it is important to use tankless hot water heaters. They are much smaller than tank models, are lightweight, and use far less energy. A tankless model uses two coils to heat water, one that circulates water from the main line into a coil in the unit, with the second one at a heat source. You only use water when you need it, and not keeping a large, heavy tank heated all of the time. Because there is not tank, you can place these products in places you would never place the other kind, like under a kitchen sink, or in the walls of a bathroom.

The big controversy over tankless hot water heater isn’t over whether or not they are better than the older style, it is whether electric is better than natural gas or propane. It really depends on your other power uses. If you are living off the power grid, where prices of electricity and gas have steadily risen over the years, then gas may be a better choice in the long run. If you are using some kind of renewable electrical energy source, like wind or solar power, than an electric model is your best chance at saving money and energy. The real draw back with using electricity is that it takes longer for water to heat to temperature, and it doesn’t keep the temperature high.

Which ever power source you decide to use, it is a good idea to place them close to the heat draw, like a tub or shower, the laundry room, or the kitchen area. This way the water doesn’t have to travel so far. One of the things about using a tankless hot water heater that people have to understand is that it won’t give you instant hot water, like a tank model will. It takes at least a gallon of water to flow through the system for the water to start getting hot, and it is going to get hotter gradually.

Tankless hot water heaters are used in conjunction with low flow water meters, faucets and shower heads. For dish and clothes washing, a low flow aerator is usually installed as well. Some heaters have enough capacity for only one or two applications running at the same time, but that is why you should install another one, if you need too. One of the big advantages they also have is that they have fewer moving parts and are easy to maintain.

You can find many home improvement outlets that sell tankless heaters, and many more retailers online. The Tempra 12 Electric Tankless hot water heater, manufactured by Stiebel Eltron, is reasonably priced at under $450. Bosch is very well know brand name manufacture, and their products are ideal for the budget minded, with basic electric models starting at just over three fifty.

For those of you not familiar with tankless hot water heaters, it is a good idea to start at a local retailer. You will be able to see first hand a wide assortment of models and styles, and any questions you may have can get answered right on the spot.