What is an inline water heater? While they have been around for a little while, an inline water heater is the latest in water heater technology. Instead of a big bulky tank to heat up, you have an unlimited supply of hot water, and use it only when needed. This alone can save you hundreds of dollars over a tank heater. It also saves you money in water waste as well, because the flow of water through the unit is reduced slightly as it passes through the system, and with a combination of this and using low flow faucets, shower heads and aerators, the water savings can be significant.

Here is how an inline water heater works. Instead of having a big tank, the water flows into the system and into a large coil. This coil itself is capable of holding water itself, up to six gallons in some cases. Inside this coil is a heat exchange, either through direct fire, from a natural gas, or propane fuel, or with an electric heating element. Another outlet connection comes out the other side. There is a sensor inside the unit that detects water flow. If there is no flow, like when you aren’t using it, the sensor is off. When you use it, the water begins to move, tripping the sensor to turn on the heat exchange. As the water passes through the coil, it heats up to whatever temperature setting you have, and comes out as hot water. When you are done, the flow stops, and the sensor turns off the power.

While you do have an endless supply of hot water, there are certain small restrictions. One of them is the temperature rise rating. What this indicates is how fast the water heats up, relative to how fast the water is flowing through the system. If your water flow is high, then the water won’t heat up to the right temperature as fast, meaning that your water won’t come out quite as hot. Because of the differences between electrical heating elements and gas ones, and electrical inline water heater tends to have a lower rating, but the differences are usually small enough not to be a bother.

So, what is recommended with inline water heaters is that you just use one application at a time, like taking a shower, OR washing dishes, but not both. This lowers the rate of flow through the system and lets the water stay hot for as long as you need it. Again, most people combine other water saving products with inline heaters, to help cut down on usage. It is also a good idea to really check what the heat rise rating is for your unit before you buy, some take longer to heat up when the temperature of the actual water is lower, like if you live in the Northern part of the country.

You can find inline water heaters at many of your local home improvement dealers, or online. Even if you decide to purchase online, it is a good idea to go into a local store anyway, to look at some of the different models offered. You can also have any questions you may have answered right away.