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Storage Tank or Tankless Water Heater - Which is Better?

by Emma
(Dallas)

I want to buy a water heater but I am not sure which type; tank or tankless.

What are the pros and cons of each type and which manufacturer do you recommend?

Thanks

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Jun 13, 2022
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starstarstarstarstar 		Traditional tank-type water heaters are less advanced but very reliable
by: Spike

Tank-type water heaters have lower purchase and installation costs. Since they are less advanced, the service and spare parts are cheaper. They are also less demanding in terms of maintenance.

They are less prone to temperature fluctuation or cold water sandwich problems when taking two or more showers simultaneously.

If there are only a few people in your home when the hot water demand is not high, and will be using hot water on a daily basis, the tank-type heaters are perfect for you.

BTW, here is my selection of the top brands in both tankless and tank categories:

Rinnai
Noritz
Takagi

Rheem (Marathon for the electric)
AO Smith
Bradford White

If money is not an object, look for the condensing water heaters as they come with an ultra-high energy efficiency of over 90%, so they can get you substantial energy savings.

The last thing I would add is that there is no perfect product... for me, the best water heater is the one that can last and can deliver hot water anytime - with no problems.

Cheers
Nov 09, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Pros and Cons of the tank and tankless
by: Joe the plumber

Here is what I know about conventional gas-powered tank-type and tankless water heaters.

Tank-type water heater stores hot water inside the metal tank and it supplies the fixture no matter what the water flow is, while tankless has a minimum required rate(from 0.4 gallons per minute, up).

Tankless units do not have the stand-by heat loss while storage tank has. When the tank-type unit does not operate, energy is lost through the walls of the heater.

Tankless can provide unlimited quantities of hot water, while with the other you are limited, especially if the unit is undersized or when you have overnight visitors.

When the water flow rate fluctuates, tank-type heater may not supply hot water at constant temperature, while tankless, thanks to the modulating burner, can.

Tankless unit requires less physical space to install and most of the time it hangs on the wall.

Electric tankless vs. tank-type requires an upgrade of the electric service (panel, wire size).

Tankless are more advanced and the energy efficiency is most of the time higher.

Tankless heaters last longer, warranty is also longer, but are more expensive, including the installation costs.

Tank-type uses elements that most of the time end on the landfill, while the on-demand units uses elements which are easy to replace.

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