Installing A Tankless Water Heater

If you are exploring the idea of installing a tankless electric water heater or just want to know what’s Involved, this is where you can find useful information. The installation of this type of tankless water heater is very easy - at least the electric kind. Most gas models are sold with the provision that they be installed by a qualified tankless water heater technician. .

With an electric tankless water heater the process is much simpler. Once you have determined the electrical panel, in your home, will meet the requirements of the of the electric tankless model you are going to buy, the rest of the project is straightforward.

Generally, an electric tankless heater draws from 80-amps to 180-amps of electrical power, some are even larger. The standard residential breaker panel is usually 200-amps. Some homes may have multiple panels or sub panels. If this is your situation then you shouldn’t have a problem.

The best thing is to be sure by asking a professional. In my case there was an unused panel just waiting, when I switched from electric home heat. Once you are satisfied that you have the power capacity to supply your tankless heater, you are ready to begin.

Or almost, you should be aware of any local codes and follow them to ensure a safe installation.

One other thing I’d like to point out is that tankless water heaters are rated on the ability to produce a set amount (gallons per minute) at a given temperature increase.

As an example: if the heater you’ve chosen is rated to deliver 3 gpm while raising the temperature 50 F degrees you may have what you need for summer months.

But what about winter? Is water coming into you house close to 40 F degrees? If so the temperature rise will be 70-80 F degrees and this will probably make the flow rate drop down to 1½ gpm. There is a little math to this project. Take a look at a site with residential tankless water heater info.

The big factors are how much hot water you need during peak usage, where do you live geographically and let’s not forget the rate your utility company charges. I am fortunate to live in an area where gas and electric are about the same price, making an electric tankless water heater an easy choice.

So now I guess you are ready to start. Since this demo can’t answer all your questions about the tankless heater you are about to install, I suggest you invest in a good how-to book that can be your back-up when you run into something like a breaker panel that looks very different from the one shown here, or if you choose to use the solder and flux method of joining pipes.

An electric tankless water heater can offer endless hot water and dollar savings because of lower initial cost. In some parts of the US, where electricity is competitively priced, you may enjoy the saving from day one.

So now I guess you are ready to start. Since this demo can’t answer all your questions, I suggest you invest in a good how-to book that can be your back-up when you run into something like a breaker panel that looks very different from the one shown here, or if you choose to use the solder and flux method of joining pipes.

Please note that this should not be considered advice from a trained installer of tankless water heaters nor a licensed electrician or plumber. Any information seen here is given as an example only. No claims are made to the reliability of this information. Anyone working with electricity and water should do their homework and exercise caution and good sense.