I currently have an electric water heater that's about 30 gallons, mainly serving a single bathroom. As I think about eventually replacing it, I'm curious about switching to a tankless model. Since I would be using an existing 240V outlet, would I need to change anything in the breaker box? Also, has anyone had experience with tankless heaters? I imagine that providing hot water for a shower and a sink at the same time shouldn't be an issue, but I'm not very familiar with them, especially since I'm more acquainted with gas versions that seem to be made for whole-home solutions. Any insights would be appreciated!
3 Answers
It's worth noting that your current wiring is likely inadequate for tankless units since they require significantly more power than traditional tanks. Tankless models need to be rated based on temperature rise and flow rate—like if your shower needs 2.5 gallons per minute at 105°F, you'd need a heater that can raise the incoming water temperature sufficiently to give you that flow. In colder months, the incoming water can be very chilly, which makes choosing the right model even more critical.
Switching to an electric tankless heater is a big power jump—you might need around 60 amps to run it efficiently, and many older homes only have 100 amps total. This could leave you with limited power for other household needs when running hot water. If you're mainly looking for efficiency, check if your current wiring can handle it since proper installation could end up being quite costly in upgrades.
I love our tankless heater! The main perk is having "unlimited" hot water since we have two servicing different areas of our home. One thing to keep in mind: hard water can be an issue, so regular maintenance for descaling is necessary, even if you have a water softener. Overall, I love not having to worry about turning it off when we go away on vacation.