Tired of running out of hot water? That’s not a problem with one of these compact, ultra-efficient units that heat water as you require it. Here’s what you need to learn about selecting, installing, and living with a tankless water heater.
Consider it: The method most families in this nation heat water is absurdly inefficient. We fill big 40- to 50-gallon storage tanks, then put energy into them 24/7, year in and year out, to ensure we have hot water at the ready whenever we want it.
However frequently it doesn’t work out that way. If a teenager takes a long shower, or a partner settles in for a tub soak, there can be a long wait for that cleared tank to reheat. Then there are the unpleasant concerns: Is it filled with energy-robbing sediment? Will it spring a leak? Both are reasonable issues, as tanks normally fail in 8 to 12 years.
Tankless Water Heater in West Hills Installation: Is It Worth It?
These are the arguments for investing in a tankless water heater. It generates warm water just when you need it– and for as long as you need it– saving 27 to half of fuel costs over tank-type heaters. (A normal gas-fired tank wastes 40 to half of the fuel it burns.).
And because there’s no tank to fail, there’s practically no chance of a devastating leak. What’s more, since their introduction in the United States in the 1990s, tankless heaters have ended up being increasingly advanced, with features like integrated recirculating pumps (for “immediate” hot water), and cordless connectivity that tells you through smartphone precisely when a system needs upkeep.
Below is our guide to tankless water heaters. In it, we’ll describe how a tankless water heater works, inform you what you require to know before you buy one– and before the installer shows up– and let you in on the units’ operating quirks, so there will not be any surprises if you go tankless.
How Does a Tankless Water Heater in West Hills Work?

It all starts when you turn on the hot-water tap (1 ).
A circulation sensing unit (2) spots water entering the heater and sends a signal to the control panel to start producing hot water.
In a gas-fired unit, the control board (3) switches on the fan (4 ), which draws in outside air, opens the gas valve (5) that allows the gas, and fires up the burner (6 ).
The heat exchanger (7) captures heat from the flames and transfers it to the water moving through the exchanger’s tubing.
The mixing valve (8) tempers the superheated water exiting the exchanger.
If the temperature sensor (9) spots that the water surpasses or disappoints the wanted setting, the panel will adjust the gas valve, the mixing valve, and the flow-regulating water valve (10) accordingly.
A sealed vent (11) (or pair of vents) through a roofing system or outside wall carries away exhaust gases and conveys combustion air to the burner.
What to Understand About Tankless Water Heaters in West Hills