A Little History and Some of the Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters

While the exact history of tankless water heaters is a bit unclear, it appears that they were invented by the German manufacturing company Stiebel-Elton sometime around 1929. Later it was Edwin Ruud was a Norwegian mechanical engineer and inventor who immigrated to the United States where he began to promote the concept and sales of the tankless water heater.. But, it really wasn’t until the 1950s that people in Europe and Asia started to see the appeal and benefits of tankless models and sales began to increase. These days, you can find tankless versions in electric models and gas-powered models here in the US and all over the world. Because of some obvious benefits, we’re seeing a surge in their popularity here in the Austin and Central Texas area over the last ten years.

Of course, one of the main reasons for their increase in popularity is due to their energy efficiency and potential for long-term savings over a conventional hot water heater. This type of water heater does not use a tank to store hot water (hence the name “tankless”) – instead, it heats the water as it passes through the device using electric or gas produced heat.

In addition to cost savings, tankless water heaters offer several advantages over traditional storage tank models. To begin with, they are incredibly energy efficient because they only heat the water when you need it, rather than continuously heating a large storage tank full of water. This not only saves the consumer money, they are potentially more environmentally friendly according to some sources.

Additionally, since these units do not require a storage tank, they take up much less space in your home or business than traditional models do. They can be installed inside or outside the home on a wall surface. Furthermore, they provide an unlimited supply of hot water since they are heated on demand as you’re using it – so you’ll never have to worry about running out!

One of the most attractive benefits that lead to a financial advantage that usually goes unmentioned is that tankless water heaters last much longer than traditional models — up to 20 years compared to 10-15 years for most standard systems. This can save you significant money in the long run, as replacement costs and installation fees can add up quickly when dealing with older units. But as you may expect, their life expectancy generally increases with proper maintenance and care over the life of the appliance.