Those who love hot showers have reason to celebrate. Yes, you can install a tankless water heater in a bathroom. Doing so will ensure that your shower has a never-ending supply of dedicated hot water. Here is what you need to know if you’re planning on installing a water heater in your bathroom.
How Will It Work?
A tankless water heater works by heating water directly as it flows through your pipes. It does not have a supply of hot water waiting for you to demand it. That means that it can keep supplying hot water indefinitely.
However, tankless water heaters can only supply a certain amount of hot water, only as much as it can heat up running through the pipe. While you can run the water forever, if you try to split it between several fixtures, the water won’t be all that hot. That’s why many people choose to have multiple tankless water heaters, one of which is dedicated just for their bathroom.
It’s not a huge deal to have multiple tankless water heaters from a utility perspective, as they don’t run when they are not being used. You won’t be wasting energy that way.
Tankless water heaters will also get hot water to you faster than a tank-style heater because they are closer to your bathroom fixtures. This means you’ll spend less time waiting for the hot water to arrive when you’re starting your shower.
Will It Save Me in Utilities?
Tankless water heaters are more energy-efficient than tank-based water heaters. That’s because they don’t run continuously and don’t heat up water when you haven’t asked for it. It takes a lot of energy to maintain heat in water as traditional water heaters do, so a tankless, in theory, should use less energy and save you in utilities.
However, if you end up using a great deal more hot water with a tankless water heater, then you may not save as much money or any at all. Those who want to take longer hot showers than they do now, or with teenagers who empty out the water tank every morning, will probably not see much in savings.
The good news is that now you can determine how much you spend on hot water because the tankless water heater will not be running when you’re not using it. If you want to lower your bills one month, you can simply lower your usage.
Install It During Renos
When you’re doing bathroom renovations, you should consider putting in a tankless water heater. Installation will require some work, including ripping open the drywall and potentially some tile. If you choose an energy-efficient gas model, your plumber will also have to install an exhaust line for it. Most people will choose electric models for their bathrooms for this reason. It is just simpler to install.
You can, of course, still install a tankless water heater in your bathroom when you aren’t doing renovations, but it will require a bit more clean-up work.
