The instantaneous water heater is not a new concept, but its arrival in North America has not yet caught the attention of the mainstream public. With the recent innovations to the basic technology that is found throughout Europe and Asia, however, instant water heaters are guaranteed to make a splash as they begin to invade the continent.

Instant water heaters are also called tankless water heaters, which right away should give you an idea of what they incorporate. Instead of relying on a bulky tank that takes up space in your basement, instant water heaters are electronically controlled panels that read when a hot water faucet is turned on or off in your house. Instead of feeding previously heated and stored water into your pipes, the instant water heater creates hot water when it is called for, through elements set into the device.

There are several benefits when it comes to choosing an instant water heater over a tank model. Let's take a look at some of them.

Energy savings

Most of North America has grown painfully conscious about the high costs of energy, and a lot of the costs are incurred in storing hot water. Tanks are very inefficient systems of hot water generation; even the most advanced models have a lot of problems. One of these problems is in heat loss; the hot water is stored in the tank, but if it is not used it slowly cools. A second problem is getting the water to the desired temperature in the first place; hot water tanks are usually set at very high temperature levels in order to keep heat constant, and this results in wasted energy.

By eliminating the tank, instant water heaters take care of energy loss issues and therefore reduce the costs of heating water. Instead of being stored, water is heated upon entry into the system, and the desired temperature program can be set at the level you want.

Safety

There are two issues that come up in terms of safety in hot water systems that use a tank. Scalding is always a concern; as mentioned above, the temperature is often set very high in tank heaters in order to sustain comfortable levels. If the cold and hot water taps are not turned on at the same time, there is a high risk of injury. With the desired temperature of the water already set through the electronic system of the instant hot water heater, the danger of scalding is no longer an issue.

Hot water tanks are a means of storage, and therefore there is a risk of bursting or leakage, especially when mineral content builds up. With no storage, the risk of a mess or an unsafe burst is totally eliminated.

Instant hot water heaters are definitely a welcome invasion here in North America. The many benefits in terms of safety, costs, and space will likely mean that they find a place in most homes within the next ten years.