Water heaters

Q: After reading an article about hot-water heaters, I was curious as to how SRP views tankless water heaters?

A:Although tankless water heaters have been around for many years, they have only recently become popular with homeowners.

The concept of producing hot water only when there is a demand for it makes sense. This approach eliminates the need for a storage tank and prevents the energy losses associated with maintaining a reservoir of 120° water. Tankless water heaters are able to supply an unlimited amount of hot water at the gallons-per-minute rating of the heating elements. However, without an available reservoir of hot water, you are restricted to the amount of hot water that can be "instantaneously" produced by the tankless unit. There is no reservoir to fall back on to help you meet increased hot-water demands.

Standard electric water heaters typically require a 25- to 30-amp circuit breaker, whereas many of the available tankless water heaters require 50- to 60-amp circuit protection. Because of this large electrical load, a tankless water heater may require the installation of higher-capacity home wiring and a breaker. In some cases, wiring also must be installed at your expense between the distribution transformer in the neighborhood and your electric meter.

For additional information about the performance characteristics and costs of installing a tankless water heater, SRP recommends you contact a licensed electrical contractor. For a list of licensed and bonded contractors, call the Electric League of Arizona's Electric Council at (602) 277-3736 or its Plumbing Council at
(602) 285-5563.