As their name implies tankless or on demand water heaters don t store water in a tank.
Compare tank vs tankless water heaters.
Tank style water heaters are simple to repair and replace.
Water heaters with tanks.
Tankless heaters however are more complex which makes repairs or replacement more challenging.
Instead they heat water as it passes through the unit using a heat exchanger to rapidly bring it.
Tankless water heaters are more compact and can heat up water as you use it.
Compared to the tankless the tank water heater will have a higher energy bill due to its continuously heating water even when not in use.
With the option for natural gas or an electric tank water heater you do see some benefits to selecting the tank option.
This makes repairs fairly inexpensive if something goes wrong.
They are easy to reach and have few parts that may need replacing.
And there are limits to how much hot water can be produced per minute.
They are smaller and more energy efficient than traditional storage tank water heaters but more expensive.
The doe notes that storage tank water heaters typically last 10 to 15 years while most tankless units have a life expectancy of 20 years or more.