Want to learn how to find the best tankless hot water heater? The cost of everything is going up these days everything from food and gasoline to health insurance. It’s probably starting to have an effect on how you budget your household expenses. Have you thought about saving some money with an energy efficient tankless hot water heater?

Factors that determine cost

1) Climate is one factor - The higher you have to raise the temperature of water the more power it’s going to take. If you live far enough north that could be as much as 70F. degrees. That’s for the coldest months, summer ground temperature could 20 some degrees warmer. But you need to figure the maximum to be sure to get an adequate hot water supply.

2) Water use - How many faucets to you have running at one time? Using multiple outlets at the same time means more water heated on demand. You should make some estimates of this because it is a big factor in determining the best tankless hot water heater to fit your family’s needs. A bucket and a watch is about all it takes to find the gallons per minute flow rate that your tankless water heater will be required to generate.

3) What do you pay for utilities? - Rates vary throughout the US, with some areas being gas friendly and others not so. In fact there are areas where the cost of electricity is the same or cheaper than natural gas. Convert the kilowatt-hours and cubic feet of gas your utilities charge into thems (100,000 BTU) to compare rates.

4) What is the plan? - Do you think your best tankless hot water heater could be electric? It could be a combination of water heaters plus any other energy saving ideas you can come up with. Talk to your contractor about this. Try to avoid long pipe runs and insulate where you can. Small, under the counter heaters are also good solutions for kitchens and lavatories.

Passive preheating water is an inexpensive way to maximize energy efficiency. Make the most of your tankless water heater options by planning on electric for its high efficiency and natural gas for the power it offers.

5) Installation - If your choice of the best tankless hot water heater turns out to be gas, then you should get several estimates from experienced technicians. These models require dedicated gas lines and a specific, high temperature venting.

Adequate fresh air supply is important and a CO2 detector is recommended, especially for well-insulated homes.

Electric tankless hot water heaters are much easier to install. In fact, you may have the DIY skills to do it yourself. Check the power supply of your electrical panel to make sure it can handle the load of an electrical tankless model. Wiring to the old tank heater won’t work and it will take new breakers but beyond some simple plumbing it’s a job that can be finished in a couple of hours.

The best tankless hot water heater is one that meets the measurements we talked about and energy efficient hot water for a long time.