What is your biggest water heating concern? Running out of hot water? Rising Tampa utility costs? Environmental sustainability?

A good Tampa plumber, like Cass Plumbing, can address these concerns by helping you select a high-efficiency tankless system. Tankless technology is becoming increasingly popular in the Tampa region because of the versatility, convenience, and efficiency. Tankless water heaters offer reduced energy costs, a long service life, and high volumes of hot water.

There are still some common myths throughout the Tampa Bay region that prevent Tampa homeowners from upgrading to a tankless water heater.

MYTH 1: Tankless water heaters are too expensive.

For some Tampa homeowners, it’s hard to look past the upfront cost of a high-efficiency tankless water heater, but it’s important to consider the system’s annual cost of ownership (ACO). Tankless water heaters reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent compared with storage tank water heaters and eliminate standby energy loss from the tank, as well as the unnecessary expense of heating water when it’s not being used — which ultimately reduces water heating bills. High-efficiency units pay for themselves in just a few short years — which is a big win for contractors and their customers. Big picture, they’re a smart investment. Plus, there are great rebates available to help bring the costs down.

Recently, a comprehensive analysis of residential water heating systems was done, tankless systems were found to offer the lowest annual cost in eight out of nine scenarios covering different climate and housing types when compared with a traditional tank-type water heater. Tankless water heaters provide lower annual energy costs and long service life of roughly 20 years.

MYTH 2: Tankless water heating requires natural gas.

By incorporating propane into a project, tankless water heaters can provide the same luxury, performance, efficiency of a natural gas tankless system — no matter where the house is located. There are still a lot of homes in Hillsborough & Pinellas Counties in rural areas where natural gas lines are not available and instead using electric tanks. They are simply not thinking of propane tankless just because it’s not as common.

Many Tampa plumbers don’t realize how construction-friendly this energy source is. Propane is used much like natural gas and is easy to incorporate into a plumbing project. Plus, with propane, you are not at the mercy of a public utility. Meanwhile, performance is never sacrificed. Propane tankless water heaters provide an endless supply of hot water, averaging about 222 gallons per hour, compared with an average first-hour delivery rating of just 65 gallons per hour for electric storage tank models.

MYTH 3: Tankless systems require complicated venting.

Although not always, often, venting for tankless systems is flexible, easy, and inexpensive. Given the unit’s compact size and direct-vent design, many times they can be installed in closets, tight spaces, and even outdoors. Upgrading from an electric tank to an interior tankless water heater system may require a little more planning, but high-efficiency units can be vented straight through the wall with inexpensive PVC pipe.

MYTH 4: Tankless won’t work with well water.

Tankless is a great option for customers, whether they use city water or well water. When a water heater heats water, a small amount of scale can form on the heat exchanger, so periodic flushing is required to keep tankless water heaters functioning at their best. Homes with harder water or more usage will have more scale, but city water versus well water won’t affect this. Many modern tankless systems will notify the homeowner when they need to be flushed or can even be set up to notify a technician when maintenance is required. Regardless of the water source, a water softener can greatly reduce the scale created, allowing for much longer intervals between flushing. With tankless water heaters maintenance is key — if properly maintained, tankless units last much longer than traditional tank systems.

Don’t settle when it comes to water heating performance for your Tampa home. Tankless water heaters can deliver limitless hot water delivery and efficiency. To learn more about tankless water heaters, call the Tampa plumbing professionals at Cass Plumbing today. You can reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 813-265-9200, for all your plumbing needs.