With regular maintenance and repairs a tankless system may last up to 30 years or up to 3 times longer than a traditional hot water heater.
Tankless hot water heater vs tank.
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.
One of the first things to consider is whether you should get a tank or tankless water heater.
Water heaters with tanks.
For a tank based traditional hot water system the lifespan is usually 10 years.
And storage tank water heaters while less expensive up front don t last as long as tankless options.
As their name implies tankless or on demand water heaters don t store water in a tank.
According to energy gov for homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily demand or tankless water heaters can be 24 to 34 more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters.
Tankless water heaters are more compact and can heat up water as you use it.
Instead they heat water as it passes through the unit using a heat exchanger to rapidly bring it.
Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water.
It uses high powered burners to rapidly heat water as it runs through a heat exchanger and deliver it directly to your faucets or shower without storing it in a tank.