Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water.
Tankless hot water heater vs tank.
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.
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.
Water heaters with tanks.
The operational life of a tankless water heater is usually 20 years if not more.
Instead they heat water as it passes through the unit using a heat exchanger to rapidly bring it.
One of the first things to consider is whether you should get a tank or tankless water heater.
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.
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.
For a tank based traditional hot water system the lifespan is usually 10 years.