Certain ideas seem smart in theory for a long time, but take several generations of execution before they become so in the real world. Tankless water heaters are just such an idea. Simply put, these clever inventions are designed to eliminate the lag time and limited hot water supply associated with bulky boilers and other hot water tanks. The tankless water heater is actually quite simple. When hot water is summoned through your home's plumbing system, the tankless water heater turns on and heats it as it passes. The part that took a while to get right was the incredible energy efficiency required to make these devices fast enough to work in real time. Today, tankless water heater products from companies like Takagi have closed the gap. These days the finest tankless water heaters take only five seconds to heat your water to the desired temperature. Most use natural gas, although there are some slower versions that still use metal coils and conventional electricity. Either way, the advantages of a tankless water heater are manifold: you save money not just on heating in the moment, but on storage as well. One of the great inefficiencies of many modern plumbing systems is the necessary energy required to keep water hot so it is available at a moment's notice. Tankless water heaters operate only when needed, and shut off as soon as the supply of water is no longer required. Best of all, you never have to worry about running out of hot water. As long as there is running water, tankless water heaters keep it piping hot.
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