Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
One of the benefits and detriments of a tankless system is that if sized properly, you'll be able to have an endless supply of hot water. The bad part of that is because you can, you tend to use it. To get that temperature rise, it takes a lot of energy, but there's not much of any standby loss. FWIW, with the ongoing requirements changes and Energy Star ratings, today's WH are lots more efficient than they were, so standby losses are still there with a tank, but not as large as they used to be. A tank will take the same amount of energy to heat the water, but the burner will be smaller, so it will take longer to recover. The advantage there is that until exhausted, you'll have maximum volume your system can support with the pipes.
Other than the minimized size of a tankless, the initial cost for the unit and installation and maybe infrastructure improvements plus annual maintenance requirements, for many, a tank ends up less hassle and less expensive. That too, though needs to be sized properly for your needs. sometimes, you're constrained by what heating source is available to you. An electric tank, other than standby losses, is pretty much 100% efficient, and a hybrid unit produces more heat than a resistance unit for the same energy input from the utility. That heat still comes from somewhere. In the summer, that usually isn't an issue. It can be an issue in the winter.
Propane can be one of the more expensive fuels, but electricity can be close behind in many places. OFten, NG, if you can get it, is the least expensive, but a hybrid system can beat it in some cases. It all depends on local utility costs.
Other than the minimized size of a tankless, the initial cost for the unit and installation and maybe infrastructure improvements plus annual maintenance requirements, for many, a tank ends up less hassle and less expensive. That too, though needs to be sized properly for your needs. sometimes, you're constrained by what heating source is available to you. An electric tank, other than standby losses, is pretty much 100% efficient, and a hybrid unit produces more heat than a resistance unit for the same energy input from the utility. That heat still comes from somewhere. In the summer, that usually isn't an issue. It can be an issue in the winter.
Propane can be one of the more expensive fuels, but electricity can be close behind in many places. OFten, NG, if you can get it, is the least expensive, but a hybrid system can beat it in some cases. It all depends on local utility costs.