Electric tankless water heaters

Start with the job it needs to do

Electric tankless equipment uses electrical heating as water flows. A small unit serving a hand basin and a whole-home unit supplying showers are very different proposals. Establish which fixtures it must serve and whether they need hot water simultaneously.

Ask for performance at the expected incoming water temperature and required outlet temperature. An advertised maximum flow does not describe every winter operating condition.

Make electrical feasibility an early question

Before selecting a model, ask a qualified electrical professional to assess the appliance requirements, the home’s service and the proposed circuit arrangement. Include any electrical upgrades in the comparison with a storage or heat-pump system.

Do not assume that removing an existing electric tank makes a tankless conversion plug-and-play. Request a complete written scope with the specific model, utility work, water connections, access and commissioning responsibilities.

Compare it with a local small tank

For a distant single fixture, compare an electric tankless proposal with a point-of-use storage tank and with changes to distribution. The useful question is how each option meets the fixture’s demand and reduces inconvenience.

Include maintenance, access and realistic usage in the decision. A product intended for one limited use should not be selected for a whole household merely because it is compact.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

• NRCan water heater guide

Check the selected manufacturer’s current instructions. Program eligibility and installation requirements can change.

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Make this useful for your project

Build a short installation brief with the details and questions to bring to an assessment.