Hybrid and tankless water heaters are fairly the most popular options among all kinds of water heaters in the market.
The energy efficiency of both the water heaters is the main reason behind their all-time demand. Still, choosing the best one is a bit tricky as they’re highly competitive, creating a controversy, hybrid water heater vs tankless. Both of them have their pros and cons.
Hence, we’ll break down the differences between tankless and hybrid water heaters in detail. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
Hybrid Water Heater Vs Tankless Water Heater – Comparison Table
| Features | Hybrid Water Heater | Tankless Water Heater |
| Functionality | Uses surrounding air to heat water | Heats water only when in demand |
| Storage | Available | Not available |
| Instant Hot Water Flow | Yes | No |
| Energy Efficiency | On electricity, the best | On Gas, the best |
| Space Requirement | Needs a spacious utility room | Doesn’t require a lot of space |
Differences Between Hybrid And Tankless Water Heater
Hybrid and Tankless Water Heaters are grabbing the lion’s share. Although you’ll get the utmost energy efficiency possible from both of the water heaters, they are different from each other in many cases. Let’s have a look at them.
Functionality And Performance
Tankless electric hot water heaters don’t consist of any tank to store heated water, as the name says. The heater directly heats the water and supplies it to your water faucet when you need hot water. This is the reason why they’re also called “On Demand” water heaters.
As there’s no storage for keeping hot water, the water flow is usually slower than in other water heater systems. This means you won’t get instant hot water when you turn on the faucet.
It’ll take some time to heat the water and come through. The water temperature also depends on the temperature of the groundwater. If you live in a warm area, you’ll get a hot water supply faster.
But, if you live in a colder area, it may take some additional time for your heater to supply you with hot water. These water heaters can be run through Gas or electricity either of the fuel.
Hybrid water heaters are the best choice if you’re setting up an electric water heater system. They’re energy-efficient and contain top tank storage. Here the heater stores the heated water and supplies to your home faucet instantly when you want.
These water heaters don’t create their heat. Instead, it uses surrounding air into a converter to heat the water with the help of a heat pump. That’s why they are also called “Heat Pump Water Heater.”
Your living area has nothing to do with the water flow or performance of the Hybrid Water Heater. Just keep yourself notified if the tank is full, or you may run out of water in the middle of the shower.
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Required Space
Tankless water heaters are generally small in size and are supposed to mount on the utility room wall. They don’t require a lot of space to establish and process. So, if you’re a small homeowner, Tankless Water Heater could be your best choice.
Hybrid Water Heaters, on the contrary, are giants. They need to be placed in a spacious place to operate well. As they run through electricity, they need more space to put up the wiring safely.
Other than this, as these water heaters use surrounding air to heat water, they need to be placed in a more climate-controlled area. If you can ensure that much space, you can go for a Hybrid Water Heater.
Energy Consumption And Limitations
At the Energy Consumption point, you can’t deny the capability of either of the water heaters.
Tankless Water Heaters are only in use when it is on-demand. As a result, they don’t operate constantly and save a lot of energy.
On the other hand, the mechanism of Hybrid Water Heaters saves energy by using the surrounding air to heat water and not creating its own heat.
Moving on to limitations, Tankless Water Heaters have some of them. You already know there is no water storage option available in this type. That’s why these heaters can’t operate in high usage.
Running the water heater, you won’t face any problem doing two things together like showering and washing clothes. But an additional third task that requires hot water can show issues. You won’t get enough water supply at this point.
Hybrid Water Heaters do not have such kind of limitations as they’ve got the storage option. The stored water is sufficient to run multiple tasks with a hot water supply at a time.
Operating Cost
Operating cost means how much fuel the water heaters consume and make you a bill. Tankless Water Heaters run best and save energy on Gas. If you’ve decided to get a Tankless, use Gas as the fuel.
Hybrid Water Heaters run best using electricity and save energy as well. If you’ve decided to get the Hybrid one, it is wise to fuel it with electricity.
Installation Cost
Installation costs actually depend on the contractor and your home engineering for fuel lines and spaces. However, the average cost for installing both the water heaters is almost the same.
If you’re willing to make some changes in the pipeline or want extra facilities to ventilate your water heater, the charge may add additional costs.
FAQs
● Our Hybrid Water Heaters Better?
Hybrid Water Heaters and Tankless Water Heaters are better than any standard or traditional storage-tank water heater. They are energy efficient and can supply you with adequate hot water when you need it.
● What is the Downside of a Tankless Water Heater?
Not being able to run more than two tasks at a time is the primary downside of a Tankless Water Heater.
● Does a Hybrid Water Heater Work in Winter?
Today’s Hybrid Water Heaters are designed in a way that they can beat cold climates and work through them very well.
They can produce hot water effortlessly when the surrounding temperature is at or above 40 degrees F.
Final Words
We’ve reached the end of the discussion of Hybrid Water Heater vs Tankless. Hope that now you’ve got the idea of them well.
If you’re looking forward to making your next purchase for the best water heater, consider the above factors and choose one accordingly.
