ᐅ Domestic Hot Water Preparation: Tankless Water Heater or Hot Water Storage Tank?

Created on: 27 Oct 2015 15:34
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vinzenz990
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vinzenz990
27 Oct 2015 15:34
Hello!
We are currently renovating an old building from 1895, consisting of a ground floor, upper floor, and attic, fully basemented, with a total living area of about 330 sqm (3552 sq ft), used as a single-family home for 4 people.
For hot water supply, we have two options:
1. A hot water storage tank in the basement (160 liters (42 gallons))
2. Two instantaneous water heaters (tankless) in two bathrooms, and a small storage unit in the kitchen and guest toilets.

Apart from installation and energy costs:
Is there a significant difference between these two options regarding water pressure or flow rate when showering? In other words, if you want to shower with strong water pressure, is one system clearly better than the other?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
Koempy27 Oct 2015 16:00
If everything is going to be done anyway, I would prefer a central water storage tank. I would really only consider heating water electrically as an absolute last resort. You probably won’t notice any difference in water pressure.
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vinzenz990
27 Oct 2015 16:24
Are there any arguments against tankless water heaters besides the energy costs?
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alexm86
27 Oct 2015 16:36
vinzenz990 schrieb:
Are there any arguments against tankless water heaters besides energy costs?

Yes, you have to wait a bit for hot water to arrive, and it can be somewhat harder to adjust the desired temperature using the mixer tap. For a household of four people, I would always recommend a storage water heater, but somewhat larger than 160 liters (42 gallons), because if everyone wants to shower one after the other, the water supply can become a bit tight.
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vinzenz990
27 Oct 2015 16:40
Thank you!
Uwe8228 Oct 2015 05:27
In our previous apartment, we had instantaneous water heaters. I found them very comfortable. The temperature was set directly on the unit, and then you could turn the shower to hot and have 40°C (104°F) water within 5 seconds. This is an invaluable advantage when bathing babies. As for the costs, I didn’t find them exorbitant; it depends on usage. With a storage tank, hot water only arrives faster if you have a circulation pump.