Tankless water heaters have become quite viable over the recent years due to their energy savings and space-saving design. An often asked question is can a tankless water heater fill an oversized bathtub? The answer is typically yes. Let’s have a detailed discussion in this blog.
Acknowledging the Fundamentals
Tankless water heaters, typically known as on-demand water heaters, deliver water that is heated within the unit itself as it flows, bringing about no need for a reservoir. In essence, this way they can offer a hot water flow all the time which is efficient when a bathtub has to be filled. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of a tankless water heater during filling an oversized bathtub can differ especially when it comes to factors such as its size and flow rate.
Theoretically, a tankless water heater can send sufficient water to an oversized bathtub, but the occurrence of a few factors should be considered. The first parameter is the water heater flow rate. The majority of tankless systems are rated based on their GMP – gallons per minute they can heat, as one of the key factors.
When only a small flow of water is provided by the water heater and it does not meet the demands for filling a large tub fast enough, then it may be difficult for the water heater to overcome this lack of flow rate and provide hot water quickly.
Another thing to look into is whether the tankless water heater can provide a sufficient rate of temperature rise. The temperature rise is the difference between the incoming cold water from the desired hot water.
The temperatures can be lower in colder climates or winter, thus the temperature rise required to achieve the desired water temperature may get higher, affecting the performance of the water heater.
According to Simpson Plumbing, for you to effectively fill a large-sized bathtub, you have to ensure that you get the right-sized unit. This can be done by engaging a plumber or a contractor to get the correct sizing and capacity to capture factors such as bathtub dimensions, hot water usage, and climatic changes in your locality.
Final Overview
Although a tankless water heater can fill an oversized tub, it must be taken into account the characteristics of water flow, temperature growth, and dimensions of the unit, to achieve an optimal output. It would be very helpful to consult a specialized person about the kind of gear that is going to fit your needs perfectly so that you do not get stuck during your bathing experience.