Non condensing water heaters are simpler to maintain and cheaper to buy while the condensing ones are cheaper to operate and more environment friendly.
Condensing tankless water heater vs non condensing.
Let s dissect the meaning of the word condense first.
Much like a condensing tankless water heater the non condensing tankless water heaters will push the exhaust gases out a vent to the outside.
They can achieve efficiencies of up to 98 percent.
Non condensing tankless water heaters also require more specific venting materials as the temperature may reach 300 f.
Now that we ve had a look at these two types and their individual features it s time to make a comparison in the condensing vs non condensing tankless water heater debate.
See in a traditional type of model the water is heated with gas and the steam that is caused by the combustion gets vented outside where it dissipates into the air.
This type of tankless water heater which heats the water by the gas burner and since the gasses are vented right away.
The word condense refers to the process of changing matters from gas or vapor into a liquid state.
Non condensing tank water heater.
The following are several key categories where the two systems differ.
With the lower exhaust temperatures it is possible to use inexpensive pvc venting materials.
It loses about 20 of the heat that helps the water become hotter.
So what causes the hype.
If you have googled tankless gas water heater options online then you have surely come across the condensing tank water heater vs.
These gases are around 300 degress and need special materials for the venting to withstand the temperatures and not corrode.
These materials are usually very expensive.
They will cool outside the unit.
In this comparison the condensing heaters are objectively better but since they cost more it s all about personal preference in the end.
A condensing tankless water heater is simply a tankless model that doesn t release the condensation caused from heating the gas out through the exhaust.