Tank or Tankless Water Heater on Salt Lake City Water
The two things that are different here
Most tank-versus-tankless advice is written for anywhere. Two local facts change it. Salt Lake City water is hard, between 8 and 12.4 grains per gallon from the city's treatment plants and higher from some wells, which matters a lot to a tankless unit. And incoming water in a Salt Lake winter is cold, so a tankless heater has to raise its temperature much further in January than in July.
Tankless on hard water
A tankless heater pushes water through a small heat exchanger at high temperature. Scale forms there quickly on hard water and cuts flow and efficiency, and the unit starts throwing error codes. Many manufacturers expect the water to be softened or treated, and expect the exchanger to be descaled periodically with isolation valves and a pump. Without either, a tankless heater in Salt Lake tends to disappoint.
If you choose tankless, budget for a softener or a scale-prevention cartridge and ask for service valves on the install so annual descaling is a quick job.
Winter sizing
Tankless units are rated in gallons per minute at a given temperature rise. The colder the incoming water, the larger the rise and the lower the flow. A unit that runs two showers at once in September may only manage one and a half in January. Ask the installer to size for winter inlet temperatures, not the national average.
Gas lines, venting and basements
A gas tankless heater needs a lot of gas for a short time, often more than the old tank's line can carry. Replacing a tank with tankless commonly means a larger gas line and new venting, which is most of the price difference. In older Salt Lake houses with a water heater in a basement corner, routing a new vent can be straightforward or awkward depending on where the old chimney runs.
The heat pump option
Heat pump water heaters are tank units that move heat from the surrounding air into the water. Salt Lake City's Climate Forward home electrification pages describe them as three to four times more efficient than standard electric resistance heaters. They need space, air volume around them and a condensate drain, and they cool the room they sit in. A large basement utility room in an older house is often a good fit. A cramped closet is not.
A simple way to decide
- Keep a tank if the budget is tight, the household is ordinary, and the old one fits where it is
- Consider tankless if space matters, you will soften the water, and the gas line can be upgraded
- Consider a heat pump tank if the heater sits in a large basement room and electricity is preferred
- In every case, check the permit, seismic straps and expansion tank are in the quote
Where to go next
Common questions
Is tankless worth it in Salt Lake City?
It can be, if the water is softened or the unit is descaled regularly and it is sized for cold winter inlet water. Without those, tankless units on hard water tend to lose flow and throw errors.
Does a tankless heater need a bigger gas line?
Often, yes. Gas tankless units draw much more gas at once than a tank. The installer should check the line size and the meter.
Do heat pump water heaters work in a Salt Lake basement?
Usually well, if the room is large enough and has a drain for condensate. They cool and dry the space around them, which many basements can absorb.