Where to install your tankless water heater?
Where Should I Install a Tankless Heater?
As with a tank-type heaters, the shorter the hot-water delivery pipe, the less energy is lost to warming up the plumbing. If you are willing to throw away the heat energy, and wait for the hot water to reach the fixture, pipe length doesn’t matter. A tankless heater does not need to be installed right at the fixture any more than a storage-type heater.
If you are replacing an existing tank-type heater, it is probably most convenient to install the tankless unit in the same space. Your water
and gas piping are already in the vicinity and will require only minor plumbing changes. However, if the unite is to be installed in new construction, then pick the most central location. As with all gas appliances, the heater requires venting to the outside. In a retrofit installation, the existing flue pipe will probably need to be upsized for the tankless heater. Do not reduce the flue size of the tankless unit to fit a smaller already in place flue. Do not install a tankless heater outside or in an unheated space, unless it never freezes in your climate. The pilot light can be blown out easily if the unit is exposed to the wind.