Add an in-line tankless heater to save on new energy requirements

As the new year kicks into full gear, you might be going through a long list of resolutions you want to achieve over the next 12 months. Some people want to lose some weight, while others like to get a head start on their taxes due mid-April. If you're one of the more financially minded types, there might be another move you can make to save more money by the time spring rolls around.

On April 16, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy will institute new energy efficiency requirements for all in-home storage-type water heaters. Contractor magazine explained that while these updated regulations will help improve the old technology of obsolete heaters, they also might make it more difficult for certain homeowners. On average, added insulation that brings energy costs down will increase the size of each unit by as much a 2 inches in diameter. 

But what's a desperate homeowner to do when there's such little space in your home to begin with? If you don't have the legroom to purchase a larger heater come April 15, you might be able to get even more savings by adding a tankless water heater in line with your old storage-type unit.

Don't rush out and buy the first storage-type heater you find.

Boost your home's hot water
The DOE regulations aim to bring inefficient technologies up to a sustainable level, though this might come at a high initial cost if you plan to purchase a heater after the new standards go into effect. Instead, a more energy-conscious option may be to combine the speed and efficiency of a tankless heater with the volume of an old unit.

Tankless heaters work by warming water quickly with a superconducting heating element, so as long as there's a steady flow of water to your tankless heater, your home will always have a constant source of warm water. Also, feeding water through a storage-type unit first reduces the overall burden on the tankless unit to raise the water to your desired temperature, saving you money without buying a brand new storage-type heater that may not even fit in the storage space or basement you used for your old one.

Don't think that you need to rush out and buy a new storage-type heater the morning of April 15 – if you're willing to do a little legwork to add a tankless water heater to your home's existing plumbing system, you can have hot water and bigger savings all year long.