Material comparison
Tank vs tankless water heater
General info only. Check with a licensed pro and your local building department.
If in doubt, stop and call a licensed professional.
From U.S. Department of Energy (Building America) and Xcel Energy documents.
| Topic | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standby loss | DOE: tankless units eliminate the standby losses of tank heaters. | Official page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Bills | DOE: tankless units can reduce water heating bills by 10 to 20%. | Official page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Hot water speed | DOE: tankless units do not get hot water to the faucet any quicker. | Official page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Upfront | DOE: gas tankless heaters cost more than typical tanks but are similar to high-efficiency tanks. | Official page checked 2026-10-30 |
Not confirmed yet
- Unknown Lifespan and warranty (needs maker warranty pages).
- Unknown Current Xcel amounts (2024 sheet only).
- Unknown DOE page date — the DOE PDF is older; the newer energy.gov page returned 404 on 2026-10-30.