Restaurants constantly have a need for warm water, and with businesses looking to cut down on overhead, tankless water heaters can be a great solution.

Hot water is something that almost seems so common that its use can often go unnoticed. In commercial settings, this is especially the case. One of the most common places for water use is in a restaurant. Be it the cleaning of silverware and plates or for cooking, hot water is a necessary element of almost every phase of the kitchen.

For companies to slash expenses, there are only so many places where savings can be achieved. A restaurant that has set up shop in Midtown Manhattan, for instance, can do little about the high amount is pays for rent. However, by making investments in products like a commercial tankless hot water heater, it can bring some of its monthly expenses under control.

Disadvantages of storage water heaters
For a long time, the common solution for hot water heating required a massive standing tank that was constantly running to keep the water warm. One of the biggest problems with this was that standby heat loss, which is energy that is wasted in maintaining the tank temperature. In a restaurant setting, not all of the water that is used is necessarily hot water. For instance, the water used in a soup can just as easily be heated by the stove.

Also, given the growing demand for prime real estate, the space are becoming increasingly confined as restaurant managers look to get more customers in the door. This means that a strong floor plan should look to save as much space as possible. Unfortunately, the tanks for storage water heaters can be quite large, especially when it needs to satisfy the needs of an entire restaurant.

The tankless solution
Fortunately, electric tankless water heaters are emerging as a strong alternative to these conventional storage solutions. With the price of energy continuing to climb, utility costs are becoming an increasingly large component of business expenses across many sectors.

In restaurant settings, depending on the kind of operations, savings from a tankless water heater can range. Energy Star noted that in bar and tavern settings, the annual energy savings in therms is around 150, which translates into $107. But as service increases so too do the savings. A quick service restaurant can save around $303 annually, while a full service restaurant reaps the largest annual savings at $1,550 per year.

However, this is only the beginning of the savings. Electric tankless water heaters have a longer life span compared to their tanked equivalents. According to the United States Department of Energy, tankless water heaters can last over 20 years, while storage water heaters last from 10 to 15 years, meaning that there are avoided costs when it comes to replacing a heater.

Another added benefit of the tankless solution is that it can significantly cut down on space. Because it heats on demand, it does not need a large tank to keep water warm, meaning that electric tankless water heaters can be mounted on the wall – cutting down on the highly coveted real estate on the restaurant floor.

Finally, with today's consumers becoming more environmentally conscious, an electric tankless hot water heater can cut back on the use of high-carbon emitting fossil fuels, making the restaurant more environmentally friendly.

Deciding between a tank and tankless hot water heater is a common decision that facilities manager, engineers and business owners often fact. In a restaurant setting, there are numerous advantages to the tankless solution, with positive business outcomes across a variety of fields.