The United States uses a astronomical volume of water each year – The U.S. Geological Survey noted that the nation consumed over 24,000 million gallons of water each day in 2010 alone. It's no surprise then, that more homeowners are prioritizing water efficiency. One source of major water waste in the home is out of date water heaters. Storage tank models can make a big contributions to your home's water consumption in multiple ways, so targeting an aging water heater tank for an upgrade could also be a quick way to rid your home of an energy-hogging appliance.

Waiting for water isn't worth it
Storage tank heaters are typically installed in garages or hidden corners of the home because of their size. Unfortunately, this puts storage water heaters about as far away from point-of-use location, like an upstairs bathroom, as possible. As a result, residents are left waiting for hot water to travel through the home and wait for it to arrive at their destination, resulting in 10 percent of all hot water being drawn going down the drain as users hold out for a more comfortable temperature, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. This efficiency weakness of storage tank heaters remains pertinent in newer homes as well, many of which are installed with plumbing that delivers water at a reduced flow rate. This issue become escalated even further when the storage tank begins to run out of hot water. Even more water threatens to be lost down the drain by family members waiting for hot water that won't arrive anytime soon.

Tankless water heaters eliminate this hot water waste issue by virtue of their compact design and on-demand performance. Built 90 percent smaller than storage tank heaters, it's easy to mount water heaters in an area of your home that minimizes your wait for hot water and reduces your water waste. Tankless models are also built to heat water when you need it instead of storing a large volume in a stationary tank.

A leaking tank can cause serious trouble
Storage tank water heaters tend to see the twilight of their lifecycle after about a decade of service. By then, tank bottoms are more likely to corrode and tanks are more likely to leak. The Alliance for Water Efficiency reports that homes waste up to 20,000 gallons of water a year from unrepaired leaks – an unchecked water heater leak in your basement could be responsible for large volumes of waste before the problem is discovered. By going tankless, a household can avoid this threat altogether.