Public libraries are the backbone of our country's educational system. Sometimes they are the setting of the very books they hold, such as Haruki Murakami's, "Kafka on the Shore". Regardless, the increasing national debt, which has now topped $19 trillion, according to the US Debt Clock, will ultimately force some libraries to close because of a reduction in public sector spending.

Those in charge of these esteemed vaults of knowledge should consider swapping the building's ancient storage water heater for a tankless water heater, which provides boundless economic benefits and can help save money on the utility bill.

Libraries get back in the black
State and federally funded buildings can never truly rely on benefactors to keep operating. Sometimes, managers have to take things into their own hands. Cutting bills should be a priority for libraries as it will help them stay open should funding fall through at any time.

Electric tankless water heaters are more efficient than standard storage water heaters in a number of ways. Library restrooms are seldom used, so the hot water that a storage water heater creates often sits unused in the tank for long periods of time. This effectively wastes the energy used to heat it up, as it loses temperature over time. When a user needs hot water, it uses more energy than is necessary to heat the water and get it to the sink.

This is a constantly repeating cycle of energy inefficiency and leads to inflated utility bills. Electric tankless water heaters use thermal optic sensors to warm the water on demand. This gives the end user instant hot water, and the library a reduced bill in the mail.

Spend now, save later
Electric tankless water heaters can seem costly at first, but by installing one instead of a storage water heater the library is setting itself up for a healthy return on investment down the line.

Storage water heaters usually live between 10 to 15 years. The inside corrodes because of a lack of maintenance and the system usually sprouts a plethora of issues, like a pilot light that goes out or a gas line connection problem. Electric tankless water heaters don't rust on the inside because the water passes through so quickly, and they last around 20 years, according to the Department of Energy.

Electric tankless water heaters are 8 to 34 percent more energy efficient than its storage counter part, according to the DOE. While most of this statistic comes from the fact that there is no standby heat loss, it's also because the system uses less energy and can be paired with renewable resources like solar energy to get the most out of the resources used.

Library managers have a choice on their hands – keep the old, inefficient storage water heating system, or spend the money they would repairing it and buy an electric tankless water heater. To succeed in this economy, an organization must have some form of ROI – electric tankless water heater can get you started today.