For most Salt Lake City homes, a right-sized tank water heater is the better value, and tankless is the better choice for a large household that keeps running out of hot water or a home where floor space is tight. Reliable Plumbing installs both, tells you which one fits before you spend anything, and gives customers 5% off the new unit either way.
Tankless costs more up front, can need a larger gas line and new venting that many older houses do not have, and requires yearly descaling in our hard water. A tank costs less, usually goes where the old one was, and gives you the same hot water if it is sized right.
What is the real difference between tank and tankless?
A tank heater keeps 40 to 75 gallons hot all day, whether you use it or not. A tankless heater heats water only when a tap opens, so there is no stored supply and no standby loss. That is the whole trade: the tank pays a little energy every hour to have hot water ready, and the tankless pays a lot more up front to skip that. Everything else follows from it.
Which one gives me more hot water?
A tank gives you a fixed amount, then a recovery wait. A 50-gallon tank handles two showers back to back and then needs twenty to thirty minutes. A tankless unit gives you a fixed flow, endlessly: a typical residential unit delivers three to five gallons a minute at Utah winter incoming temperatures, which is one shower plus a sink, or two showers if they are efficient. It never runs out, but it can be shared thin. The family that runs out of hot water on Sunday morning usually wants tankless. The family that never runs out usually does not need it.
What does each one cost to install in Salt Lake City?
A tank replacement is the cheaper job by a wide margin: the unit costs less and it usually goes where the old one was, on the existing gas line, vent, and water connections. A tankless install often means a larger gas line, a new vent through the wall or roof, a condensate drain, and sometimes an electrical outlet. In a house from the 1960s or 1970s those add up. We quote both on the same visit so you can see the actual gap, not a national average. Our water heater page explains what is included in each install.
How does Utah’s hard water affect the choice?
It hurts both, differently. A tank collects sediment on the bottom and needs a yearly flush. A tankless unit collects scale inside its heat exchanger, which is a narrow passage, and needs a yearly descaling with a pump and vinegar or a descaling solution. Skip the descaling and a tankless unit loses capacity and can fail early, which erases the long-life advantage. A water softener or purification system protects either one and is worth pricing alongside the heater, especially with a tankless unit. Homes in Sandy and the east bench tend to ask about tankless most, because they are larger houses with more bathrooms, and the same hard water applies there.
How long does each one last?
A tank in this valley typically lasts eight to twelve years, with maintenance pushing it toward the top of that range. A tankless unit typically lasts fifteen to twenty years with yearly descaling. Over that window the tankless can catch up on cost, but only if it is maintained and only if the install was not unusually expensive. That math is different for every house, and we will do it with you honestly. Our plumbing FAQs cover hard water and maintenance in more detail.
When is tankless the wrong answer?
- The house needs a new gas line and a new vent, and the install cost climbs well past a like-for-like tank swap.
- You have a well or very hard, untreated water and do not want a softener.
- You want multiple showers running at full flow at once; a large tank, or two tankless units, handles that better.
- You plan to sell within a few years and will not be there for the payback.
When is tankless the right answer?
- You run out of hot water regularly and a bigger tank will not fit.
- Floor space matters: the unit hangs on a wall the size of a small suitcase.
- You are already opening walls for a remodel, so the gas and venting work is cheap to add. Our remodel plumbing team plans it into the job.
- You will keep the house long enough for the lower running cost to matter.
If you are not sure, call (801) 803-0847 and describe your house, how many people live there, and when you run out of hot water. That conversation usually settles it in five minutes.
Can a tankless water heater run on my existing gas line?
Sometimes. Tankless units need more gas at once than a tank does, so a half-inch line that fed the old tank often has to be upsized. We check the line, the meter, and the vent path on the first visit and include any upgrade in the quote before work starts.
Is an electric tankless heater a good option in Utah?
Rarely for a whole house. Our winter incoming water is cold enough that a whole-house electric tankless needs very heavy electrical service. Electric tankless works well for a single remote bathroom or a small addition.
Does the 5% discount apply to tankless?
Yes. Reliable Plumbing customers get 5% off new water heaters, tank or tankless, and off water purification systems. Mention it when you call.