A water heater is essential for the countries where groundwater temperature is unbearably cold. In countries like the USA, UK, and Canada, the water heater is an indispensable part of life. Among different types of water heater, a tankless water heater is the most popular nowadays because of its advantages over the storage-tank water heater. In this article, I will discuss what a 110-volt tankless water heater is and how we can differentiate it with other tankless water heaters. I will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this type of water heater. After the read, you will be able to understand the utility of a 110/120v tankless water heater. Therefore, it will help you make a better decision when you will plan your utility line.
110-volt tankless water heater
I assume that you already know the difference between a tankless and storage-tank water heater. Now, a tankless water heater can be further classified into two major categories – electric tankless water heater and gas-fueled tankless water heater. Electric tankless water heaters can further be classified into two types – 240 volt and 110-volt tankless water heater, based on the electrical requirement. However, we can divide the 110V tankless water heater into two types based on the utility. One is the showerhead type water heater that we only use in the bathroom for shower purposes. The other is the plugin type 110-volt tankless water heater.
How 110-volt water heater differs from others?
The main difference between a 110 volt and 240-volt tankless water heater is the power consumption. The rated power of a 240V water heater is around 15 to 30 KW. But a 110V tankless water heater has a rated power of about 2.5 to 3.5 KW which is about 10 times less than that of 240V. What does it signify? Lower power consumption indicates that a 110/120-volt water heater will have a lower capacity to generate hot water. The maximum flow rate of a 110v tankless water heater is around 0.5 to 1 GPM that is barely sufficient to supply water to a single fixture. On the other hand, the maximum flow rate that can be achieved with a 240V tankless water heater can be as much as 7 GPM.
Utility and advantages of 110v mini water heater
The plugin type mini tankless water heater is used to supply hot water to a single faucet or fixture. For example, if you need a supply of hot water for your kitchen sink only, then a plugin type water heater will be suitable for you. The advantage of this type of water heater is, you do not need to set up a customized electric line for this. Your regular 110-volt electric socket is good enough to run this kind of water heater. Another advantage is the ease of setting up the system. You do not need to hire a professional plumber to set up a mini tankless water heater. 110-volt tankless water heaters are small in size. Therefore, your limited space will be sufficient to install this unit. You can even set it up under the sink. Therefore, sometimes we call it under the sink water heater. The limited power consumption is another advantage of the mini tankless water heater. It will consume at 5 to 10 times less power than that of a 240-volt tankless water heater.
The other type of 110-volt tankless water heater is the showerhead. Showerheads are only used in the bathroom if you do not have the connection of hot water to your shower. A dedicated shower head for hot water is advantageous in a few aspects. For example, it is inexpensive and independent. You do not need to purchase a big water heater just for using it for shower purposes. You can control the water temperature instantly in the bathroom. It will not take any additional space to set it up because it comes in the form of a showerhead.
Disadvantages
The drawbacks of a 110-volt tankless water heater are vital. For instance, the major problem with these is the capacity or maximum flow rate. As you know that these water heaters consume lower power, these are not able to produce enough hot water to supply to more than one fixture at a time. Therefore, these are not suitable for supplying hot water for the whole house. Rather, these are perfect for a single faucet. The flow rate will not be sufficient for the colder region. For example, in the colder region, you will get less than 0.5 GPM speed with a 110v water heater. Therefore, with this flow rate, you can not operate your faucet at full speed. Otherwise, you will have to compromise the water temperature.
Final words
Whatever the drawbacks are, the problems are not the dealbreakers. With the enormous value that a 110v tankless water heater creates, it is becoming popular more and more. However, you need to know what you should expect from it and afterward, you make your decision. If you find this article helpful, you can share it with others. You can also share your experience with tankless water heater through the comment section. Have a good day!