Decision tool / 04

Choose a water heater before urgency chooses for you.

Compare tank, heat-pump, and tankless options using your own quotes, annual-cost assumptions, and the installation dependencies in your home.

About 5 minutes · Fit and lifecycle method v1.0.0

Example loaded

Illustrative costs show how the comparison works. Replace them with your quotes, utility estimates, and confirmed incentives before using the result.

Home and installation

Check fit before ranking cost.

This screen flags common dependencies. It does not size storage, electrical service, gas piping, venting, or peak hot-water demand.

Household sizeCurrent water-heating fuelInstallation spaceElectrical capacity confirmedCondensate drain pathCombustion vent pathRelevant to combustion equipment

Ownership horizonDiscount rate

Conventional tank

Installed cash priceInclude required enabling workVerified incentivesUse zero until approvedAnnual energy costAnnual maintenance allowance

Heat-pump water heater

Installed cash priceInclude required enabling workVerified incentivesUse zero until approvedAnnual energy costAnnual maintenance allowance

Tankless water heater

Installed cash priceInclude required enabling workVerified incentivesUse zero until approvedAnnual energy costAnnual maintenance allowance

Review water-heater results

Illustrative comparisonv1.0.0

Lowest modeled lifecycle cost

Heat-pump water heater

The cost leader still needs to pass capacity, code, space, fuel, electrical, venting, drainage, and installation review.

Household context: 3 people · 12 years · 3.0%

Conventional tank

$10,467

$987 above the lowest total

No fit dependency flagged by these answers

Heat-pump water heater

$9,480

Lowest modeled total

Dedicated electrical capacity

Tankless water heater

$12,570

$3,090 above the lowest total

No fit dependency flagged by these answers

Capacity still needs a real check

Household count alone cannot size a water heater. Ask the installer to document first-hour rating or flow assumptions, simultaneous hot water use, recovery, temperature rise, and any mixing strategy.

Decision support only. Installation and sizing require qualified local review.

Choose a water heater before urgency chooses for you.

Check fit before ranking cost.

Conventional tank

Heat-pump water heater

Tankless water heater

Useful context for the next conversation.

How to choose a water-heater type for your household

Is your home ready for a heat-pump water heater?