Despite costing up to 10 times the amount of their conventional counterparts, tankless water heaters have become popular for their fuel efficiency and reliabile delivery of hot water.
Toyotomi offers another reason to like its on-demand heater: versatility.
The OM-148 will heat 240 gallons of water an hour using kerosene, USLD (ultra low sulphur diesel), standard No. 2 heating oil, or the less viscous No. 1 oil used by those with outside storage tanks. It can be directly vented through an exterior wall or up a chimney.
Unlike those using a storage tank, on-demand heaters bring water to temperature almost instantly whenever a tap is turned on. You don't pay to store hundreds of gallons of hot water, nor will you run out of hot water.
It can be years before your fuel savings will pay for the rather steep price tag of a tankless water heater. But for some homeowners, never running out of hot water while taking a shower is priceless.