Electric on-demand units
Want the tank gone but have no gas at the house? An electric tankless unit works when your panel has room for it.
How it works
An electric on demand water heater switches on its elements when a tap opens and heats water as it flows. There is no vent, no gas line and nothing burning, so it can mount in a closet, garage or under a sink.
Warm inlet water most of the year helps electric units keep up here. An electric tankless heater needs almost no upkeep beyond flushing, which suits rentals and casitas.
Compared with gas
Electric tankless units cost less to buy and install where the panel allows, need no venting and run quietly. Gas units deliver more hot water at once, which matters for larger homes with several showers running together.
Power
Whole-house electric tankless units often need two to four dedicated 240-volt circuits and 120 to 160 amps of capacity. Many older 100-amp panels cannot spare that; a 200-amp panel with open space usually can.
An electrician or installer checks the panel and the wire run before you buy, since a panel upgrade can cost more than the unit.
Going electric? Confirm panel capacity before choosing a unit.
Call (832) 783-9416Sizing
Size for winter flow, not summer. A small unit can run a single sink or shower; whole-house use usually needs a larger unit rated around 24 to 36 kW.
Expect a typical installed range of about $1,200 to $1,800 depending on flow rate, plus any panel or circuit work. If you are weighing fuel, the tankless water heater Houston TX overview compares both.
Small spaces
A small electric unit under a sink or near a far bathroom delivers hot water in seconds instead of waiting for it to travel from the garage. These run on a single circuit and suit additions, casitas and garage apartments in Houston, Texas.
Point-of-use units can also back up a gas tankless system at the far end of a long, single-story house, cutting wasted water while you wait.
Before you buy
100-amp panels rarely have room; 200-amp panels often do.
A unit far from the panel needs thicker wire, and that costs more.
Count showers and appliances that run together before picking a kW rating.
Power questions
Often, if the panel has the capacity and space for the circuits it needs.
Usually yes, because there is no standby heat loss from stored water.
Yes. Houston water is moderately hard, so flush or descale it about once a year.
Yes, if the panel supports it. The gas line is capped.
You're put through to a local installer who checks the panel and quotes the job.
Tell us about your home and panel, and we'll put you through to a local installer in Houston, TX.
