10 Best Electric Tankless Water Heaters — Compared for Value

Choosing an electric tankless water heater isn’t as simple as picking the one with the best reviews. Flow rate, power requirements, and your climate all play a role in finding the right fit.

This matters even more if you’re in a cold climate where incoming water temperatures are low and the heater has to work harder.

We’ve compared 10 of the top electric tankless models and put together this guide to help you make a choice you’ll be happy with for years. If you want something simpler, our best 110v plug-in tankless water heaters guide covers plug-and-play options.

Quick Comparison Chart

1. EcoSmart ECO36 — Best Overall

EcoSmart ECO36 is undeniably the most energy-efficient and cost-saving whole house electric tankless heater system in the market. It features temperature rise control mechanisms, making it easy to detect water heating temperature rise changes of less than one degree Fahrenheit.

Its recommended breaker usage is at four by forty amperes, meaning it runs on an extremely low supply of electricity.

We recommend installing a sediment filter on the incoming water line to protect the unit and to filter out mineral deposits.

EcoSmart ECO36 is 90% smaller compared to other tank systems, suitable for small homes or an apartment. If you’re looking for a tank system that will help save money and reduce heating bills, this is a great choice.

This electric water heater keeps up with hot water needs for the majority of households. The ECO36 is best in size and compactness.

Definitely the best tankless water heater out of our reviews, and plumbing experts will agree.

2. Stiebel Eltron Tempra 24 Plus — Best Flow Control

This Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus water heater is one of the leading electric tankless water heater systems in the market. It’s powered by one hundred fifty amperes of electricity and is eco-friendly by reducing the flow rate.

The Tempra 24 Plus will save up to 20% off the incoming water heating portion of your electric bill. Plus, its Easy Setup function makes installation a breeze.

The Tempra 24 Plus has a sensor that measures the slightest changes in heat level, making sure you receive perfectly heated water every time. It offers advanced flow control for about five gallons, enough to supply the correct amount of water heating to the entire home.

This electric tankless water heater might be an ideal choice if you’re living alone or sharing a one-bathroom apartment.

3. Rheem RTEX-13 — Best Budget

The Rheem RTEX-13 is great for those who want a simple whole house electric tankless water heater system that runs on electricity alone. Rheem RTEX-13 gives you 99.8% energy efficiency with its external hot water temperature control mechanism.

Mainly due to its heating chambers, this system adjusts the inlet water temperature setting with only a one-degree Fahrenheit increase. My favorite part is that you can complete the installation process in just merely an hour.

Rheem RTEX-13 water system also has bright LED indicators for easy adjustments and tweaks. And its compact size helps save space.

The RTEX-13 unit’s magnificent gallons per minute performance and exceptional compact build make it a wise choice for most larger households. The Rheem RTEX-13 has a flow rate of up to 3.17 GPM, which means it’s great if you really demand hot water.

4. Bosch Tronic WH27 — Best Premium

The Bosch Tronic WH27 gives you the premium performance you pay for at an upscale price point. It may cost you more than the other rival devices, but it can produce close to an endless supply of hot water at a lesser energy consumption rate.

If not for its high price, you could say that Bosch WH27 is the best whole house electric tankless water heater system on the market. This is due to its highly efficient nature and better groundwater temperature control capabilities.

The device weighs just 20 pounds, making it easy to set up on any household wall or surface. The bigger deal here is that with Bosch WH27 you can cut your costs up to two-thirds off your monthly hot water bill.

This is because when the hot water faucet in your kitchen is opened, cold water begins to flow into the tankless heater. A great choice for those looking into quiet and low-profile whole house electric tankless water heaters at a low cost and self-modulating technology.

This whole house electric tankless water heater keeps up with hot water needs for the majority of households.

5. Titan SCR2 N-120 — Best Lightweight

The N-120 version of the Titan hot water heater system has outdone all of its older versions. It’s a speedy two hundred twenty volt electric tankless water heater built to supply your home or office with an ample amount of hot water at a very low price tag.

Weighing only eight pounds, there’s no wall or surface it can’t be installed on, and with a tan steel finish, it blends well with any room’s style.

Titan provides you up to sixty Hertz or eleven point eight kiloWatt of extremely hot water flow rate to satisfy your demand for hot water.

What’s best is that this hot water heater will heat the water supply only when you need it, so no need to worry about your electric power usage for unnecessary heating.

I could recommend N-120 to those who need a fast solution for cutting costs and are always concerned about energy bill prices.

6. Sio Green IR260 POU — Best Infrared

This electric tankless water heater system takes the market by storm with its high-tech infrared features while saving your money on monthly utility bills. It has models ranging from thirty amperes and 3.4 kiloWatt up to eighty amperes and eighteen kiloWatt, which perfectly suits your household needs.

The IR260 POU also earned its place as one of the best electric tankless water heater systems using innovative technology. With its no-coil and no-metal design, maintenance and corrosion will never be a problem and for some homeowners, the amount of energy savings are even higher each month when heating water.

The IR260 POU impressively has a compact form with less than twenty inches in length making it easy to install anywhere in the house. If you want a reliable hot water heater that doesn’t require a lot of energy to maintain, IR260 POU makes a great solution.

7. EcoSmart ECO 27 — Best Mid-Range

The ECO 27 is an exceedingly energy-efficient whole house electric tankless water heater best suited for a single-family household. It offers precise groundwater temperature control.

The ECO 27 will automatically adjust the level of energy needed based on the volume of water used and the groundwater temperature you set.

EcoSmart ECO 27 claims you can run one bathroom sink and three showers at the same time with no water pressure issues. This unit has a maximum activation flow rate of 6.5 GPM that can give you a satisfaction guarantee for its price.

It’s more than capable of handling a 1.5-bathroom hot water demand. The ECO 27 is also equipped with auto thermal protection to prevent overloading and overheating.

8. Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus 29kW — Best Large Household

One of the most sought-after whole house electric tankless water heaters, it features advanced flow control exclusively to the Tempra line.

The device makes sure a sustainable temperature output, automatically adjusting the flow to eliminate fluctuations. You can adjust temperatures between eighty-six and one hundred twenty-five degrees.

With electric tankless water heaters, you don’t have to worry about flames or fumes unlike a gas model. It’s low in maintenance, and for some homeowners the energy savings are even higher each month.

I can recommend this whole house tankless water heater for larger households on a budget needing an upgrade.

9. Takagi T-H3 DV-N — Best Flow Rate

T-H3-DV-N comes with computerized safety features and supplies endless hot water. It offers a remarkable advanced flow control rate of ten GPM.

This exceeds any model with its price range and is more than capable of handling a 1.5-bathroom hot water demand. If you’re looking for a model that delivers you enough amount of water, this is the one for you and you won’t have to wait for your tank heater to heat up some more.

These electric tankless water heaters run on natural gas, making the heat exchangers and internal burners fire up once the sensor detects cold water on the pipes. It works with a condensing heating system that doesn’t require vents due to intense fumes.

This electric water heater keeps up with hot water demands for the majority of households. You can never go wrong with Takagi T-H3 DV-N because even if you live in a colder climate it will keep your whole house supplied with hot water.

10. Rinnai RUC98iN Ultra — Best Gas Alternative

It’s Rinnai’s newest line of electric tankless water heaters that are said to be twice as great as other models in this price range. You can run the RUC98iN into several water-based appliances in your homes at the same time without worrying about the interruption.

This model by Rinnai is one of the gas-powered tankless water heater systems and comes with digital controls located at the front panel and self-modulating technology. The digital controls allow you to adjust the gas and the temperatures and also houses the power button.

It also has lock features allowing you to lock the desired temperature settings preventing other people in the house from making their adjustments. It also comes with a great 12-year warranty.

While not number one on this list of the best electric tankless water heater reviews, you won’t be disappointed.

Buying Guide

Even with the list we’ve provided, there are also some things you should need to consider when choosing a tankless water heater system. Sometimes it comes down to more than just simply choosing one of the best units on the market.

Activation Flow Rates

You don’t have to worry about the electric tankless water heater tank type capacity because these models can give you an endless supply of hot water. However, the flow rate might be an issue.

You might want to focus on the activation flow rates when considering a tank water heater, especially if you’re living in a larger household. To avoid cold water during power outages, pair your tankless unit with a battery backup for tankless water heaters.

Tankless Electric Water Heater Models

I love that these systems don’t produce standby energy losses, as opposed to traditional storage heaters. You can buy an electric water heater or a natural gas-powered tankless water heater system, but you must consider the style that would fit your household or office style.

The important thing is to think about why you need a tankless heater, an electric heater or a gas water heater.

Manufacturer’s Warranty

One must take a look at the product’s warranty before investing in it. Some may offer a long term warranty considering its upscale price point.

Energy Efficiency

Most of us are concerned about energy costs, so it’s best to look for energy efficiency ratings to make sure you get the best deals without spending too much.

Demand for Usage

You might want to ask yourself first if you want an electric tankless water heater in one bathroom or the entire household.

Type of System

Consider also the requirements, of course, you’ll need the proper voltage, amperage, and circuit breaker.

Location for Installation

You must make sure that your heating systems will be situated not more than 50 feet from the power source, may it be on an interior or exterior surface wall.

Life Expectancy

Most water heaters last for 20 years compared to storage water heaters, which makes it twice as much.

Installation Process

Almost all of the manufacturers of the electric tankless water heater system offer free installment upon purchase but one must have an uncomplicated user guide.

There are no perfect products and this tankless water heater system is no exception. But you must outweigh the downsides for its good points.

You might also want to consider why an electric tankless water heater system is something to look forward to over the tank type.

Tankless vs. Storage Tank

Even though a tankless water heater system has higher purchase costs than the traditional storage-tank water heaters, it will save your money over time because of the decreasing cost in utility and energy bills. For a traditional tank option, see our best 50 gallon electric water heaters. It also has longer useful lives compared to the tank type which you need to replace more often.

If your house has restricted space, you’ll be in trouble finding the right place to install the tank-type water heaters because of their bulky size compared to the in-demand tankless type with a more compact build. Plus, the tank-type water heaters can’t be placed outside of your homes making it space-consuming.

With its adjustable systems, you can easily have hot waters only when you need it using the tankless water heaters making it more energy-efficient than the storage tank water heaters. No need for you to wait fifteen to twenty minutes for your water to become hot as tankless water heaters give you between two to three gallons per minute.

Very unlikely to the tank-type water heaters because of the larger water volume they must heat.

However, taking showers while doing laundry at the same time can make your tankless water heater system have trouble keeping up with the demand for hot water. Most especially, if you’ve multiple showers at home some might have to experience a “chilly” bath.

And if you’ve the tank water heater, you still need to get a larger one if you want to have multiple showers taken at the same time. This might sound like a good option to relieve the hot water shortage, but your energy bills will alarmingly increase together with the availability of hot water.