Choosing the perfect water heater for your home is a matter of urgency and good sense. We must determine whether our needs are typical or if we should expect to use more or less water than the average household. We must also make some decisions about energy use: what kind of energy do we prefer, and what are our energy consumption patterns? Then there's the big question: how efficient should the water heater be? Choosing an energy-efficient model should result in lower monthly utility bills and less negative impact on the environment. Still, energy efficiency doesn't come cheap in the upfront cost department.

When it comes to efficiency and saving space, tankless water heaters are hard to beat. They provide number-one performance in those categories. Any time you can eliminate a space-consuming item that just sits there and does nothing until you need it—it takes up space in your basement, attic, or wherever, and space costs money—you are ahead of the game. Eliminate also the costs associated with heating and reheating water that's not being used; and you are really ahead of the game. Elimination is the key to energy savings, and these models do that in style.

Choosing a water heater involves more than just picking a model you like. You also have to think about the fuel it uses, where it's going to be installed, and what sort of ongoing maintenance it's going to demand. In my case, consulting with an expert from Portage Plumbing Pro made it a lot easier to pull all these threads together and arrive at a selection that not only suits my home's specialized needs but also fits within my budget.