6 Best Electric Tankless Water Heaters In 2022 (+Specs) (2024)

On-demand hot water is quickly becoming the new modern standard.

The easiest way to get on-demand hot water is by installing an electric tankless water heater.

Every household has access to an electric grid; installing an electric tankless heater is much more convenient.

The best electric water heaters have several advantages over traditional storage heaters with tanks. These are:

• High energy efficiency. Electric tankless heaters have an energy factor rating (EF rating) of above 0.9. That means that more than 90% of electricity is used to heat water. Less than 10% of energy is lost; storage heaters have 30-50% energy losses.
• Easy to install and maintain. With gas heaters, you need access to natural gas or propane, and you have to inspect the installation every year. With electric tankless heaters, however, you have a quick and affordable installation process and little to no maintenance.
• Durability. The best electric tankless heaters will last about 20 years. Storage ones have a lifespan of about 13 years. Additionally, most electric tankless water heater offers superb warranties, with up to a 10-year warranty on the heat exchanger.
• Come in various sizes (measured in kW). Sizes of electric tankless heaters range from 10 kW up to 40 kW. If you have a small household, you can choose the ones closer to 10 kW. For a big household and increased hot water needs, you can choose the powerful 36 kW electric tankless heaters. Low amp tankless water heaters like Stiebel Eltron 230628 are very sought after.
• Cheaper than gas alternatives. Gas tankless water heaters can easily cost more than $1,000. Tankless water heaters that are powered by electricity, however, cost less than $1,000. You can get the best ones for half the cost of the gas heaters.

Once you have it, you get all the convenience that goes with a durable, low maintenance electric tankless heater. You can have peace of mind – the on-demand hot water supply is taken care of.

Below you will find a list of the best electric tankless heaters. These choices are made based on recommendations, specifications, and price-performance:

List Of The Best Electric Tankless Water Heaters (With Specs And Reviews)

Electric Tankless Water Heater:	Important Specs:
#1 Stiebel Eltron – Tempra 24 Plus $$$$ Check on Amazon	Max. Water Flow: 5 GPM Energy Factor: 0.99 EF Water Temp: 86˚ to 140˚F Noise: 56 dBa Power: 24 kW (100 A, 240 V) Weight: 16.1 lb Warranty: Leakage (7 years), Parts (3 years) Country: Germany Reviewed size: 24 kW. Available sizes: 12 kW, 15 kW, 20 kW, 24 kW, 29 kW, 36 kW.
#1 Stiebel Eltron – Tempra 24 Plus $$$$ Check on Amazon	Max. Water Flow: (Estimated) 5.5 GPM Energy Factor: NaN Water Temp: 80°F - 140°F Power: 27 kW (112.5 A, 240 V) Weight: 10.98 lb Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty Country: USA
#3 Rheem 240V 2 Heating Chambers RTEX-18 $$$$ Check on Amazon	Max. Water Flow: 4.4 GPM Energy Factor: NaN Water Temp: Up to 140˚F Noise: NaN Power: 18 kW (75 A, 240 V) Weight: 8.5 lb Warranty: Heating Chamber (5 years), Parts (1 year) Country: USA
#4 Stiebel Eltron 230628 $$$$ Check on Amazon	Max. Water Flow: (Estimated) 3.5 GPM Energy Factor: NaN Water Temp: 86˚ to 140˚F Power: 12 kW (50 A, 240 V) Weight: 5.95 lb Warranty: Leakage (7 years), Parts (3 years) Country: Germany
#5 Sio Green SIO18 v2 Infrared $$$$ Check on Amazon	Max. Water Flow: 6.6 GPM Energy Factor: NaN Water Temp: NaN Power: 18 kW (80 A, 240 V) Weight: 28.3 lb Warranty: NaN Country: USA
#6 Eemax EEM24027 $$$$ Check on Amazon	Max. Water Flow: (Estimated) 5.5 GPM Energy Factor: NaN Water Temp: NaN Power: 27 kW (112.5 A, 240 V) Weight: 13.75 lb Warranty: NaN Country: USA

#1 Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus (Best Electric Water Heater)

German company Stiebel Eltron is widely renowned as the best electric water heater producer. The best heater the German engineers have come up with is the Tempra Plus, which comes in 6 different sizes.

The Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus’s main advantage – the reason it’s the best electric tankless heater – is the patented Advanced Flow Control. This tech goes the extra mile to maintain powerful hot water flow automatically. If the capacity is overreached, the AFC will reduce the hot water flow and make the necessary adjustments to increase the energy-efficiency of the heat exchanger.

That, coupled with a condenser, brings the Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus’s energy-efficiency up to 0.99 EF. That means for every 1 dollar of electricity spend, $0.99 will go directly into heating water. Only 1% will be lost. For comparison, other above-average energy-efficient electric heaters have an EF rating of 0.95.

The device itself is very compact; the best selling 24 kW Tempra Plus weighs only 16.1 lbs.

It’s powerful enough to handle the hot water needs of the whole household easily. It can raise water temperature from 86˚F to a maximum of 140˚F. To achieve such flow, it will require a 150 A electric grid. Modern households already have that; the older ones will need an electricity grid upgrade.

You can choose between 12 kW, 15 kW, 20 kW, 24 kW, 29 kW, and 36 kW sizes. The most popular model that fits most households is the Stiegel Eltron Tempra 24 kW Plus. However, if you have a large household, you should invest in the most powerful 36 kW model. You won’t have any worries about not having enough on-demand hot water anytime soon (for 20 years or so).

#2 EcoSmart ECO 27 (Most Popular Electric Tankless Heater)

It’s not difficult to see why EcoSmart ECO 27 is such a hit with consumers. It’s small (less than 4 inches wide), highly energy-efficient (can save up to 50% on hot water costs), and affordable. The fact that you can get an eco-friendly 27 kW electric tankless heater for less than $500 is its strong selling point.

In fact, if you check it out on Amazon, it has more than 2000 existing ratings with an aggregate average rating of more than 4 stars. When it comes to electric hot water heaters, that’s a superb rating.

It has a low 0.3 GPM activation flow; that means you will have an immediate hot water flow even at very low water flow. Other comparable devices have an activation flow of 0.5 GPM. This makes the EcoSmart ECO 27 that much more convenient and energy-efficient.

To achieve the 27 kW of electric power, you will need a voltage of 240 V and a maximum amperage of 112.5 A. To get that grid, you usually have to have 3 40 A breakers. Combined, they can deliver 120 A electricity, which is more than enough to power the EcoSmart ECO 27.

EcoSmart ECO is made to be both environmentally-friendly and compact. In fact, it’s the smallest electric tankless water heater if you check just the dimensions (Height x Width x Depth = 17 x 17 x 3.625 inches).

For an indoor electric heater, it’s important to be small and visually appealing. EcoSmart ECO 27 is both. If you have a smaller household, you can also opt for it’s smaller 18 kW cousin.

#3 Rheem 240V 2 Heating Chambers RTEX-18 (Best Small Electric Tankless Heater)

Most people buying electric tankless heaters don’t know the available brands. However, if they know one, it’s Rheem. This is an American company that has been making heaters for decades now.

Their most popular electric tankless heater is the Rheem RTEX-18. It has 2 heating chambers and can achieve the full power of 18 kW. The maximum hot water flow in ideal conditions is 4.4 GPM. That is usually enough for small and middle-sized households. However, big households with 5 or more people will require a more powerful tankless heater that runs on electricity.

The one convenient thing every electrician installing the Rheem RTEX-18 will value is the standard voltage (240 V) and low amperage for an electric tankless heater (75 A). Usually, the powerful heaters need a 100 A or even 200 A grid. The 75 A captures that ideal balance between a powerful-enough electric heater without the difficult electric grid update.

The appealing part of the RTEX-18 is also the price. Because it’s not that powerful and doesn’t include the expensive new-age technology, it is priced below $500.

For a solid, durable, and reliable electric tankless heater powered by 75 A, that is as fair a price as any.

#4 Stiebel Eltron DHC-E 12 (Smallest Electric Low Amp Water Heater)

As stated before, the German company Stiebel Eltron produces the top of line electric tankless water heaters. They have developed a small version device for small households or medium-sized households in the USA’s southern part (where the intake water temperature is most optimal). This is the Stiebel Eltron DHC-E 12 (Model: 230628):

The beauty of the smallest 12 kW electric tankless water heater is that you don’t have to upgrade your electricity grid and still get on-demand hot water for simultaneously running 1 shower and 1 water faucet.

The Stiebel Eltron DHC-E 12 is powered by a 240 V (standard) voltage and 50 A. 50 A grid is what most household electricity grid can already handle; there is no need for expensive electricity grid upgrades. Basically, you almost plug the electric tankless water heater in and have a hot shower.

It also has a 0.3 GPM minimum activation flow. That means that even if you use the low-GPA faucets, you will immediately get hot water. It’s has a wide range of available hot water temperatures, anywhere from 86°F to 140°F.

This device is designed as a single sink point-of-use while also capable of a multi point-of-use electric tankless heater. Like all newer Stiebel Eltron heaters, it comes with self-modulating water flow technology, which further increases energy efficiency. It is available for less than $300.

#5 Sio Green SIO18 v2 (Best Infrared Electric Tankless Water Heater)

Talk about NASA technology being incorporated to deliver you on-demand hot water. Sio Green SIO18 v2 is a special tankless water heater that uses electricity to fire up far infrared lights. In turn, the infrared light heats water in Quartz tubes located inside the Sio Green heater.

This technology was usually reserved for the commercial tankless water heater. Sio Green is the first company to make infrared electric tankless heaters for residential use.

Everything else is pretty much the same as with all-electric tankless water heaters. You have the 3/4 inch NPT water connections, 240 V, and 80 A electric power grid. Most electric grid can handle the Sio Green SIO18 v2’s electric power needs (without the need to upgrade the grid).

The best thing about using the Quartz tubes is that you don’t have to worry about metal corrosion or calcium deposits. The electrically-heated up water is not touching metallic parts; it’s only touching Quartz tubes. No metal, no metal corrosion, simple enough.

This, in turn, reduced maintenance costs. The infrared technology doesn’t only get you the bragging right of ‘Hey, I have NASA tech infrared tankless water heater powered by electricity’ and makes the Sio Green V2 highly energy-efficient.

Quartz absorbs the far-infrared light at a high rate and heats water molecules in no time. Because of the high level of sophistication that goes into designing these devices, the Sio Green v2 is more expensive than comparable standard electrical tankless water heaters.

#6 Eemax EEM24027 (Blue Tankless Hot Water Heater)

Heaters vary in specifications quite a lot. However, if you install an electric tankless water heater indoors, the color should also play a role. Sadly, most of the heaters are either white, grey, or silver. The Eemax had this simple idea: ‘Just make a blue one’. And the Eemax EEM24027 was born.

Regarding the specifications, the Eemax EEM24027 comes with self-modulating technology for optimum hot water use. It can achieve the maximum power output of 27 kW; 240 V and 112.5 A electric grid is required.

But most importantly, it blue and beautiful. In fact, it can enrich your interior design:

It has a slim and compact design. This makes it a perfect addition to homes that are in need of a less neutral and visually appealing electric tankless water heater.