Fear of Switching to a Tankless
Fear of Switching to a tankless
First off, if you are here reading this then you are doing your due diligence, researching, investigating and deciding if you want to go ahead with a tankless water heater. Each individual requires a different amount of research before reaching a final decision but almost always it’s to go forward with a tankless water heater.
The next obvious step is to call your local plumber or HVAC company that services either your current water heater or your furnace and air conditioner and ask for prices and installation quotes. The problem is that they immediately will try and convince you that a tankless is a bad choice and why you shouldn’t change. That is the very problem; people are fighting this “change” word so strongly these days. You did your research, you made your choice, and you are hiring this guy not to tell you why you are wrong but provide a professional tankless installation.
It all seems to come back to this fear of change, a plumber understands a tank, he has been working on them for years and is comfortable with all aspects of the old technology. A plumber knows how long a tank water heater will last and how it works. In time younger plumbers will become familiar with tankless systems as well as convential tanks and perceptions will be different.
This transition is occurring in Toronto as we speak, more and more people are realizing the benefits of a tankless system and making the switch to these systems. Currently the Toronto market is saturated in rental water heaters (which ridiculous in itself) but tankless systems are in between 5 and 10 percent of homes.
Using the law of diffusion of innovation we are past the innovators stage and into the early adopter’s stage. The next step, called “The Chasm” is located between the early adopters and the early majority at about 12%-15%, once this is hit a product is considered to have entered the mass market. Toronto tankless market penetration is on the verge of making this transition which will hopefully lead most of us out of the rental water heater contract market where we pay our water heater off several times over and still don’t own a thing. 
Take a quick review of the definitions for each stage on the law of diffusion of innovation and think about where you might sit.
Of course if you are interested in a tankless for your home in Ontario call us 647-925-1930 or visit GoTankless.ca for an installer in your area.
Definition Of Each Stage In The Law Of Diffusion Of Innovation
Innovators 2.5% – These are the ground-breakers, the risk-takers, the creative thinkers and entrepreneurs whom by nature are designed to change the world.
Early Adopters 13.5% – In this category are the individuals that believe in the product, the ones that buy the story out of an emotional decision – an inner drive to identify oneself with something of similar value and purpose.
Early Majority 34% – These people will not try something until someone else has tried and tested the product.
Late Majority 34% – This group will only welcome the idea and product long after the majority acceptance. These are the skeptics.
Laggards 16% – This final group essentially has no choice but to accept the product. Either tradition or ignorance defines this category.
June 21, 2012
I like to think of the phone as a good analogy for the innovation of diffusion law.
You have your Zack Morris with the giant backpack cell phone in the ’80s as an innovator.
Now in 2012 you have grandpa with a rotary phone refusing to switch to even a touch-tone phone bringing up the rear as one of the laggards.