If you are looking for a new water heater, know that your options now reach far beyond replacing your current storage tank water heater with one just like it. Heating water typically consumes about 10 to 15 percent of a home’s total monthly energy budget. Now all the best new water heaters focus on heating water efficiently. Conventional Storage Water Heaters Storage water heaters are the large, familiar white-tall, cylindrical tanks. We now have natural gas, electricity, propane heaters for you to choose from and they store from 20 to 120 gallons of water, depending on the size of the tank. If you are looking for a conventional water heater, your first decision will be whether to buy an electric or a gas hot water heater. Besides considering the price, do check the yellow Energy Guide label to help you in your decision making. Make sure to check the first-hour rating (FHR) number, as this indicates how much hot water the heater can supply per hour at peak usage. Look out for the energy factor (EF) too, as this indicates how well the unit can converts its fuel to heat. The higher the EF number, the more efficiently the water heater uses its energy. Electric hot water heaters tend to have higher EF than the gas units one. But though electric units may use their fuel more efficiently, electricity is a much more expensive water-heating fuel than gas in most regions. Alternatively you can combine an indirect water heater to a higher efficiency boiler. For an indirect water heater, you will need a separate storage tank. This combination will give the cheapest way of heating water and help you save money especially during the winter months. Portable water heaters are good choices for adding hot water to out buildings, shops or garages. These heaters are energy efficient and can supply endless hot water on demand without the expense and space of water storage. Whole House Tankless Water Heaters Tankless water heaters also known as Instant hot water heaters do not store water. Rather they heat water as it passes through a series of coils in the unit. While a tankless water heater can provide an unlimited amount of hot water, it can only provide a limited volume. Most tankless units can provide up to 3.5 gallons of heated water per minute. These units are a good choice for any household whose demand for hot water is not more than two points at a time. They are also ideal for families who have small homes and little room for bulky water heaters. Tankless Hot Water Heaters – What to Look For Electric tankless hot water heaters come in very useful sizes – from something that looks like a loaf of bread to some the size of a PC. All have the capability of providing instant hot water on demand. Installing a tankless hot water heater while a new home is under construction makes good sense, especially for gas units that require more to make them operational. Some require a larger gas line as well as category III venting materials. Some have exhaust and fresh air as a combined system. Tankless hot water heaters are also a good choice for most retro projects, and should be considered a good choice for second homes and weekend retreats where the percentage of standing hot water is wasted. Tankless hot water heater models offer great savings in in a variety of ways. For instance, the compact size means less natural resources are needed for manufacturing. Parts are replaceable, opening the possibility that the tankless hot water heater you buy today may be the last one you will ever need. And probably one that you can repair yourself, with mail order parts, if you choose. Here are a few other advantages:
- No wasted energy
- Longer life
- Smaller models for single source use
- Less corrosion and deposits
- A way to avoid peak energy charges
- Less is more
Another advantage is that tankless water heaters provide hot water only as needed. Since they only provide heated water when needed, they offer large energy savings when compared to a traditional water heater which have standby heat loss. Pin down the cost Costs can vary, everything from rates your utilities charge, to labor for installation. The difference in energy rates between gas and electric utilities vary by state. Statistics from the DOE show that natural gas rates have been on a steady increase for the past decade. Propane is even more expensive. Electric is much cheaper in some states than others. All this makes choosing a gas or electric tankless hot water heater a local matter. But once you do the results become global. Environmental issues pop up almost daily in the media so that we are becoming conscious of how much the planet needs our support. And if you are like me, you are reminded every time you put the trash out. This is why I was happy to discover tankless water heaters. A tankless hot water heater means I’m doing something good for the environment and with no hardship to me. Sounds like a win-win. Before buying a tankless heater you should check to make sure it can supply enough warm water. A single individual will require much less water than a family of 5. Some smaller tankless units may not be able to supply enough water for a large family and they would want to make sure they get a tankless unit which will supply the appropriate amount of hot water. A Bellevue plumbing contractor like Rudy’s would be a very good and efficient plumbing company that can help you replace your old water heater with a new one in your home. Make it a day with them and never regret doing so.
