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Water Heaters and Your Home Energy Costs

 

The importance of upgrading your water heaters
Statistics show that water heaters use up to around 20% of your home energy bill. If your water heater hasn’t been replaced for several years, it is definitely a good time now to consider replacing it with one of the latest energy efficient systems.

Generally speaking, water heaters are rated on the basis of their gallon capacity. In an average household taking showers, doing the laundry and running the dish washer, it is quite possible to use upward of 100 gallons of hot water a day. So what should you go for?

There are several choices when it comes to buying a new hot water heater. Depending on the quantity of hot water you’ll need and whether you are using electricity, gas or oil to heat it, you have a variety of choices.

Storage Tank Heaters
The most commonly used types found in most US homes are the conventional Storage Tank water heaters. These are the familiar insulated tanks, available in a variety of capacities, usually between 20 to 80 gallons. The water is heated and stored until it is needed, and when you turn on the faucet, hot water is drawn out of top of the tank, and cold water flows in from the bottom to replenish it. Theoretically this means that hot water is always available, although everyone knows that if the kids decide to take long showers one after the other, the supply of hot water may indeed run out when you weren’t expecting it!

On Demand Heaters
An alternative type to consider is the On Demand or Instantaneous Water Heaters. These don’t have a storage tank. A gas burner (or electric element) heats water only when you turn on the hot water faucet. As a result the flow of hot water never runs out. However, the output may not be as strong or as regular as with a storage tank system. They are more economical to run than storage tank heaters, but the flow of hot water is limited to around 3.5 gallon per minute. Typically, therefore, demand water heaters make sense with smaller families where they will only be required for one use at a time. In addition, they will make more sense in a home where natural gas is available to heat the water as the electrical system may require an upgraded supply to handle them. Regular maintenance with these heaters is also generally required to keep them operating efficiently.

Solar Water Heaters
These are popular in regions where there are many sunny days during the year. They are roof mounted, where a solar panel absorbs sunlight, and transfers the heat to a storage tank where it heats the stored water. There is generally a back-up conventional heating system included, which takes over on cloudy days. While extremely economical in the summer, these systems will take years to make up for the cost of purchase and installation.

Advanced Systems
Heat Pump or Hybrid water heaters provide energy efficient heating, but installation requires specialized space requirements in order to work properly.

Condensing water heaters provide large capacity supplies, but run only on natural gas.

Always choose a system with the longest warranty period available, but make sure to consult your professional contractor before deciding on which system to install.
Your professional plumbers for old houses