Buy a new water heater
If your water heater is aging, it’s a good idea to buy a replacement before you run out of hot water, or worse… wake up to your ankles!
Take note of the energy sources available to you and the amount of hot water you expect to use. Not all forms of energy will work with all types of heating appliances and some work more slowly than others. Tanks are powered by solar power, electricity, oil, and gas (natural or propane), but tankless units are powered by electricity and gas sources only. Heat pumps use only electricity.
Estimate how much hot water your home uses during peak hours and find a heater with a First Hour Rating (FHR) that meets your demand. A licensed plumber is the best person to do this calculation and help you choose the correct size.
Hot water can add up to 25% of your energy bill, so make sure you choose an energy efficient heating appliance.
storage tank
This is most common in residential applications, heating and storing hot water until needed. When you turn on a faucet, the released hot water is replaced by incoming cold water, which is again heated and stored at a temperature controlled by one or more thermostats in the tank.
Storage tanks are simple, maintenance-free, and relatively inexpensive to install, but due to constant overheating, they use energy 24/7, even if you don’t have hot water. Electrically heated tanks can be covered with an insulating blanket to help save energy, but not oil or gas tanks.
no tank
Tankless water heaters, also known as “on-demand” heaters, heat water without a storage tank and use energy only when needed, rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Individual units are sometimes used in multiple locations throughout the home, but most newer homes have a high-efficiency tankless heater to supply hot water throughout the home.
Due to the storage volume of hot water tanks and the high-performance nature of tankless heaters, both are commonly used to heat a home with radiant systems in the floor or through a radiator coil in a central heating system. forced air.
Heat pump (hybrid)
Heat pump water heaters do not heat directly. They use electricity to pump heat from the air or ground into your water tank, using less energy than traditional water heaters.
You can install a stand-alone heat pump water heater or combine your water heater with your heating and cooling system, using an air or ground source heat pump. Although installation costs are higher, heat pump water heaters cost less to run in the long run.
Solar
Solar collectors can be used to harness the sun’s energy and heat water for almost free! Solar water heaters use a primary tank to store preheated water before transferring it to a conventional hot water tank, which is powered by electricity, gas or oil.
Solar collectors can be installed on roofs or on supports at ground level. Buy a better quality, more energy efficient model that will last longer and save money.
Features to consider
- Warranty: Typically three to twelve years. Purchase prices are closely tied to warranties, and water heaters with longer warranties tend to be better built and better insulated. In addition to choosing a water heater with a good warranty, check out consumer reporting websites and individual homeowner reviews.
- Anti-Lime Devices – Although scale can shorten the life of a water heater, you don’t need to invest in additional features to get a reliable water heater. Just buy a good quality tank with a good warranty.
- Brass vs. Plastic Drain Valves – Near the base of the water heater, these valves are used to periodically drain sediment from the bottom of a tank. Brass drain valves are more durable than plastic ones.
- Glass lined tanks: They are designed to minimize corrosion.
- Digital Displays: Easily monitor and control the operation of your tank; set the water temperature, set a vacation mode and other functions.
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