A water heater provides hot water in the most energy and cost-efficient way. It may not be on your radar every day, but it’s essential to a functional, comfortable home to have the right water heater and ensure it’s working optimally. Your water heater keeps water at a proper temperature for a variety of daily tasks from showering to washing your face and washing the dishes. It’s important to select a water heater that’s suitable for your family, budget and lifestyle.
Water Heater Types
There are five common water heater types for you to choose from, including:
Conventional Storage Water Heater: This type of heater has a storage tank full of hot water.
Tankless/Demand-Type Water Heater: This hot water unit heats the water without the assistance of a storage tank.
Heat Pump Water Heater: This water tank transfers heat from one area to another instead of generating heat in one place for providing hot water.
Solar Water Heater: This hot water system utilizes the sun’s natural heat to generate hot water.
Tankless Coil/Indirect Water Heater: This hot water unit uses the space heating system in the home to warm water.
How To Choose
To select the best type of water heater model for your home, it’s important to consider the following components:
Fuel Type: The fuel type of water heater will affect the energy costs to operate it along with the size of the unit. The fuel types are electricity, fuel oil, geothermal energy, propane, natural gas and solar energy. The fuel options differentiate by the following: ○ Electricity: This fuel type often fuels storage, tankless or demand-type and heat water pumps. ○ Fuel Oil: This fuel is for space heating systems or storage water heaters. ○ Geothermal Energy: Mainly for geothermal heat pump systems, this can be used for both space heating or cooling as well. ○Natural Gas: This energy can be used for most water heating systems. ○ Propane: Used for storage, demand, space heating and indirect combination water heaters. ○ Solar Energy: This energy is most commonly used for solar water heaters.
Size of Unit: You need to select a water unit size that works in your home but will not consume all of the space in a room.
Energy Efficiency: It’s important to do your research on the energy efficiency of the water heater you want to buy to ensure it doesn't increase your electrical costs at an overwhelming rate.
Cost: Before you purchase just any water heating system, it’s important to consider all of the costs associated with it. This includes operating costs and initial cost.
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