Water Heaters: What You Should Know

Water heaters make the hot water that is necessary to carry out everyday household tasks like cooking, bathing, and washing clothes. And let's face it, we all know how inconvenient it is when there is no hot water.

Home owners usually have lots of questions when deciding on a water heater. Is a high efficiency gas storage tank for me? Or would the whole-house tankless water heater better serve my family? Depending on the kind of water heater you currently own, your skill level in maintaining that water heater, and your own personal preference, it's best to understand a few things about both types of water heaters.

Most residential homes have a standard storage tank water heater. This type of water heater uses a tank to store water, and keeps the water hot until ready to use. When a hot water tap is turned on in your home, hot water leaves the tank from the top and travels to the area of the house where it's needed. As this happens, new cold water enters the bottom of the tank where it is then heated and stored.

The two most common fuel types for storage tank water heaters are electricity and natural gas. The average life expectancy of a storage tank water heater is 10-12 years. We recommend that you have an annual inspection and preventative maintenance service to extend the life of your water heater. Storage tank water heaters generally have a less expensive, up front cost. Another advantage of storage tank water heaters is that hot water is still available, even if you lose power to your home.

The other water heater option that is growing in popularity is the "tankless" water heater. You can enjoy up to 40% energy savings and endless hot water with this new, "green" technology. Plus, tankless water heaters take up less space than traditional storage tank water heaters, and they have a typical life span of 20 years or longer. If you're environmentally minded, tankless water heaters also produce significantly fewer greenhouse gases than conventional gas or electric storage tank water heaters.

So, the major difference between tankless water heaters and storage tank water heaters is that tankless water heaters heat water only when needed. When water flow is detected by a tankless heater, the unit immediately heats the water as it passes through a heat exchanger. When no more hot water is needed, the tankless unit shuts down and uses no more energy.

If you feel like a new water heater might be in your future, we would love to help you make an informed decision. We’ll work with you to determine the best fit for your home and family. Please feel free to call us to discuss your options and get our professional advice. If you already know you need a new storage tank water heater, we can provide a free estimate over the phone to reduce costs and save time.