Your water heater is probably something you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about. The average lifespan of a water heater is between 8 and 12 years. When it is time to get a new water heater, you have many options to choose from. An important point to remember is to research the latest requirements for water heaters in your area before you choose one. In this blog, we will discuss some of the options that are available.
Storage Tank
This type of water heater is most common in households. There is a tank that holds water that has a heating element and gauge so that you can heat your water to your desired temperature. Due to the water sitting in the tank and heating, you can run out of hot water with this type of water heater when you use the amount of water that was heated.
Tankless (Demand Type)
A tankless water heater is also known as an on-demand heater. This is due to water being heated only when it is needed. These type of heaters will generally have a lower energy cost with the caveat being that it will have a higher initial cost. The heater can be mounted on the wall, which can free up space on the floor. Additionally, you will want to have a professional instillation for this type of heater to ensure that it works properly.
Heat Pump (Hybrid)
A heat pump style water heater works by using the heat in the surrounding air to heat the water in the tank. This will mean that if you live in a warmer climate, you will use less energy to heat the water. In colder climates or seasons, the water heater will be less efficient. In general, this type of heater is energy efficient though.
Solar Heater
A solar heater uses the energy from the sun to heat the water. There is a tank and solar collectors as part of the heater. There are different types of circulation and heating that you can choose from in your solar heater: direct, indirect, active or passive. With a direct system, the water is heated through the solar collectors; with indirect a non-freezing liquid is used to move the heat. Active circulation uses pumps to move the water through the system, and passive heaters just use convection.
With any heater that you review, make sure they follow the current energy guidelines for your area, additionally; look into any cost savings and rebates you might be entitled to due to your heater choice.
