Water heaters are an absolute necessity for the winters in most parts of the world. Following the general perception of purchasing weather-based equipment in off-seasons, it is high time to talk about them, considering that their prices are at a considerably low level everywhere. With the pricing range covered already, we can easily discuss the other defining factors that demand our attention when purchasing a water heater.
Many people believe that despite the advancements in the plumbing field, conventional equipment or machines are still the best choices. However, this is far from true. With the enhancements in how these water heating units work, the world is slowly moving from storage water heaters to tankless water heaters. For this reason, we have developed a simple yet effective guide to help you identify the important factors that demand attention when you purchase a tankless water heater.
Types of Water Heaters
Considering the varying types of geographical locations and economical conditions, the types of water heaters have grown in size at an incredible pace. Those that started from conventional storage tanks have come a long way transforming into modern tankless water heaters. The most common types of water heaters still relevant in the markets are:
- Tank Water Heaters: Conventional storage water heaters store water and release hot water based on the requirements.
- Tankless Water Heaters: The modern mechanism skips the step of storing water and provides ease in receiving hot water without any delays.
- Heat Pump Water Heater: An energy and electricity-efficient solution that doesn’t directly generate heat from an electric source. This uses the heat in the air and in the ground to heat the water, minimizing the use of electricity in the entire process.
Important Things to Consider When Buying a Tankless Water Heater
The basic purpose of having a water heater is to have access to hot water whenever you need it. However, with increased usage and demand for constant hot water in a busy family, it can be difficult for a conventional tank-based water heater to meet your needs. This is where a modern tankless water heater comes into play with its enhanced technology and efficient heat management for constant usage of hot water.
Tankless water heaters are an exceptional purchase for almost all users that have purchased a water heater. However, there are certain prerequisites that need to be considered before making your final purchase.
1. Consider Your Climate
Climate is one of the most important factors for choosing the perfect type of tankless water heater. The surrounding temperature of your house can be highly influential on the energy generation capabilities of your water heater.
The water heater requires measuring how cold the incoming water is to provide the required amount of heat for heating it. For this reason, you should make sure your water heater is capable of heating water according to your surrounding temperatures without unusually high operational costs.
2. Choose From the Different Types of Water Heaters
Choosing from an electric or gas-powered water heater is purely dependent on your priorities. If you prioritize finance over efficiency then getting a gas-powered tankless water heater might be of increased benefit for you. Whereas, if you are a supporter of energy efficiency then an electric tankless water heater will suit your needs.
3. Determine the Size of the Heater According to Your Usage
One of the most important things to know before purchasing a water heater is your requirement for hot water since this will determine the size of your water heater. An average household typically requires 64 gallons of water every day. This shows that knowing your water requirements before making a purchase is essential to ensure you do not make an insufficient purchase. Save yourself from the proceeding issues of claiming your returns and monitor your requirements.
4. Inquire About the Flow Rate (GPM)
You should be aware of your hot water needs when you are purchasing a water heater to ensure that it will be able to satisfy your requirements. To monitor your usage, you can calculate the average flow rate of appliances or chores that will be performed simultaneously.
For example, using the kitchen sink, doing laundry, and showering at the same time, can require constant use of hot water in winter.
5. Factor in the Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance is an essential factor for water heaters and it needs to be considered with great importance when you are purchasing a water heater to ensure your relatively lower-priced purchase won’t get heavy on your wallet in the long run.
6. Perform a Comparative Analysis of Performance Before Choosing Your Type of Heater
When choosing a tankless water heater, you will come across the decision-making point of choosing an electric or gas heater. Both of them are capable of delivering hot water but are extremely different in their working and efficiency levels.
In comparison to an electric tankless water heater, a gas heater is less energy efficient but it is more economical due to the cheap operational costs. This is where you need to make a decision whether you want your purchase to be energy-efficient or cost-efficient.
Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters
Since tankless water heaters are one of the most advanced types of water heating units, they have an increased amount of benefits as compared to other water heaters. Here are a few common benefits that are identified by the majority of users.
1. Energy Efficient
Without a shadow of a doubt, tankless water heaters are the most energy-efficient type available in the market. You just need to ensure your hot water usage analysis is accurate and you will be satisfied with your purchase.
2. Increased Usage Life
The traditional storage-heaters were extremely good when we consider their working life. However, the tankless heaters have enhanced the life expectancy with the deduction of a storage tank that was the major drawback in a tank-based water heater.
3. Decreased Wait Time to Enjoy Hot Water
Gone are the days when you had to sit through long waiting hours to heat water. With the facility of energy efficiency, a tankless water heater performs direct heating that means you can enjoy non-stop use of hot water.
The numerous benefits of a tankless water heater make it an undisputed winner against the other types of water heaters. Despite the extra electrical costs, the decrease in the amount of by-product production and heat production is reason enough to upgrade your conventional tank water heating units. Furthermore, the additional advantage of increased security with a tankless water heater provides relief to couples with children in their homes. Considering the security advantages of a tankless water heater, it trumps all other types with ease.
First thing in the morning or anytime it is not in use, the water needs to be heated. I found that I need to run the water twice as long to have warm water for the morning shower. It seems I have exchanged lower energy bills for increased water bills.