How To Choose The Right Water Heater For Your Home

Buying a new water heater in the current market can be quite overwhelming. This is because there are too many different types and models of water heaters in the market today. There are several factors that you should always consider when shopping for a new water heater. For instance, you should always go for the most reputable brand in the market today. We are talking about a model that lasts for very long with minimal maintenance. You should also consider the cost of buying, installing, operating, and maintaining a specific type of water heater. Not to mention that you should always choose the right fuel type. This is especially important when you do not have a specific type of fuel in your home. You should always ensure that your water heater of choice uses a readily available fuel. Basically, you should always consider the following important factors when choosing a new water heater for your home.

Consider Your Home Hot Water Needs

One of the most important considerations when choosing a new water heater is its size. It's very important that you choose a water heater that is capable of furnishing all your hot water needs. This means that you should always consider the output of the water heater because it can affect its flow rate. Different types of water heaters have different capacities. The standard tank storage water heater is very popular because it comes in many different sizes that suit various hot water needs. Capacity is one of the major limitations of the tankless water heater. You might be forced to install two or more tankless water heaters if you have a huge household that requires simultaneous hot water supply and usage. You can always hire a professional plumber to audit you hot water consumption rate before your decide the size of your new water heater.

Consider The Functional Design

The other important consideration when choosing a new water heater is its functional design. Water heaters are mainly classified according to their functional design. This is why we have three main types of water heaters, namely conventional storage water heaters, tankless water heaters, and hybrid heat pump water heaters. Conventional storage water heaters come with a reservoir tank for storing the heated water while the tankless models have no such tank but rather heat water instantaneously on demand. Hybrid heat pump water heaters use a reverse refrigeration method to suck heat from the surrounding environment and use it to heat water. All these three different types of water heaters have different advantages and disadvantages. The functional design of a water heater determines its efficiency, cost, and warranty.

Efficiency

The hybrid heat pump water heater is the most efficient model followed by the tankless water heater. Conventional storage water heaters are notoriously inefficient because they suffer from standby heat loss.

Cost

Conventional storage water heaters are cheap to buy and install but their high inefficiency makes them more costly than tankless and hybrid heat pump models in the long run.

Warranty

Conventional storage water heaters have lower repair and maintenance costs than the two other models. This means that you do not have to request for DC plumbing repair services all the time when using this type of water heater.

Consider The Fuel Type

And last but not least, you should always consider the fuel type of a new water heater. Most water heaters use the following different types of fuels: electricity, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, geothermal energy, and solar. Hybrid water heaters combine two or more fuels. Make sure that the fuel is available in your house to avoid costly installation costs.