Choosing A New Hot Water Heater For Your Home
Posted on: 2 July 2019
Heating the water in your home can be done in several different ways. Whole house water heating is commonly done with a hot water heater or a boiler system. Both methods are extremely effective and which one you use for your home is a decision you should make after looking at all your options.
Electric Water Heaters
One of the most common water heaters used in homes is an electric hot water heater that has a tank to store water, one or two heating elements, and a controller that works to cycle the heat on and off to keep the water in the tank hot throughout the day. Because the water heater needs to keep the water in the tank hot, there is a large amount of insulation around the outside of the tank that is then covered in a metal skin.
Gas Water Heaters
Very much like the electric hot water heater, the gas system is a tank with a burner and the same insulation around the tank. The biggest difference is that the gas heater has a gas burner that turns on and off to heat the water. The gas water heaters still use an automatic controller to turn the burning on and off so that the water stays hot day and night. If the tank runs out of gas, the burner will not work and the pilot light will go out. Most gas companies will relight your pilots if you run out of gas once the tank has gas in it again.
Tankless Hot Water Systems
Tankless water heaters are different in that they use a superconductive heating element to heat the water for your home, and they do it on demand. This system does not need a water tank because they heat the water so effectively that there is no reason to store hot water. The heater only runs when the faucet is on, and there is little chance of running out of hot water with this system.
Solar Heating Systems
As a contrast to all of the common systems, solar hot water heaters are also available and use the heat of the sun to heat the water for your home. Solar hot water is not as fast and tankless systems and the water does need storing. Often, it is stored in a tank with electric heating elements to keep it hot but the power for the elements can come from solar collection as well.
For more information about water heaters, talk to a plumber.
Share