If your water heater has seen better days and it’s time to replace it, you’ve got a variety of models to choose from, though the fundamental choice is between traditional storage tank water heaters and tankless water heating systems. How can you make sure you’re getting the right one for your family? There are three general factors to consider – the type of water heater, its capacity, and how efficiently the appliance works.
Traditional storage tank water heaters come in sizes from 20 gallons to 80 gallons, with 50- and 60-gallon tanks being the typical choice. These tanks hold hot water on standby for use whenever you need it. This can result in an inefficient use of energy. High-efficiency models use between 10 and 50 percent less energy than standard models, but they still suffer from standby energy losses.
One of the most overlooked factors in purchasing a storage tank water heater is the first-hour rating. This measures how much hot water is available for continuous use starting with a full tank of heated water. A larger storage capacity doesn’t necessarily mean a higher first-hour rating. So if you’re looking for a storage style tank, use the first-hour rating as your guide instead of tank size.
A more efficient type of water heating comes from on-demand or tankless water heaters. These devices heat water only when the tap is open. There is no need to waste energy storing hot water. The biggest disadvantage is, although there is access to unlimited hot water, these units can only deliver between two and five gallons of hot water per minute. This limits the number of faucets and appliances that can be used at once, though a common strategy is to add one or more point-of-use tankless units to supplement a whole-house tankless heater. If someone is taking a shower with a 2.5 gallon a minute usage and someone else turns on the washing machine at 4 gallons a minute, just one tankless water heater won’t be able to keep up.
If you’d like to learn more about water heaters, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide exceptional HVAC services to Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area