Plumbing - Hot Water Heaters
Water heater maintenance is one of the most significant yet ignored things in your home. The life span of the average gas hot water tank is approximately 8 to 12 years, with electric it is approximately 10-15 years. It can be functioning at a much decreased level before it stops working. Keeping that in mind, there are a few things to consider to increase its life span. You can increase the efficiency of gas hot water heaters by using an insulation jacket. These can be purchased at any of the larger hardware stores. Proper maintenance is one and another one is having soft water in your home. Soft water keeps the calcium buildup to a minimum. When calcium builds up in your hot water tank it greatly decreases the tank's efficiency and life span.
If your hot water tank has come to the end of its days and you are shopping for a new one there are some things to consider. Keep in mind that water heaters account for 20% or more of an average homes annual energy bill. My advise would be to look for an Energy Star label on any hot water tank you are considering. This label will give you the annual cost to operate that unit.
A big plus to replacing your unit is energy efficiency. You should also consider how many people are living in your home before making your purchase. If you have a larger family or constant guests, you may need a larger capacity water heater. If not, then a traditional 40 gallon tank should be sufficient.
Hot water heaters are generally fueled by one of two sources - electricity or gas. Electric units are generally less expensive to purchase than gas units, but can be more expensive to operate. A gas unit can cost less than $200; electric units can be upwards of $500.
You can purchase water heater tanks, which is what most homeowners are accustomed to, or tankless water heaters. Please note that tankless water heaters have an electric, gas, or propane heating device that is touched off by the current of water. Gas tankless water heaters generally have greater capacities than electric ones. They use more gas, which may require an upgrade to your gas meter. With a traditional unit, if you are using large amounts of hot water you may need to wait for the tank to refill. However, with a tankless water heater you get a constant supply of hot water because the water is heated as it is supplied. This type of tankless unit typically supplies 2-5 gallons of water per minute. They also save energy, but are more expensive to purchase. Prices range from $600 to $1,500. Fortunately, energy savings over the first couple of years easily can make up the difference.
Water heaters can be responsible for up to one-third of greenhouse gas emissions in the average home. A simple way to reduce those emissions, as well as your energy use and costs, is to install a solar water heater. They operate by gathering and focusing the heat from the sunlight, an even more reliable way of warming up water for your home. However, in winter there sometimes may not be enough solar heat gain to deliver sufficient hot water. This method can have an enormous effect on reducing your energy costs (estimates range from 50 percent to 90 percent) and greenhouse gas contributions (up to four tons per year). Completely changing over your home from electric power to solar power is usually costly and it is not easy. ( You should rely on a plumbing contractor for this) Solar hot water heaters use either natural circulation or a pump to move water between the collector and storage tank. There's a myth that solar hot water units do not work as well as their more traditional counterparts, but this is completely not so. With this method of heating your water you will not only be saving on hot water bills, you'll be helping to save the planet. There are different types of manufactured solar hot water heaters on the market today. Some that carry the Energy Star rating may qualify for a tax rebate for energy-saving appliances.
