Choosing a new water heater can be a little overwhelming. With the wide range of options, it can be difficult to decide which type will not only provide your home with sufficient hot water, but will be as energy efficient as possible. To make a choice about which type of system is best for your needs, you will need to be aware of your options.
Conventional Storage Heaters:
This type of water heater is one of the most popular systems. It provides a reservoir of up to 80 gallons of already heated water. The hot water is drained from the top of the tank and is replaced with cold water in the bottom of the tank. This operation ensures that the tank remains full at all times. There are a number of fuel options for conventional storage systems, including oil, electricity, propane and natural gas.
The main advantage of this type of water heater is that hot water is almost always available. Unfortunately, since the water is constantly heated, it can waste energy. You can reduce this energy loss choosing a model with a heavily insulated tank.
Tankless Demand Heaters:
A tankless or demand water heater provides you with hot water as it is needed. This type of system does not produce standby energy loss seen on conventional storage options, which can save money. Water is heated directly without using a tank. When the hot water is needed, cold water is fed into the unit and is heated with either an electric element or gas burner. This allows for a constant supply, and there is no need to wait for a tank to be filled. Unfortunately, there is a limit to the flow rate, which is usually restricted to 5 gallons per minute. Typically, gas systems produce a higher flow rate compared to an electric system. Unfortunately, if you require hot water simultaneously for multiple uses, you could stretch your system beyond its limits. For example, if you are running a dishwasher and taking a shower at the same time, you may find that you don’t have sufficient hot water.
Solar Heaters:
Solar systems can be a very cost-effective way to heat hot water in your home. Since sunlight is free, there is no need to pay for fuel. This type of system uses solar collectors and storage tanks. You can choose to have an active solar heating system that has controls and circulating pumps or a passive system that doesn’t have these elements. The main drawback to this type of system is that you are likely to require some form of backup system for days when there is little sunlight, or you have an increased demand.
Tankless Coil and Indirect Systems:
This type of water heater uses space heating to heat water. This type of integrated system uses a heat exchanger or heating coil in the main boiler or furnace to produce hot water. When needed, the water is passed through the heat exchanger, providing hot water without the need for a tank.
Heat Pumps:
Heat pumps are often used to heat and cool the home, but it can also be used to heat water. Heat is moved rather than it being generated directly. This can be very energy efficient, but does require that the location stays within the 40º–90ºF temperature range all year round.